porcelain72

In the bottle: flowery apples, sweet and pretty. Initial application: the apples amp even more, becoming tart and juicy. No rose or peach to be found. Drydown: alas, the apple fades, replaced by a musky, dusty scent, I'm guessing a combination of the skin musk and myrrh. The flowery apple does make its presence known, however, preventing it from going completely dry. Not much throw, but this is one of those "intimate" scents, so that's probably intended. I think this one will grow on me, it's very light and pretty, reminiscent of Harvest Moon '06. Smiley rating:

Finally, my chance to try the legendary Misk U has arrived! In the imp: creamy, sweet, almost buttery coffee. Initial application: same as above. Yummy. The SO very much enjoys it as well. Drydown: on my wrists, something dry and dusty, with the coffee behind it. The throw, however, is all coffee and just lovely. I am not disappointed, and chances are this will end up on the 5ml purchase list. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: pear with light floral Initial application: the pear amps and becomes sweet and juicy Drydown: pear fades a bit as the floral notes come out more. I'm not getting rose specifically, and the white musk is very subtle. I have a white musk body lotion I'd like to layer with this, just to see what happens. It fades fast, though, I've already had to reapply. Still, it's a pretty, very feminine blend. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: white, aquatic floral. Initial application: similar to Sea of Glass, only at about half-power. This is a good thing, because Sea of Glass did indeed bring tears to my eyes. Drydown: soft and oddly melancholy, this has a touch of soapy powderiness to it, but it's very pretty. I don't get roses as a dominant note, it just seems to be a general, nonspecific floral. If I hadn't gotten it as a frimp with a Lab order, I probably would have overlooked it, but I'm glad I got a chance to try it. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: my ex-husband used to use a shower gel that smelled similar to this, either from the Body Shop or Bath & Body Works. It's got that masculine but not overpoweringly GUY scent to it. Initial application: the lime is coming out. It's nice and clean smelling, but still a bit manly. Drydown: okay, it's smelling less manly and more like Shanghai now, with the green tea taking over the lime. A pleasant, very unisex scent, not spectacular but pretty nice. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: apples and some sort of light, nonspecific floral. Initial application: it seems less like floral and more like a sweet, clean grass scent, but the apples are still by far the most predominant. I'm not feeling the spiciness that a lot of other folks are getting, it seems delicate to me. Drydown: this is so pretty! It's a gentle take on autumn, without the crispness and smokiness, making it appropriate to wear all year long. I wish I had gone ahead and bought a 5ml. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: soft and melancholy, I get mostly sandalwood and floral, nothing resembling green tea or plum blossom (assuming plum blossom smells like plum, I really don't know). Initial application: the sandalwood amps a bit, making it just a little stronger, but not much. This is a very mature scent, and the artwork on the bottle seems oddly appropriate. If cool, blue silence had a scent, this would be it. Drydown: the peach is starting to come out, softening it considerably. It took some time to grow on me, but this is actually quite pretty. On the downside, it fades really quickly. Then again, it seems kind of appropriate. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: light, delicate floral Initial application: the floral gets a bit creamy, presumably from the vanilla. I'm not getting anything citrusy. Drydown: fading fast, alas, but this is very pretty. The citrus eventually comes out a bit, though very subtly. I thought that opium would smell spicy, if it does I'm not getting it. This is a beautifully feminine scent that does evoke a feeling of modest but playful charm. Very nice. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: caramel toffee, I'm not getting any cocoa or vanilla at all. Initial application: more of the same, with something a little spicy and dusty behind it. Drydown: this has been morphing between caramel toffee, cinnamon toast, and sadly, that same sour nut smell I got with Drink Me and White Rabbit. It also has a faint edge of plastic to it, I suspect that soon I will just end up smelling like a scented candle. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: strong floral, but not at eye-watering strength (hi, Sea of Glass). Initial application: the rose is really coming through, softened only a bit by what I'm guessing is the ivy. I'm definitely getting a "watery" feel with this, if that makes any sense. There's nothing faint and dusty about it. Drydown: vibrant rose-scented soap. I really have to go easy on this, on second application I just applied it to my throat (as opposed to wrists and behind ears) and it's still pretty strong around me. Nice, but best avoided by those who aren't fans of florals, this one'll kill ya. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: creamy sweetness with a bit of almond, a lighter O. Initial application: the honey amps a bit, but this is really, really light. Even immediately following application I'm not getting any kind of throw. Drydown: well, that was fast. I think I would need to all but bathe in this to really get any staying power. It's pretty, don't get me wrong, but it barely lingers on my skin before fading to nothing. Smiley rating:

In the imp: a sweet cakey scent, thankfully without that sour nut smell that made me dislike its counterpart Drink Me. Initial application: mmm...now this is a true foody scent. Sugared cake, with just a touch of fruity vanilla. Drydown: "I smell cake," says my daughter, then leans towards me. "Oh, it's you." This is truly a delicious scent. I wore it two days in a row, which is a first considering I'm still going through a sizable collection of untested imps. I'm not sure if it's a future 5ml purchase, because it's a little too sweet and playful for everyday use, but I will treasure the imp I have. Perhaps when that runs out... Smiley rating:

In the bottle: a richer, slightly sweeter version of O. Initial application: huh, what's with this slightly acrid edge? Is that the myrrh? Not caring for that too much. Drydown: okay, the acrid scent is gone now. It's not as much like O as it was in the imp, either. This is a sweet but not cloying creamy scent. I don't know what components come together to make "warm, damp skin," but it seems like a mix of vanilla and a light musk, amongst other notes. It's turning just a little to baby powder so far, but I'm still really enjoying it. The compulsion to sniff my wrist is a little stronger than it has been for the last couple of scents I've tried. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: a clean ginger and tea scent, pretty much matching the Lab description. Initial application: more of the same, with a bit of citrus to keep it from getting too sweet. It reminds me of a ginger body wash I got from Avon once. Drydown: stays true to the original scent, with a light throw. Fading fairly fast, I will probably need to reapply at least once today. Not a top 5 favorite, but good, and notable for the fact that it smells exactly like you think it would smell. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: strong floral. A little is going to go a long way with this. Initial application: WOW! This is the strongest BPAL I've tried yet, and there's a lot going on with it, floral, aquatic, a strong hint of lemon. It's a little much, and the lemon is making it smell disconcertingly like bathroom cleaner. Nevertheless, I'm going to give it a chance. Drydown: still pretty strong, though thankfully the lemon has died down, making this more of a standard floral than something you'd use to scrub your bathtub. The floral is pretty, don't get me wrong, but this is what I'd call "advanced floral," not recommended for those who aren't sure if they like those notes. The throw is very distinct as well. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: rich, almost vanilla-edged coconut. Initial application: I don't usually like coconut, but this is different, almost smoky, but still creamy as well. Drydown: well, lookee here, there's some flowers growing here! That would be the iris, I'm guessing. This is the first time I've worn an oil that starts out smelling like one thing and turns completely to something else. The weird thing is that I can still smell the rich, dark coconut around me, but when I sniff my wrist I get nothing but flowers, with a very light note of sandalwood behind it. Excellent! Smiley rating:

In the bottle: spicy vanilla, even though there don't appear to be any vanilla notes listed. Initial application: the scent of incense kicks in, presumably from the sandalwood. Drydown: the vanilla edges back in, along with a little floral to tone down the incense-like scent. This is a very warm, dry scent, and it really does give one the image of a small shop in a Moroccan promenade, a blend of sweet and spicy dust lingering in the air. However, the closest I've ever gotten to Morocco is at Epcot, so I'm going strictly on imagination. Very pretty, very mature, the only negative is that it seems to fade quickly on me. It probably makes for a wonderful room scent. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: light floral peach. Initial application: the vanilla softens and sweetens it a bit. Drydown: oh, this is lovely. A sweet, but not cloying creamy peach, this a delicately feminine scent. Odd, because when I think Tamora I think Jessica Lange's performance of the role in Titus, and I'd have expected something much darker. This is light and gentle, my favorite of the Illyria line so far, and another addition to the "buy as a 5ml" list. Smiley rating:

My first salon scent, a good start. In the bottle: soft, gentle floral. I'm unable to make out any specific notes, but it adds to that flower garden-like feeling. Initial application: the floral amps a bit, just shy of being a little sneeze-worthy. But it dies down and becomes almost soapy. Just going by the name you'd expect this to be a dry, dusty smell, but it's fresh and clean. Drydown: it's a quick fade, alas, because it's very pretty. My describing it as "soapy" shouldn't be construed as negative. This is a very nice, very grown-up and elegant scent. Smiley rating:

In the imp: flowers, a little sweeter than I expected, with a lemony edge. Initial application: the flowers get a little "greener," I guess would be the best word to describe it, with the citrus preventing it from becoming too herbal, or worse, turning to rotting vegetables. Drydown: this does indeed have a dried flowers feeling to it, a mix of many different scents, like the scent one would find in an herbalist's shop. The citrus keeps it clean rather than stale and dusty. I can visualize dozens of amber and cobalt glasses lined up on shelves. Very nice. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: a perfumey lavender, not overtly masculine or feminine. Initial application: same, though the sandalwood is showing up a bit. I can usually detect that spicy, smoky note of incense, but it's not showing up on me. My sniffer must be off, I'm not getting any of the complex, individual notes some of the other commenters reported. Drydown: this smells less like an oil blend and more like a standard lavender-based perfume or cologne. It's nice but not remarkable, and it has very little staying power on me. Smiley rating: (the closest I could find to "average")

In the bottle: a generalized sweet, creamy scent. The vanilla is not as dominant as I thought it would be. Initial application: I inadvertantly (sp?) layered this with Burt's Bees Milk & Honey body lotion, so the honey is really amped. I'm guessing that the creaminess is due to the vanilla, but I'm still not getting a distinct note. Drydown: the vanilla is coming out a little bit. This is a sweet, pretty scent, though slightly artificial on me. It smells like a good quality honey-scented soap or lotion. I'd like to try it on its own to see if the vanilla and dragon's blood shows up. Smiley rating:

I had to order this one, the SO's nickname for me is "Kitty." In the bottle: sweeter than I expected, given the description. I'm not getting musk at all. Initial application: how is almond so far down on the list of notes? That's why I'm predominantly getting, along with a fruity sweetness. Drydown: oooh, I'm liking this. It's creamy and sweet, but not rot your teeth out sweet. The almond is light and blessedly not cloying, it doesn't have that artificial smell like a lot of almond-based lotions. I don't know where the musk and amber is, but I'm not really missing it this time. Smiley rating:

In the bottle: chocolate covered cherries. Initial application: the chocolate scent becomes richer and more intense. Drydown: an interesting cocoa/spicy, almost incense-like combination. I'm not sure how this would be classified, the chocolate would render it close to foody, but the incense keeps it from being too sweet. This is pretty good so far, I'd like to try it again to see if I get more of the individual fruit notes some of the other reviewers have mentioned. Smiley rating:

Another one I bought from a fellow addict simply because I liked the name. In the bottle: coconut cake, very distinct. Initial application: similar to in the bottle, just a bit sweeter and creamier. It doesn't have that suntan lotion smell that a lot of coconut-based scents seem to produce on me. Drydown: the throw on this is wonderful. I applied some before taking a nap, and it was lovely to fall asleep with this warm, cakey smell around me. It has great staying power as well, it's been about two hours since first application and it's still lingering around me. It's getting just a tiny bit musty, I suspect that might be because it's now just starting to fade. This isn't an everyday scent, but it's playful and comforting. Now I want to try the other two Monster Baits. My newly-created smiley rating: