mandragora

In the vial: Light and sweet floral. Pronounced sweet pea and cucumber notes.

 

Wet on me: Quite lovely florals and clean smelling.

 

Drydown: Here comes the musk, it rounds out the floral and cucumber scent very nicely. Innocent-smelling yet haunting at the same time.

 

Verdict: Very dreamy, romantic scent. I this.

In the vial: Sharp cherry smell, like cherry-flavored cough drops.

 

Wet on me: More pronounced cherry, almost biting in it's sharpness.

 

Drydown: The scent of herbs and almonds comes forward rounding out the cherry. Removing it's bite.

 

Verdict: I'm not sure I like to wear this one. But like the others, I too would like to "force a change in fortune and overcome poverty". :feels completely torn:

In the vial: Smells like slightly sweet berry that's a bit tart. I'm guessing that's how the pomegranate smells

 

Wet on me: Still mostly tart berry with hint of booze coming forward. Almost like a fizzy cocktail drink.

 

Drydown: It softens as the notes blend together. Fizziness gone.

 

Verdict: Would make a great room scent.

In the vial: Cold, sharp citrus, lemony but sharp. Almost like lime even.

 

Wet on me: Green tea and lemon.

 

Drydown: It sweetens a bit, maybe that's the honeysuckle coming out. But it is beaten down by the lemon.

 

Verdict: Has the same notes and feel like Embalming Liquid but sharper not as sweet. Doesn't have the same Lemon Pledge characteristic though (which is good). But, just like Embalming Liquid, it's just not me.

In the vial: Is it me or does Talvikuu smell exactly like Nuclear Winter? They have the same sharp, clean, chilly smell.

 

Wet on me: Still quite similar, but while Nuclear Winter is minty, Talvikuu is more pine-y

 

Drydown: It turns softly sweet but the pine is still there.

 

Verdict: Talvikuu is a lighter, crisper icy scent. A bit masculine (but I'm okay with that). In fact, Mr. Mandrake has staked a claim on my imp, might be needing a bigger bottle. Why do I keep falling in love with LE scents?

In the vial: fresh, white florals. Very light and nice.

 

Wet on me: Whoa, smells like berries bursting. Fruity yummy goodness with the florals staying in the background. It's sweet but not cloying sweet.

 

Drydown: The fruit sweetness softens and blends beautifully with the florals. This is the second scent that has sweet pea and smells lovely on me (first one being Annabel Lee).

 

Verdict: This smells so delicious . I want a big bottle!

It was an LJ entry gushing about how good The Hesperides smells that led me to the discovery of BPAL. Quite excited when I got my imp from the lab.

 

At first sniff in the vial, I literally recoiled . I'm sorry but it smells ghastly, like really overripe apples and rotting wood. Okay, where is the lovely crisp, apple-y orchard smell that everybody else seems to get?

 

Wet on me: There's still that rotten sweet smell of apples and bark, but it's more wood than apple. Reminiscent of stale tobacco.

 

Drydown: Does not change much from wet to dry.

 

Verdict: Goshalmighty, I need to wash this off. One more for the swap file. :bummed:

In the vial: Couldn't smell any distinct note, but smells bright and crispy.

 

Wet on me: Hello LEMON. Invigorating crisp, clean smell. Like a splash of lemonade on a hot summer day. Very refreshing. And my skin seems to amps it up (worried).

 

Drydown: Starting to smell green and oh dear, it morphs into that Lemon Pledge-ish smell :sigh:.

 

The verdict is up on this one. After all the recs and the great reviews, I so wanted to like this one. I'm not sure it's me though. Maybe it will soften up some more as it ages. I'll hang on to the imp just in case.

 

ETA: Mr. Mandrake seems to like the smell of this one on me. Go figure.

In the vial: YOWZA! Is that sweet or what? It's in your face creamy white chocolate.

 

Wet on me: Still saccharinely sweet, though with a bit of tang. Maybe it's the citrus coming out.

 

Drydown: Tangy, sweetness starts to soften. It's making me sneeze. There's tea and floral but they're in the background. After a while, it's just generic bitter powder scent.

 

A very unique scent, but sadly doesn't work with me. Off to the swaps.

In the vial: Blood orange. Juicy, spicy citrus. Interesting.

 

Wet on me: Citrus morphs quickly into a powdery floral. Red rose with a kick of amber. Hmm, not a fan of rosy scents.

 

Drydown: Dries down into a gorgeus blend of vanilla, orange and musk. Whoa! This is quite a lovely and happy scent. I'm glad I waited it out.

 

Verdict: Quite a cheerful scent behind the name. I think I'll be keeping the imp.

Got this as a frimp from a forum member. Pele is a soft, light floral scent. White, whimsical and sweet. I agree with another review, its smell reminds you of silken vintage lingerie.

 

It is a lovely scent and I would have loved this. But on me, it does not have any staying power. It's gone in less than 10 mins. :sigh:

In the vial: Cold, green and sharp like wet pine (or maybe fir) trees in winter and a little like Vicks.

 

Wet on me: Same from the vial, still green and piney.

 

On the drydown: Softens as the florals evolve, but is beaten back by the pine/fir. Disappears completely after less than 30 minutes.

 

Verdict: Probably lovely on others, but I'm not sure it's me.

I got Dorian because of all the lovely reviews here. I must admit to being wary of vanilla, because it always seem to be hit and miss with me and vanilla.

 

In the vial: Lemon and tea. Hint of tartness.

Wet on me: Still lemony tea, seems a little masculine (which I don't mind really).

On the drydown: It softens as the vanilla note seeps through. Oh, and it's lovely. A vanilla that's not too sweet.

 

Verdict: Will keep the imp, perhaps a bigger bottle on the next order (after my wallet has recovered from the Lupercalia frenzy)

I'm all about Nuclear Winter at the moment. Very stressful week at work and NW helps to calm me down. Phantasm is my "cheery" scent.

In the vial: Heavy, sugary plum. Luscious and luxurious.

 

On me: Smells like candied fruits, a little sweet and a little tart. And something in the background, the amaretto or the burgundy wine perhaps.

 

Verdict: A bit heavy for my usual taste but will keep the imp. This would be great as a room scent!

Any recommendations on what GC scent is similar to Nuclear Winter? Also, Blue Moon? Thanks.

In the imp: Crisp and clean. Reminds you of something pure (which is in contradiction with the scent's name) .

 

On me: Nice! Still clean smelling yet with light floral notes that aren't overpowering

 

After 1 hour: This is lovely! Now it's lemony but still with floral.

 

Verdict: Already ordered a bigger bottle

Frimp luvin' from Atropos

 

Another winner! At first sniff, Dragon's Heart is a warm, sweet yet gentle scent. Dark, rich plum-ey goodness, fig? On the drydown, spicy and musky notes come out. I see a 5ml bottle in the future.

I was given a frimp of this by a fellow forum member (thanks Atropos!). At first sniff, Nuclear Winter is a cold minty scent, chilly even ::brrr::. On me, it's crisp and clean with light herbal green yet still minty feeling. This scent becomes softly sweet, melon cucumberish note. It smells fabulous. This goes to my favorites list and will be ordering a big bottle.

 

ETA: Lovely scent, I stocked up (5 imps and 2 bottles)

A crisp green scent, herbal, kinda like fresh cut grass. I can detect hints of mint around it. Sadly, it's not for me.

This is a very strong and seductive scent. Like a woman confident in her sexuality. Patchouli hits you first and then hints of orange blossom as it dries. Not sure if it's me though.

 

Unfortunately, this scent overpowered me and gave me a headache after 5 minutes. Oh well ...

 

ADDED Jan. 22:

 

On the vial: Strong, spicy and sharp incense.

Wet on me: Same as from the vial. I smell the ginger seeping through.

Drydown: It didn't soften or sweeten on me. Remained sharp and incensey. No vanilla or florals :sigh:

 

I had to give Vixen away . I got it based on reviews about it being a vampy, sex kitten scent. Apparently, I'm not the vampy, sex kitten type

Phantasm. I love this scent. Can't stop sniffing my wrists. Softly sweet lemon with a hint of green tea. A lovely clean citrusy scent. This one's a keeper.

 

ETA: Waiting impatiently for my 5ml bottle

 

ETAA: Got my 5ml bottle from the lab!