karengypsy

In the vial: Florals, hint of tobacco.

 

On me: Tobacco, tonka, rose, balsam. I like just about every scent included in this blend, but I don't think I like this blend. The tobacco smells off - it smells sour.

 

Verdict: Off to the sale/swap pile.

 

Rating: 2/5

In the vial: Earthy, trees, patchouli

 

On me: Serious patchouli. I don't smell a lot other than that. There are hints of honey and musk and I think balsam. It's very hippie, but I like it.

 

Verdict: Keeper!

 

Rating: 4/5

In the vial: Incense.

 

On me: Insence, but wow - it's morphed into something much sweeter. I am absolutely adoring this scent. It is almost like Snake Oil on me, but without the vanilla. It's just very sweet-smelling incense. I love it!

 

Verdict: I must have more.

 

Rating: 5/5

In the vial: Fresh red roses.

 

On me: Fresh red roses. This perfume oil captures the scent of a red rose absolutely perfectly. It's one of the most gorgeous rose scents I've ever smelled - it's like putting your head into a bouquet of Valentine roses and sweet baby's breath.

 

Verdict: I really want more of this scent. It's incredible!

 

Rating: 5/5

In the vial: Dark, fresh red roses.

 

On me: This smells almost like Rose Red to me, but definitely more mature and darker. This is a really rich and velvety rose. Mmm.

 

Verdict: I love this, but I think I still love Rose Red more. Still, I wouldn't mind getting my hands on a bottle of this gorgeous rose scent.

 

Rating: 5/5

In the vial, Musk, floral, spice

 

On me: One of the best musk scents I've ever tried. I detect florals and gorgeous amber when I apply it, as well as a hint of orange. This blend is absolutely gorgeous.

 

Verdict: Got a bottle. I love this!

 

Rating: 5/5

In the bottle: Sweet, sugary, boozy. Hint of spice.

On me: Pretty much the same as in the bottle, but I'm getting more vanilla out of it on my skin. The booziness is really unique and gives it kind of an exotic feel, to me.

Verdict: Love this scent! Glad I have a bottle.

Rating: 5/5

In the vial: Green, trees, earth.

 

On my skin: Very green and woody - that must be the teakwood. I smell the cypress, but it's hiding out in the background.

 

Verdict: This is a very nice scent, but it's too similar to other green, earthy scents I've tried, so it's going off to the sell/swap pile.

 

Rating: 3/5

In the vial: Tobacco, flowers.

 

On me: HELLO, tobacco! Unlike other scents, the tobacco in this isn't offensive to me. It is tempered by the ylang-ylang and the lovely florals - namely, the tuberose and hyacinth, as well as the musk. I'm not sure what it is - maybe the sandalwood? - no - it's the champagne! Yes, it warms up the blend and makes me think of crazy New Year's Eve parties.

 

Verdict: It's a weird scent, but I'm keeping it - at least for now! I think I'll try wearing it this coming NYE - it seems fitting.

 

Rating: 3/5

In the vial: Nutmeg, pumpkin, clove, cinnamon, other spices. Yummy!

 

On me: The spices are all extremely well-blended on my skin. This is a heavenly scent and truly reminds me of the fall season and of Halloween. After it begins to dry, I smell pine needles and patchouli. This scent is beautiful.

 

Verdict: Keeper! I probably will save this for the late summer and early fall season and use my little imp sparingly. If I can find a bottle, it'd be nice to have one.

 

Rating: 5/5

In the vial: Warm, delicious gingerbread!

 

On me: A bit softer than the scent in the vial, but it's simply delightful - I can also smell cinnamon and clove.

 

It actually reminds me of Ben & Jerry's Oatmeal Cookie Chunk ice cream a lot, probably because of the cinnamon found in both.

 

Cinnamon and clove both amp up on my skin after a while. Yum.

 

Verdict: Delicious. Too bad it's an LE. I'm glad that I found some scents that smell similar (Arcana's Chai/Clove layering notes) so that I don't have to go crazy about finding a bottle.

 

Rating: 5/5

In the vial: Red wine

 

On me: As with other BPAL wine scents, this goes a bit apple-y on me. I'm not complaining, though, as I think it smells lovely. It's a sweet scent and it has pretty decent lasting power.

 

Verdict: Lovely, but I don't think I need more than just the imp. It'll be nice to wear on evenings out to fancy restaurants.

 

Rating: 3/5

In the bottle: Sickly sweet.

 

On me: Extremely sweet. The dragon's blood really amps up and is made even sweeter by the cocoa and allspice. I don't really smell any of the other notes, since the sweetness is just way too overpowering. I can detect a bit of the black pepper, and it sours the blend for me.

 

Verdict: Not for me at all. Selling this.

 

Rating: 1/5

In the vial: This is mostly all incense, labdanum, and a hint of rose.

 

On me: This scent is very nice at the beginning. I like this blend a lot, but sadly, it turns to powder on me.

 

Verdict: Selling my bottle.

 

Rating: 2/5

In the bottle: Very floral. I can easily smell the carnation, iris, and skin musk.

 

On me: This is an incredibly light scent, though it's spicy and dreamy, too. It makes me think of standing out near the ocean in the middle of the night, with night-blooming flowers all around me. I like it a lot, but it may end up being a scent-locket scent due to the fact that it's so light on me. Then again, it might work as a fragrance that I can wear to work, since it's very light and inoffensive.

 

Verdict: I probably don't need the entire bottle that I own, but I like this scent anyway. Perhaps I'll end up decanting out a few imps, since I don't think I could use up the whole bottle myself.

 

Edit - Later on: Wow! This scent has morphed! It's gotten stronger and sweeter with wear. It's almost like Sleepy Moon's fraternal twin sister. This is a gorgeous scent!!! I've decided that I'm not giving ANY of this away. This is getting kept all for myself!!

 

Rating: 5/5

In the vial: Sharp, crisp aquatics, sea kelp, violets.

 

On me: Sharp, lovely aquatics and woods, sweetened a bit by the violets. There's a hint of green - probably from the kelp. This scent is gorgeous.

 

Verdict: So glad I got a bottle. I love this scent!

 

Rating: 5/5

In the vial: Orange, musk, gardenia.

 

On me: Warm florals, orange, vanilla. The musk doesn't really stand out to me. I smell more amber. This is very different from what I expected from the name of the blend, but I really like it a lot. It's very exotic.

 

Verdict: No need for a bottle, but I like this and will enjoy my imp while it lasts.

 

Rating: 4/5

In the bottle: This makes me think of a mix between Snake Oil and O.

 

On me: Definitely a Snake Oil/O mix. I simply love this scent! It is extremely well blended - it's hard to make out many of the individual notes on me, aside from the vanilla, spices, amber, and what I think must be benzoin. Something in this cuts the sweetness of the vanilla and makes it a lot less overpowering than Snake Oil.

 

Verdict: This is a great blend! I am really glad I was able to find a bottle. I see myself wearing it more frequently when the weather isn't so hot!

 

Rating: 5/5

In the vial: Floral tobacco.

 

On me: Oy. I've tried this a few times. The first time, it smelled like rancid, stale, wet, disgusting cigarettes, with a hint of floral underneath.

 

The second time, and now, the third time I am trying this, at a different time in my monthly cycle, I'm getting rich, sensual tobacco flower and roses.

 

Verdict: This is such a weird, weird scent. I don't know whether to hate it or like it. I think I'll keep it for now.

 

Rating: 2/5

In the vial: Sugar!

 

On me: Vanilla and sugar! This scent is awesome. It is extremely sugary and does remind me of carnival food. There's a bit of something crisp in this scent as well, but I can't put my finger on it.

 

Verdict: It reminds me a little of B&BW Warm Vanilla Sugar, but it's a brighter scent - not as warm. I really like it and wish I could find a bottle. Probably won't happen though, since it's a limited edition scent.

 

Rating: 5/5

In the vial: Sharp, clean, ozone.

 

On me: It really does remind me of a House of Mirrors at a carnival. The kinds of mirrors that make you look fat, skinny, weird, etc. This is a very crisp aquatic/ozone type scent. I like it. It reminds me of Danube, but without the florals.

 

Verdict: Interesting scent. I'm keeping it. I like it, but I don't need a bottle.

 

Rating: 3/5

In the bottle: This is all incense smoke and rose. It smells just like what you'd think a gypsy caravan would smell like!

 

On me: I absolutely love this scent. It's very well blended, yet I can smell each note and how it fades and connects with the next note. This was the first BPAL bottle I ever ordered and it didn't disappoint. This is a very special, exotic, unique scent. I've never smelled anything quite like it before.

 

Verdict: I adore this. I don't wear it enough, and I wish I had another bottle of it, though I'm not likely to find one. This is an incredible blend!

 

Rating: 5/5

In the vial: Florals and spice

 

On me: Very floral at first - it takes a while for the spice to come out, but it does. This makes for a very interesting scent. It smells fantastic on me!

 

Verdict: So glad I got a bottle!

 

Rating: 5/5

In the vial: This smells like milk chocolate covered ginger and spices. Delicious!

 

On me: Oh, wow. It's true to the vial. This is truly an incredible scent. What I thought was chocolate is getting spicer and more resiny, and I'm starting to smell the herbs and spices in this blend, as well. This is so exotic - just smelling it makes me feel sultry. It gets ever so slightly powdery on me after a bit, but it makes the ginger smell very milky, which is actually perfect - it's almost like a very gingery chai tea, but way better. I'm totally love.

 

Thank you SO much Wendy for gifting me with this little bit of Shub! You are wonderful!

 

Verdict: Oh my GOD, I want a bottle!

 

Rating: 5/5

In the vial: Strong coffee. Wood.

 

On me: This is the embodiment of walking into a professor's office - old books, worn wooden desk, lots of coffee. This is a really incredible, warm, lovely scent on me. I love the smell of coffee, and I love smelling like coffee.

 

Verdict: I would love to get my hands on a full bottle! Or more imps, if I have to settle for that.

 

Rating: 5/5