LyndaM

I luuurve Velvet. I don't catch any of the myrrh note and just barely get any sandalwood; on me this is a dry, bittersweet chocolate scent with an inexplicable touch of mint. It's dry and rich at the same time, if that makes any sense; with layers, and it seems almost three dimensional.

 

It also makes a very good room fragrance, with lots of throw and staying power. My daughters love it, too. I'm ordering a 10ml to make into light cologne sprays and lotions for them.

 

 

Update: My love for Velvet grows and grows. After sampling dozens of imps, I can now pick out the myrhh and sandalwood, and they are perfectly blended components of Velvet. I luxuriate in the deliciously long, slow drydown. I would bathe in straight Velvet, if I could afford to! It's my second favorite BPAL scent, and often dukes it out with Perversion for first place.

Bliss + Zombi = 

 

It's choclikety-rosy-weird!

 

Word to that! Bliss + nearly anything = fabulous! I've layered it over White Rabbit, Velvet, Jack, Midway and Morocco and loved them all. I don't have many imps yet, so I'm getting creative.

This didn't do much for me, I could hardly smell it on myself; but on my husband, it was amazing. It blended so perfectly with his chemistry, and just became him, but better. He loves it too, I think we've found his scent. It smells far better on him than any department store cologne he has ever tried; there is no comparison.

 

It's so well blended, on him I can't pick out any single note.

 

This is definitely going to be a big bottle purchase. I'll stockpile this one. I want him to smell this way always.

In the imp, the lemon was the note that stood out for me. It was pretty strong, and I wasn't sure if I would like it; but I plan to give every oil that passes through my hands a fair chance, so...

 

Wet, the lemon was strong, sweet, and just slightly 'lemon pledgey' on me. I'm a BPAL newbie, and this type of citrus scent was very unfamiliar to me. I was fascinated by the morphing of the scent (as I have been with all the lab oils I've tried so far, so complex!). Delirium began to smell really good to me as it dried, and I couldn't help sniffing my wrist the entire time I wore it. It evoked feelings of strength and confidence. Kinda sexy, in an unconventional way. Very heady and almost intoxicating. I bet those who wear this well get plenty of attention!

 

I really enjoyed the drydown of Delirium, it was my favorite phase. The lemon became lighter and lost the brief 'furniture polish' note, and I could just barely catch a waft of rose behind it. I liked it very much, but I didn't enjoy the wet phase nearly as much as I enjoyed the drydown. I would probably apply this well before I had to leave the house to give it time to mellow on my skin.

 

I usually don't do very well with citrus, dry Delerium is an exception to this. The throw and lasting power was amazing; I woke up this morning still smelling of it after 9 hours. It's a powerful and lovely perfume, and so unlike anything I had ever tried before; I'm glad I gave it a chance. My love did not like it at all, but his taste runs to light florals and foody scents, on me. I'll keep an imp on hand for days that I need to feel alert and in control, but I don't think I will order a big bottle.

I'm brand new to BPAL, Snake Oil is the third oil I've tried.

 

I really, really wanted to love Snake Oil. After all, almost everyone does! Alas, on me, it's SO damn incensey, I felt like I'd moved into Ye Olde Head Shoppe. I desperately tried to hold out and give it time, but after an hour I had to shower it off. Headachey, disappointed misery.

 

Vanilla? What vanilla? My skin sucked it up in the first nanosecond. I do get some comfort from the fact that it is almost certainly my chemistry, and not my nose. My 14 year old daughter put a drop on her wrist the same time I did, and on her? Absolute Heaven. If a bit too...sexy for her age. On her, it was perfectly balanced, with obvious vanilla. Color me jealous as hell.

 

Edit: OMG. A kind soul sent me an older decant, and I finally understand what all the fuss is about. I now love it.

 

Edit nearly two years later: My all time favorite BPAL. Heavy, dark, spicy and sexy-as-all-hell vanilla. Incense? What the hell was I thinking? This is the scent of a dark Goddess.

 

Edit nearly three years later: I now buy Snake Oil six bottles at a time, and decant them into a one ounce bottle with a glass eye dropper lid. An ounce bottle generally lasts me a few months - I constantly try to put a back-up ounce away to age, but I just go through it too quickly. It has gradually permeated my clothes, my bedroom, my car; everything I own. It is the fragrance of my life.

 

Join with me, sisters: Beth simply cannot be allowed to retire.

This is the very first BPAL I have ever tried, courtesy of Firewaver. Does this mean I'm not a virgin anymore? I thought I was going to implode with joy when I found the precious in the mailbox.

Anyway; on to my very first review. I haven't developed a nose to pick out notes, so bear with me:

In the imp: Pure sweet butter. I was a little worried.

Wet: It began with the sweet butter, then there was about a ten second period when all I could smell was strong buttery cinnamon. After that, it morphed into strongly spiced apple cider scent. Strange, though, as there is no apple listed in the description. Maybe that's just how peach smells on me.

Drydown: Jack remained butter and spiced apple cider on me, though the spice did mellow down a little. Very sweet and autumn-y. I was a little disappointed that I couldn't detect any pumpkin scent at all, but I still enjoyed it for what it is on my skin. My two-and-a-half year old daughter snorfled my wrist when I offered her a sniff and said "smell somethin' a eat!". I think it will make a really nice room scent, as well.

Stop the presses! It's been a couple of hours now, and I think I DO detect a bit of pumpkin when I sniff my wrist. Very mellow and light, though, and behind the apple (peach?) butter. The scent overall is lasting and projecting well. I guess my skin couldn't resist, and ate all the pumpkin up.

Update nearly two years later: I still like Jack, but often the butter makes me queasy. I'm now more likely to use it as a room scent, rather than wearing it as personal scent.