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In the vial: Cherry cough syrup. Definitely not tropical, humid, or lush, nor am I smelling any of the notes this is supposed to have. I'm very disappointed, but there is still the skin test to have hope for...

Wet: The cherry slowly fades into something different, still fruity, but I can't put my finger on exactly what. It reminds me of fruit smoothies. As it continues to dry, the scent itself wears away until it's nearly impossible to smell it.

Dry: It's become stronger and more noticeable, and the scent itself has also changed greatly. It's a very contradictory scent: both dry and wet, both sweet and tangy, both fruity and floral. All the contrasting notes seem to work well together, however. I don't know if banana leaf actually smells like banana, but I think I am smelling a bit of banana in this. I have no idea what sampaguita blossoms, palm, or narra smell like, but the unfamiliar woody and green notes I'm smelling must be them.

An hour later: I'm definitely noticing some sort of blossom now, and the scent has become much wetter. It's still quite fruity, and sweet yet tangy. It's still evoking an image of fruit smoothies in my head, with a white blossom floating within it.

Overall: Not bad, but not great. Try as I might, I can't connect the description with the actual scent. Another scent I had high hopes for but which I'll have to pass on to someone who can better appreciate it.

In the vial: Very green and menacingly floral. It's a dark, wet, frightening forest backlit by a dying sunrise and layered with the shadows of the night.

Wet: The scent becomes more sharp and tangy on my skin. I suppose it is rather aquatic, although I definitely wouldn't have thought so if the description didn't spell it out for me. Whether this is an ocean or a forest, one thing is for certain: the sky overhead is a dark, deep blue, with bruised clouds drifting by, threatening to unleash a cold and cruel rain into the lashing winds below.

Dry: The anger and evil I originally smelled in this is gone, and it's become an antique floral. The biggest impression I get from this scent, is that it's one worn by an old lady. My nose is probably deceiving me, but I think I also catch a bit of apple in this.

An hour later: Sweeter, softer, and drier. Still an old lady floral, though. Where on earth is the grapefruit everyone mentions in this blend?

Overall: It's not terrible, but I don't love it. I can't see myself ever wearing this, both because there are florals I much prefer and because this is too old lady for my taste, so this will be finding a new home shortly.

In the vial: Whoa, that's strong. I'm not sure if it's the vetiver or black myrrh that smells so fierce and angry, or if it's simply a mix of both. I'm not familiar enough with these notes to be able to distinguish them individually. This is not the sluggish scent of sloth, this is full of panic and rage.

Wet: Is this ever sharp—enough to clear your sinuses and then some! Within seconds, the scent sweetens oh so slightly, so that it doesn't seem all that angry anymore. A few seconds after that, a little spice starts to poke its head out of the melee.

Dry: Now I can see where the sluggish part comes in, as the scent seems to have slowed down, if that makes sense. I don't feel that rush of panic in this anymore. However, this still is nowhere near to what I would have expected sloth to smell like. The sharp strength of the blend has eased up, though it's still quite hot and fiery. It reminds me a bit of Brimstone, though sweeter and spicier. The more I sniff it, the more I'm liking it, but I'm still not sure that this is for me.

An hour later: It gets deeper, darker, and more slothlike as time wears on. After an hour or two it's smelling really great!

Overall: I'm going to keep this. It's dark and musky in a way wholly unlike my other dark and musky blends, so it's a nice addition to my collection. The only downfall is that I have to wait so long for it to become the scent I want it to be.

In the vial: Oh my god. It's pure, authentic gingerbread, fresh out of the oven, still hot and moist and soft to the touch. It's warm, spicy, sweet, utterly delicious. If this tasted like it smelled, I'd be drinking the oil right now.

Wet: The scent itself dries on my skin; the gingerbread has had time to cool and harden. The clove is also much more prominent now, but this is still absolutely, 100% gingerbread.

Dry: Still the same delicious scent, thank god! The drydown has sweetened it ever so slightly, so now it's gingerbread with icing slathered on top. It's amazing how, from start to finish, this follows the steps of baking actual gingerbread! The only downside is that this seems very faint on my skin; the scent doesn't waft around me as I wish it would.

An hour later: Not much change as time wears on. Including my shock and awe at how amazing this scent is... I don't I'll ever get over it!

Overall: I think this has bumped Midway out of the way to become my second favorite BPAL blend. I've always loved gingerbread, and the authenticity of this scent is astounding. I want to lick my skin when I'm wearing this! I only have two imps, and it's going to take all of my strength to preserve them, and not slather Gingerbread Poppet all over me, every day, all winter long.

In the vial: Not quite as clear and airy as the description touts, but this is definitely a clean scent. The floral is very strong in this, but it's also very sweet... a newly blossoming garden in spring after a rainfall.

Wet: It loses most of that fresh, wet feeling and turns dry and powdery. It's very light and feminine, and makes me feel young.

Dry: Soap. But not regular Dove soap, it's a very pretty perfumed soap. Possibly shampoo. Yes, yes, it's shampoo! Very light floral, very feminine, very nice.

An hour later: The shampoo ebbs away slightly and this becomes a mainly floral scent, and a very pretty floral scent, not all roses or powder like a lot of the florals I've smelled. Again, it's feminine and young and innocent.

Overall: It's nice, but not quite for me. I'm tempted to keep it as my signature light, innocent, airy scent, but in reality, there's little chance I'll actually wear it when I have so many other imps of scents I love. For someone who adores feminine florals, Szepasszony would be perfect.

In the vial: Cold, clean, and slightly soapy. It's very pure, sharp, and clear, like a glass of water.

Wet: My skin seems to darken up every single blend, and this is no exception. That cleanliness has turned the slightest bit murky. It's still very light, though. Soapy with a tiny bit of tang.

Dry: It's changed... but in a way that I can't exactly describe. It smells tainted, and darker. It reminds me of Febreeze, and I don't like Febreeze.

An hour later: Ew. That is all.

Overall: This is not the electric tang of ozone or the drop of sharp rain I had been hoping for. This is a strong and dirty soap scent that doesn't work on me and that I don't like, at all. Definitely going into the swap pile.

I can't do a detailed review on Delight because I'm too repulsed by it to dare put it onto my skin. It smells like pickles, and I have an intense aversion to pickles. This scent, in the lab imp, is sour, sharp, strong. Disgusting! Where's the sweet floral that everyone else is talking about?

In the vial: It's very, very wet... wildflowers floating on still water. It's tangy but also the slightest bit sweet. I have no idea what Spanish moss or cypress smell like, but I'm definitely—thankfully—not getting any evergreen in this.

Wet: The pure wetness fades a bit as the scent becomes musty on my skin. I'm picking out a bit of rose, which is already smelling soapy, so I hope that doesn't last.

Dry: Strangely, it smells even more soapy now, but not in a rose way. It's small shell-shaped floral soaps that you find in porcelain bowls in a fancy guest bathroom. It also reminds me strongly of shampoo, though I can't think of which brand. The must has pretty much gone away and the freshness is back, though it's nowhere near that watery scent it was in the imp.

An hour later: Where did it go? It's very faint now, but from what I can smell, still running along the same line.

Overall: It's nice. I'll keep this in my stash unless someone desperately wants to buy or swap for it.

In the vial: Exactly what the description says: decayed flowers with lemon and spice. It's musty but humind all at once. I've never been to New Orleans, but through all the prose I've read describing it, I could easily imagine this is what the air smells like in the Garden District on a warm spring morning.

Wet: It immediately warms up and sweetens on my skin, which makes it smell even better. The floral comes out with a vengeance for a brief flash before laying back down. This dries extremely fast...

Dry: Everything is so subtle, it's hard to pick out certain notes! The flowers, lemon, and spice are perfectly balanced, creating a single smell instead of a mixture. It's gorgeous and feminine, not something I would have expected to like, but I do.

An hour later: If this smelled like morning at first, it's now deepend into afternoon. Very warm, dry, and musty, and it reminds me a lot of the heat of the sun in the middle of summer.

Overall: Gorgeous, and definitely a keeper! Possibly even a bottle someday!

In the vial: Snake Oil, but less spicy and with a bit of a tang. Why do so many blends smell like variations of Snake Oil to me?

Wet: The Snake Oil ebbs off a bit, but it's still there. I've never smelled Dragon's Blood before, but I must be smelling it now, because I can hardly notice any musk. It smells wet yet dry at the same time, if that makes sense.

Dry: The similarity to Snake Oil is very dim now. I'm really loving this! It's a very subtly sexy scent, very evasive and mysterious. It's impossible to describe what this smells like. It's going to dinner at a posh restaurant, sipping champagne while classical music plays, and quietly telling the man sitting across the table that you're not wearing panties underneath your slinky black dress.

An hour later: Oh, it's Snake Oil again. Even more so than it was at first. Also slightly... powdery.

ETA, several hours later: It's changed again! I've been sitting here for awhile, and started to smell something wonderful. It was the sweet, smoky scent of dried ice. I couldn't figure out what it was, since I hadn't put anything else on... until I caught a whiff of my right wrist, where I'd dabbed Dragon's Musk four hours ago! It's gorgeous now, and definitely warrants a keeping! I'll just have to deal with the first few stages of Snake Oilyness.

Overall: It's lovely, a definite keeper.

In the vial: This is amazing. It's Hawaii in a small glass vial, it truly is. I'm immediately reminded of Ka'anapali beach... the sun, the surf, the sand, the swimmers, the entire beach and ocean atmosphere. Oh my god. The description of Pele the goddess is entirely removed from Pele the scent: this is not tempermental, angry, jealous, or destructive. It's innocent, carefree, funloving, and beautiful.

Wet: It's so soft and faint on my skin, I want to cry. Even after slathering it on, it's very hard to catch. It's still frighteningly identical to how Hawaii smelled... when I can pick enough of the scent to actually tell.

Dry: It's ever so slightly salty now, in a very oceanic way. I'm also smelling a hint of suntan lotion, and that adds to the beach atmosphere beautifully. It's still very Hawaii, which is exactly what I was hoping for in this blend: a beautiful reminder of the best week of my life.

An hour later: The same, but a little sweeter, and a little... sweatier. Still extremely faint; I can hardly smell it at all now.

Overall: I can't believe such an exquisite scent is entirely sapped up by my skin. Oh, what a world! This is another blend I love too much to say goodbye to even though it doesn't work as a perfume; it is destined to be a room scent, or scent locket, or something along those lines.

In the vial: Bubblegum with a tiny sprinkle of cinnamon. It's Double Bubble, but softer.

Wet: A tad bit more cinnamon, but still extremely bubblegum. More like the original flavor of Bubble Tape now.

Dry: The cinnamon is getting stronger on the drydown, but this is still nowhere near the hot, fiery cinnamon I was expecting, and hoping for. It's far too sweet and candylike.

An hour later: A lot more cinnamon has come out, but still... I'm getting an overall feel of bubblegum. It's also strangely reminding me of Snake Oil for some reason.

Overall: I don't hate it, but I don't like it, either. I don't like the taste or smell of bubblegum very much, and there just isn't enough cinnamon in Chimera to save it. It's already been swapped.

In the vial: Oh my god, it smells so familiar but I can't put my finger on what it resembles. Some sort of food, I think. OH! IT'S CARROT CAKE! Oh my god, it's carrot cake. I suppose that's the mixture of the orange peel, clove, and nutmeg, which are all fighting for their chance in the spotlight. I am also strangely smelling cherry, although cherry isn't mentioned in the description.

Wet: It doesn't change much from the vial to my skin, except to get softer all around.

Dry: It no longer smells like carrot cake. The cherry note has also died away. The orange is more genuine, and overlaid with gorgeous spice and musk. As the drydown continues, the rose is finally peeking out, much to my dismay; I'd love this to stay fruity and spicy instead of going floral.

An hour later: What is it with the nonexistant fruit notes? I'm smelling apple now. This is reminding me a bit of Verdandi, but in a much less woodsy and herby way.

Overall: Another blend that I loved in the imp, but which changed completely on my skin. Still, it's very pretty, fruity and nutty in a beautiful way, so I'll be keeping this.

In the vial: Hello hazelnut! That's about all I can smell in the vial. If I try really hard, I can imagine toffee and buttercream, but definitely no chocolate, vanilla, or caramel.

Wet: Still extremely hazlenut, and the toffee and buttercream are rearing their heads now. A tiny bit of chocolate and caramel are coming out as well, but not much.

Dry: Oh no! All of the sweetness is fading! It's turning powdery, and Play-Doh, and burnt coffee beans all at once. The toffee is pronounced in the throw, which is nice, but this is very unpleasant with my nose against my skin.

An hour later: It eventually turned sweet and buttery, like Midway and Grog do on me; my skin amps up butter like there's no tomorrow. However, some of that unpleasant mix of smells is still there, which is not good at all.

Overall: I suspect the reason this turned bad is because it mixed with the other scents I'm wearing; I'll have to test it again another day.

In the vial: Wine, which is very sour and pungent and not at all honey, and woods, which I'm guessing is the laurel branches and bay.

Wet: Sour and gross. However, it dries, and changes, rapidly...

Dry: When I smell my skin the scent is softer, slightly sweeter, and very woodsy and musty; but the throw is very juicy and grape. The pungent wine is still there in the background, keeping the scent from being potentially lovely. I'm still not getting any honey. It reminds me strongly of a perfume my grandmother wears.

An hour later: I couldn't stand to leave it on for an hour; I've already washed it off.

Overall: Delphi, meet swap pile. You'll make a grandmother very happy.

In the vial: Strong rose, but... a little sweet, somehow.

Wet: Still very rose, but the musk is standing out and saving it from becoming too much rose, or worse yet, soapy.

Dry: Soap made a brief appearance, but as the drydown continued, it died away. The scent is flatter now, darker and more husky. This isn't a vibrant, lush red rose; it truly is a black rose, slightly withered, very dry... lying limp over a grave that had been filled three days before. It's nicer than I expected it to be, though I'm still not entirely sure about rose scents in general.

An hour later: It's crossed over that line of too much rose, and the darkness and musk has ebbed off slightly... but it's still nice.

Overall: This is definitely the nicest rose blend I've tried so far, so I think I'll keep it as my one rose perfume... at least until I find a prettier one.

In the vial: Dark, wicked floral. It's a wet, steamy greenhouse. Flowers amidst a backdrop of thick green ferns with droplets of water trickling from their tips.

Wet: It loses a bit of strength on my skin, but the utter atmosphere of a greenhouse is still there. This scent is so genuinely wet that I can almost feel my hair frizzing up from the humidity of it. This is an absolutely gorgeous floral!

Dry: It's completely changed, and I am not happy about that. All that's left of that wet, steamy greenhouse is a bouquet of freshly picked flowers. A different flower has rushed to the surface, though again, I have no idea which one. The scent in general is a bit sweeter, but with a bit of tang at the same time. The cedar is starting to peek out, very shyly, and is stealing that wetness away.

An hour later: Where did that lucious greenhouse go? Oh, how I miss it so. That sweet tang has been amped up, and I'm sensing the tiniest bit of rose in there, too.

Overall: I'm not sure if I'd ever wear this as perfume, but I'll definitely be keeping it just to sniff from time to time. If I figure out how to turn it into a room scent, that's where Goneril's fate will lie.

Maybe Beth will read this and whip up a new lilac scent for all of us lilac lovers? 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Oh god, if only! I wish I'd been around the BPAL fandom when the Blue Lilac SN was out, because I would've stocked up on it like no tomorrow. Lilac is one of my most favorite scents, and I was hoping I'd find a gorgeous lilac oil in BPAL, but alas, it looks grim. I'm going to go after Dragon's Eye, since it seems to have gotten the most votes for most lilac. Thanks for the help, everyone! (And please, let's continue discussing the beauty of lilac, and maybe Beth will get the hint...)

My skin seems to amp up butter like there's no tomorrow, so a couple of hours after applying, Midway, Grog, and Jack all smell the same on me.

Also, Snake Oil, O, and Chimera all smell very similar to me, except that Snake Oil is the only one I actually like.

I'm afraid of Whitechapel being too masculine... did you find that it was?

What's the closest to pure lilac I'm going to get? I know there are several blends with a lilac note in them, but I'm looking for something with strong, prominent lilac.

I wore Grog today for the first time, and after a few hours of being on, the butter scent overwhelmed everything else, and turned it into Midway. The butter in Midway is what comes out most on me when I wear that, so it makes sense. I'm not sure if this is true for anyone else, but there you have it. If you missed Carnaval Noir or can't get your hands on any Midway, try Grog. You just have to be patient through the extremely strong boozy butterscotch rum phase before you get to the soft buttery Midway phase!

I wore Grog today for the first time, and I didn't get a chance to write out a real review of it yet, but I did want to say this for now: after a few hours of being on me, it smelled exactly like Midway! The butter scent really came out with a vengeance after awhile, and the butter is what comes out on me most with Midway. Does this happen to anyone else?

In the vial: Strong chocolate and cocoa, but it's a very fake smell, like scratch-and-sniff stickers. I smell a hint of sandalwood in the background.

Wet: The chocolate is still prominent, but the sandalwood is much stronger on my skin, and I'm also smelling something deep and musky which I assume is the myrrh. If I try really hard, I can pick out the vanilla as well. The scent isn't as overwhelmingly fake anymore, but it's still hearkening back to the elementary school trend of sticker books.

Dry: The chocolate and sandalwood are about even now. The woodsiness is very sharp and pungent. This is starting to feel like an autumn scent... walking through dry and decaying woods whilst sipping hot cocoa. It's a very warm and comforting scent. However, it's still a little too fake for my liking.

An hour later: The sandalwood just keeps getting stronger. That sharp and pungent scent has actually turned into something quite fiery, like burning wood and smoke. Roasting smores over a bonfire on the last camping trip of the season, when the trees have already turned golden and you need to wear a sweater at night.

Overall: I love how it ends up being so autumn and woodsy, but I can't get past that fake feeling of the chocolate. If it weren't for that, this is a scent I'd be wearing all autumn, but alas, into the swap pile it goes.

I was sure I already reviewed this! I must have forgotten to copy and paste from my LJ. Well, here goes!

In the vial: Wow! Baking! It smells a lot like oatmeal muffins, but with a strong hint of pumpkin and nutmeg.

Wet: I didn't think it could smell any more like baking, but it does. Sweet spice springs immediately to the surface, and there's more nutmeg, as well as a bit of cinnamon. I've never experienced a perfume that smelled more authentically like food in my entire life. It's making me hungry!

Dry: Ginger snaps, total ginger snaps! There are so many scents coming through my head is spinning and I can hardly tell what's what: pumpkin, molasses, brown sugar, nutmeg, cloves, cinnamon, butter, maple, OH MY! Deliciously sweet and spicy. So much so, in fact, that there's no way I would think of this as a fresh pumpkin or jack-o-lantern; this is entirely pumpkin food. This is a very warm, fiery, and inviting scent. It's snuggling up in a toasty blanket in front of a fire when the nights start to get crisp in the beginning of October.

An hour later: I'm smelling more than pure food now. A bit of wood and smoke, which adds beautifully to the autumn feel of this scent. It's romantic and yearning, in a strange way. It's mythical and witchy.

Overall: This was my favorite BPAL scent, until I met Dorian and ran off into the sunset with him. I need to get a big bottle of this before autumn begins, because I know I'll be wearing it all season.