Wench457

ITB: Not very much scent at all. A faint floral.

On: Big ol' gardenias, which is not a surprise, as I am learning that they tend to take over on me.

Dry: I have no idea what Stephanotis is, but maybe that's what is giving this an herby scent. Almost like rosemary. Then gardenia soap.

ITB: sweet and citrussy. Maybe the combination of the gardenia and jasmine?

On: Sharply herbal, almost minty. Like walking on thyme.

Dry: Ah, lovely vanillac sweetness. The florals really warm up a bit later. This is very pretty, but perhaps just a touch heavier on the florals than I prefer. Probably the gardenia, as I tend to find that an overpowering scent. This would work for more formal occassions, but I find it a bit too heavy for day wear.

ITB: Sweet with a hint of spice and something less nice, almost civet-y.

On: better. Whatever was smelling unpleasant in the imp has gone away, and now I am picking up the fruits.

Dry: The throw is not very strong, but the florals are heavy nonetheless. It's nice, but nothing special on me.

ITB: Sweetened grapefruit - like digging my spoon into a half a grapefruit I've just sprinkled sugar over. Yum!

On: Richer and warmer. Literally warmer, as I can feel mild heat where I applied the oil. No redness or rash though. I can smell the musk, lavender and delphinium warming up. And the slightest hint of diaper.

Dry: Talcum powder, with just a hint of citrus. Mostly gone after 10 minutes, but I decide to wait and see whether it will warm up later on. And my patience is rewarded, as it does indeed bloom within 15 minutes. A lovely, crisp floral, perfect for when you want to smell nice, but don't want to smell "perfumey." Oh, how I wish this had not been discontinued before I discovered BPAL!

ITB: vanilla-sweet florals. Smells promising!

On: Where'd it go? Huh. If I get right close up to my wrists, they DO smell like a rock. How weird is that? Very faint though, and no throw whatsoever.

Dry: A very, very faint vanilla throw. Metallic rocks up close. Not a winner on me, I'm afraid.

I bought a 5ml of this unsniffed because it sounded Soooooo perfect for me. Alas, I've tried it twice now, and Black Pearl just doesn't love me. I wind up smelling exactly like a Thai curry. Gaeng Panang to be precise. And while that is a smell I adore, and wearing Black Pearl makes me crave Thai food, that's not exactly the effect I was going for.

Off to get my coconut fix from my beloved Spooky.

Well, I had a lousy morning today. I put on some Hollywood Babylon to test it, and I must say it's cheering me up no end! A very happy, bubbly scent on me.

Okay. I'm not a fan of Dragon's Blood resin, and have avoided it in bpal blends. That said, I was intrigued by Dragon's Milk, because of the vanilla - which I am a total ho for. The lab added this as a frimp in a recent order, so I decided it was fate for me to try it.

ITB: Sweetly spiced vanilla. Like a delicious confection, but not in a foody way, if that makes any sense.

On: Cherry cough drops, which is how it usually goes with me and DB.

Dry: Fading fast. Only the merest hint of dusty DB resin, right up close to my skin.

Later: A subtly spicy vanilla scent which teases at my awareness. This is really amazing, and I like it very much indeed. I may have to revise my opinion of DB after this.

Oh dear. My son, now 2, had night terrors for weeks last year. I can't really add anything to the suggestions above, although I did just try Somnus last night, and found it very soothing.

I did a bunch of online research about night terrors when my son was suffering though. A lot of people suggested leaving a window open or making sure the child's feet are not covered up at night, since being too hot seems to trigger them. It worked like a charm for my son. Best of luck to your friends!

I wasn't really concerned with picking out the notes in this, as I was hoping more for the practical result of this oil. There was definitely lavender, but with an herbal edge to it - a very pleasant and soothing scent overall, but not one I would use for perfume. Which is fine, since that's not why I wanted it anyway.

I usually wake up every night at least twice, sometimes more often. Last night I rubbed some Somnus into my temples, and I slept from 11 to 6:30 without so much as turning over. Unheard of for me! I am elated that I have a 5ml already on the way! Thank you so much Beth!

ITB: Rose with a kick! I don't know what moonflower smells like, but I'm guessing it's what is giving this a sharp edge.

On: Lovely rose, but with a difference. Like a pale rose, just past its prime. It is sweet, and very, very strong on me.

Dry: Sour soapy flowers with only a hint of rose. Alas, I really wanted this to work on me.

ITB: A sweet violet scent, with a hint of citrus.

On: The citrus smell comes to the fore for a bit, then the musky violet comes back out.

Dry: A sweet, light violet scent without even a hint of the powderyness I often get from violets. Very pretty. It was also quite strong on me, and a little went a long way, and lasted quite well.

ITB: I was expecting this to smell like The Unicorn, because of the linden, but it doesn't. It's much less sweet, and it's reminding me of something, but I can't remember what. Then I figure it out, it's like like Sudha Segara's drydown on me: Tea and lemon, but without the sweetness that Sudha has on me.

On: Tea and lemon still, but now I can smell the woodiness as well. That's really cool. Like opening up a wooden chest which has been shut for a while and getting a waft of that wood smell.

Dry: The florals come out more, though only very close to my skin. The throw is all tea and lemon. Very fresh and light. I do like it, but I was hoping for more of a floral. I'll have to try it again on a day that isn't quite so cold, and hope the flowers bloom more.

Although Dirty was on my wishlist, I must admit I didn't have very high hopes for it, enough that I hadn't put it into any of my orders. Thankfully, the Lab tossed it into my last order as a frimp. Once again proving that we don't always know what is best for us.

ITB: A lovely light floral, like honeysuckle.

On: Crisper. I can smell the linen, and maybe a hint of citrus. The throw is all honeysuckle though.

Dry: OMGWTFBBQ! This is amazing! Absolutely lovely! More soon please!

(Edited because I really do know that honeysuckle has a "y" in it.)

My 5-year old daughter adores The Unicorn. She often asks to wear it at night to keep the nightmares away. I love the idea of making it into a spray, I'll have to try that.

My 2-year old son has gotten very interested in my new perfume hobby, and always asks to sniff when I've got the imps out. The other day, I was trying out Milk Moon, and he wanted to smell. I held out my wrist and he literally recoiled and said: "Eww! Mommy have an owie?" I kind of thought MM wasn't working on me, and now I know for sure! He liked Sacred Whore of Babylon though, takes after his father that way.

ITB: Zingy! I can definitely pick out the ginger and white pepper, but the sweetness of the honey is also apparent.

On: Most BPAL oils sharpen when I first apply them. This one actually smooths out, and I can smell the milk and honey much more strongly than in the imp. There's almost a fruityness to it as well, like the merest hint of watermelon. Thank goodness Polydactyl got the same note, or I'd think I was crazy!

Dry: This is really interesting. The longer it is on my skin, the more it smells like watermelon. Eventually, the honey reappears, and the final drydown is lovely vanilla and honey. This one definitely needs another go round, 'cause I couldn't keep up this time!

ITB: I wasn't really sure what to expect, as I couldn't call to mind what peony smells like. This is a lovely, light and fresh floral scent.

On: The tea comes out and adds a crispness to the rich floral.

Dry: Surprisingly formal smelling on me, and quite lovely. The herbs and teas are in perfect balance with the peony. The throw is faint, but tantalizingly so. It makes me want to track it down. Love it!

This is spicy and sweet - smells like baklava in the bottle! As expected I amp up the spice note, but not overly so for a change. I find myself sniffing and sniffing, trying to identify the spice in this. It's not clove, and not quite cinnamon - aha! Cardamom! Very lovely and spicy, with a good throw.

Oh, and DH really, really, really liked it. :ahem:

ITB: This is really warm and rich. I don't usually get colors from scents, but this one gives me a strong impression of a piece of deep golden amber with sunlight shining through it. The way the light plays through the amber and warms and brightens it.

On: As usual, I am amping up the spice, but the honey and other notes seem to be keeping the clove and cinnamon under control.

Dry: Wow, this is just - wow! On me, it is a close skin scent, although admittedly I was quite sparing when I applied, since I was expecting the spices to amp out of control. I'll have to throw caution to the wind next time and see if a heavier application increases the throw. Bengal is warm and spicy and comforting somehow. The final drydown is a very softly smoky honey on my skin. A perfect fall and winter scent, I'm so glad I got a bottle of this!

I'm a bit nervous about this one, because of my bad luck with patchouli. But I make a point of trying every imp which comes my way, so here goes.

ITB: fruity and light. I don't sense the patchouli at all yet. On: the fruit disappears entirely, and now I get patchouli, but not overwhelmingly so. The florals are really tempering it. I know it's only a matter of time, however.

Dry: Well, for about an hour I thought, "Wow, a perfume with patchouli that I can actually wear!" Then the patchouli went sour and heavy on me, as usual. This was the closest yet, though!

ITB: Sweet any spicy. Like baked apples. Yum! On: It immediately gets sharper, like powdered cinnamon and clove. Dry: once again I amp up the spices to turn a perfectly lovely blend into a spice rack. I really wanted the apples, darn it! This ended up smelling very masculine on me, due to the out of control spices.

In the imp, the word that comes to mind is astringent. I'm ambivalent about this one already.

On, it become grassy, but with a floral added to the mix. It's smoother now, but still has that "voodoo edge" to it.

Within five minutes it's almost completely gone on me. There's a very faint lingering scent which took me a while to place. But then I realized it smells exactly like Comet cleanser on me. I'm sure that's not what Beth means by converting female energy into power.

This one will be looking for a new home.

Djinn: ITB: spicy, slightly masculine.

On: Sharper and warmer, like the smoke of incense wafting from the brazier in a bedouin's tent. Tickles my nose, like just before a sneeze, though it doesn't actually make me sneeze.

Dry: up close, this has a very unpleasant undertone on me that I can't quite place. The throw is spicy, like walking through an exotic bazaar. But a bit too exotic for me, there's a definite edge of malice, something teasing at the edges of my awareness, lurking just around the corner. This is also quite concentrated, I put a tiny, wee dab on, and the throw is very powerful.

This is another excellent execution of a theme on Beth's part. As a frimp from the lab, I am glad I tried it, although I never would have ordered it. And now

I can definitely say that Djinn is simply not for me.

In the imp this is a delicious chocolate mint. On, the mint gets sharper for a bit, then the chocolate moves back to the starring role. Only now its stale chocolate, like that Halloween stash you forgot about for two months. Eventually, it was all about chocolate scented plastic. I shall have to seek my chocolate scent elsewhere, it seems.

I gave this one two full wearings before I reviewed it. I so, so wanted it to work on me. I adore all of the notes, but alas, the combination on me is decidedly off.

I get a strong herbal scent when first applied - like sage. It's startling, but pleasant. The second time I wore it, I could smell the apricot in the initial drydown - quite lovely and luciously juicy. Then it got all strange. Both times I wore this, it ended up smelling exactly like patchouli.

And I hate patchouli.