tarotgirl99

In the imp, red musk and little else. On me, this is nothing like the note description...which is a good thing, since red musk and I aren't buds. The pomegranate amps in a big way, mixing with the melon (and the red part of the musk) to create a juicy plumy plum scent. It's the holy and healthy spawn of Dionysia and Queen of Spades, with great throw and wear length. I love Orange Blossom but there's none to be found here. Not on my (admittedly strange) skin.

This is, as others have pointed out, a combination of Misk U and Egg Nog. Unlike Egg Nog, which can go plastic on me, this one does not. It stays the same on my skin for a very long time, but after a few hours, I get a very slight, funny bitter note. If a waitress asked, I'd add a smidge more coffee, but it's lovely, has great throw and lasts for ages. And the bottle is just beautiful--one of my faves.

In the imp, this smells a little tinny, like baby throw up. Wet, it turns into a warm, creamy fig, a little more complex than Strangler Fig (which I gave up because I prefer a little complexity). It's sweet, but not too sweet--the goat's milk takes care of that. In the dry-down it goes through various phases. It mellows a bit and then gets a bit spicy and sweet at the end, like dried fruit. ALL of the phases are wonderful, despite the imp smell. I think I need a bottle, but I'll try it at least once more to be sure.

In the imp, this is a sweet, watery blast of my youth in the summer, swimming til nightfall. There's almost something chlorine-like about it, in that it makes my throat ache, but it's not an unattractive or sharp smell. It's a very young and light scent--it doesn't have a lot of throw and lasts for a very short time (much like youth and summer). This is a very pretty, but very jeune fille, aquatic. Celebratory, but not for me. I'll keep the imp, but I probably won't wear it again.

This is a disappointment on me. I was hoping for a rich fruity blend in combination with my favorite essential oil, Spikenard. I can't smell the Spikenard and The Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil is not very full-bodied on me. The fig from Carnal (which I love) is up front, but there are no backup scents to make it intriguing. I will try it again because I'm about to take a shower, so I won't know how it morphs....but I suspect this is swap-pile bound.

Very lemon-woodsy in the imp, but wet it's much more lemon. Eventually it dries down to a sickly lemon with wood-tones. It's kind of nasty.

In the imp this is dark, intoxicating peach wine. But on the skin, it lightens up immediately and is more open and inviting. A public party instead of the private one indicated in the bottle. Simple and sweet. I went back and forth deciding if I needed a bottle of this--there were so many beautiful Lupercalia scents this year that I went a little crazy (for me). But I ultimately decided I did need it and I'm so glad I made that decision--I've worn it quite a bit already and keep an imp in my pocketbook traveling case. Very bright and peachy and a perfect summer scent. Sadly, it fades quicker than most BPALs that I love.

I get the buttery cake everyone else does, but little to no lemon...and it's a thin batter to my nostrils. I know everyone's loving this one...but it doesn't do it for me. I tried it twice to make sure.

In the imp, this is WHOA! GINGERBREAD...but it has a syrupy quality, too. This is not your sugary sweet gingerbread; it's almost like blackstrap molasses gingerbread. Wet, it is really compelling. In combination with my skin, it's warm and thick and a little spicy ginger. As it dries down, I realize it's nice to have an imp of for odd days, but it's too flat and simple for regular wear, esp. at this time of year. It's a scent I can imagine using to warm up on a cold day, it's coziness with a bite.

In the imp, this smell made me think of the show Arsenic and Old Lace. Little old ladies and lace-edged handkerchiefs and delicate, tiny white flowers. Wet: Whoa, Nelly. Forget the little old ladies and gentility. Big booming flower scent writ large. Vibrant, attention-seeking flowers. Not creamy and not white flowers. Bold. Immediate drydown: Very vibrant floral. The faintest hint of Ylang-Ylang, my deathscent, tried to elbow its way in, but was happily unsuccessful. Later drydown: As time went on, like its patient arsenic namesake, it got milder and milder...and disappeared after five or six hours. Throw was strong at first didn't stay strong...same as the scent. If this was a GC, I'd be tempted to buy it, but I don't think I'd wear it that much. It's pretty, but there are prettier florals out there.

I sniffed this in the imp and went, "Butter, ick." But I tried it and went, "OMG, LOVE!" The butter dissipated within seconds and then I got yellow cake and vanilla and a touch, just the tiniest touch of lemon. I am not much of a foody girl, but I LOVE this. It's a tea and crumpet scent. It's the perfect scent for an afternoon graduation, which, interestingly enough, I'm attending today. I just put this on to try it, thinking I'd dislike it. Now I don't want to take a shower and waste its rare gorgeousness. I have Lamia on the other wrist and, weird as it may sound, they are simply lovely in tandem. (The Lamia has been on my wrist for a little longer, though, so it's mellowed a bit.) ETA: This just BLOOMS on my skin. The throw gets stronger, not weaker, and wear length is great.

In the bottle, this is very green and floral. It reminds me of a greener Beltane 05, the green grass overpowering the rest of the scene. Wet, it is more green than floral, but as it dries and settles the green disappears. The florals remind me of Amsterdam and Moscow--tulips and lilies. I prefer a creamier, spicier floral but this is very pretty. Delicate but with staying power, as noted above.

When I read about this scent, I went a bit nuts--I love Eve and I love some apple notes insanely. A lovely forumite sent me an imp and, while I do love Eve and I do love apple notes, I am not as in love with this as I thought I would be. It is very apple with a nice floral that comes out more and more the longer it is worn. It has average throw and excellent wear length. Don't get me wrong--I really really like it and am happy to have it. But I was also lucky enough to obtain a CT of O that has the same apple note and I love that one more. And Maiden v. 2 may have turned my head so much that it's hard for me to see straight. However, my love for the original of Eve has just grown stronger. It's the first original I prefer to the prototype thus far. How odd is that?

I was never a big Maiden fan, but when I had the chance to try Maiden v. 2 because of a generous swapper, it rocked my world. Maiden is a sweet and discreet floral (I tried it again), but Maiden v. 2 has a carnation and honey emphasis that is like The Masque, but more florally sweet and lighter, less wintry. It lasts a long time and has average throw. This is now, unfortunately, my favorite scent. I'm not dissing my old favorite scents, but this is perfect because it can be worn anywhere...to a Jane Austen book club meeting or a Springsteen concert or a day in town.

I second Coldfire's request/plea. A very generous forumite sent me a sample of this and I am savoring it completely. It's the aroma of a coffee shop, all right, but a spectacular one, one that sells gourmet chocolates and flavors and makes you happy to walk in the door. In fact, this reminds me most of Monsterbait: Underbed--my personal happy scent. There's hazelnuttiness, chocolate-y goodness, and of course, enough coffee and mocha to make me giddy. I want my apartment to smell like this all the time, especially on down days.

I thought this was going to be a must-have after reading the reviews, but had not bought it because of jasmine and red musk (two notes which are usually no-nos). A generous swapper sent me a sniffy so I could test it and I'm glad she did. Jasmine and red musk are still no-nos and the combination makes for an ugly stench on me. This starts out as a generic and unenticing scent but morphs into dead flower muck on me. With a tinny tinge. Must. Wash. Off.

This is pure cinnamon and clove on me. Strong throw and amazing wearlength. This reminds me of the Ecstasy of Passion.

I was gifted with a sniffie of this scent. It is similar to Misk University but the coffee is darker (without being remotely bitter) and stays on longer. If I can track down more of this, I will, because I love it even more than Misk U.

I have had an imp of TKO for a while and, for some idiotic reason, never tried it. Now that I have, I must wonder what took me so long. As many above me have said, this is a fluffly lavender-marshmallow cloud of peace that blankets you into the sweetest of slumbers. I don't get much herbiness, though I know it's there, like the ballast beneath my lavender-marshmallow wings. I rest so well and so happily with this magical, ethereal scent. I predict a bottle is in my future. *** UPDATE My sure-fire sleep technique: I put a drop on each wrist and my third eye. Then I put a drop in the palm of each hand and rub together and cover my face with my hands (about an inch or two from my face)...and deeply breathe in the scent. If I am going to wash my hair the next day, I also entwine my fingers in the front part of my hair, scenting the strands that may fall in my face during the night. With each inhalation, I deep breathe in the scent and consciously try and relax. Works like a charm. The problem is getting up the next day.

Okay. Let's factor in the aging process and the fact that my skin is weirdness itself. (Monsterbait: Closet smells like caramel apple on me. I rest my case.) I don't get any butter or caramel from this. On my skin, Mitzvah smells remarkably clean and sweet, like perfectly-sugared tea. This is from someone who hates sugar in her tea. But this is completely lovely. It makes me think of having scones in a tearoom. I know what I'll wear next time I go to one. Not much throw, but it lasts for quite a long time on me--at least 10 hours.

Wet, this is a bit cacophonous. The pomegranate and berry want attention and sing loud and proud, but the patchouli tries to drown them out, elbowing them like Diana Ross did Mary Wilson on the Motown Special. But on drydown, the sweet, dark fruits take the lead and don't let go. It's like Martha Reeves joined them and sang brassily, "Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide." Or something. Maybe the bergamot? I don't smell any heliotrope. Throw and wear-length is above average and I just love this Bat.

Dia is a subtly sexy scent. On me, the oakmoss predominates and really attaches to my skin. The drydown is my favorite part. I can see the comparisons to Snow White, but I'm not a big fan of Snow White (it gives me a headache and this most definitely does not). I think of Dia as a non-spicy Morocco more than anything else, but it seems pretty unique to the BPAL canon. This is one of the few scents that works in every season and is non-traditional but I would think completely appropriate for any setting. I love it and am so glad I have a bottle of this. Average throw and scent-length.

This is a scent that embodies the brilliance of BPAL scents. It really does smell a little astringent and soapy when wet, as well as lemony...I actually mentally envisioned an orange jumpsuit stiffly laundered when I first put it on. But as it dries down, the Borax quality dissipates, leaving a lovely, gentle sweet lemon. Not sure it's worth the wait for the drydown, but I like it.

Wet, this was Curry Central--a ton of curry and cardamom and with a heavy sprinkling of cinnamon. On drydown, the cinnamon is getting stronger, but it still is a bit tart/bitter for my tastes. Even if the cinnamon finally takes it down, this is not my kind of scent at all.

In the bottle, it's a floral honey. It smells amazing and my toes curl. I have to put some on my upper arm, even though I have Couples Consulting an Enpon on my wrists. As it wears, I get absolutely no fruit whatsover--just flowered honey. You would think that might border on disgustingly sweet but you'd be wrong (plus I love honey--it's my favorite note). These are the creamy flowers I like, not the sharp or white ones. I find this utterly ambrosial and wish I had bought more than one bottle. ETA: Lasts and lasts. I put a drop on my arm eight hours ago and it's still going strong.