maribouquet

imp: mint!

wet: mint with a hint of grapefruit

dry: grapefruit with a touch of mint

Five minutes later, it's gone, though after forty minutes or so, there is a light gloss of champagne on my skin.

I love all the notes and stages of Shattered, but it's too light on me and my skin drinks it up so quickly...

This smelled interestingly, sweetly floral in the imp but it burned my skin - first time I've had that reaction to an oil. !!!

Sadly I can't wear this one, so off to swaps it shall go.

Argh. This just smells like weird cinnamon craft store candle on me. *weeps*

imp: neroli

wet: cool, sweet fruit

dry: SweetTarts candy

The orange and raspberry work surprisingly well together, and the neroli lends Akuma a sort of magical effervescence. I like this initially, but the drydown is bitingly sweet on me & turns my stomach a little. Glad I got to try it - and now it's going to be swapped.

imp: something pungent, like when you cut the stem of a dandilion; peach

wet: floral peach

The peach disappears as this dries, and then returns after about 10 minutes. This makes me think of James and the Giant Peach for some reason -- sticky, sweet peach juice with a smooth wash of light floral and a 'green' scent that I think may be the rice flower -- this smells like a peach just picked from the tree. The longer it's on, the better it gets, and the plant-like notes fade until I'm smelling just a pure, lightly floral peach. Very pretty.

I really like this, but it may be a little *too* sweet for me to enjoy as a perfume. I'm definitely hanging onto it, though -- it may grow on me some more, and peach makes me happy.

imp: jasmine, magnolia and hint of sweetness

wet: jasmine immediately turning sour

dry: sweet, fresh floral

I think this might be one of the few blends with jasmine that I can pull off - the threat of sour subsided during the drydown, and just sort of teeters on the edge instead. I'm left with a beautiful, fresh floral...there is a wonderful sweet note here, not sure if that's the amber maybe or orchid or rose?

Sadly, after 30 minutes the jasmine has its way and brings a sour funk that ruins Black Dahlia for me.

I would really like to know what gives this its precious honey-like sweetness, as that is my favorite part.

I think I can pick out a hint of the bergamot and perhaps even the white sandalwood...but truth be told this is very heavy on the jasmine, which means it turns to funk on me. Sadness.

imp: cologne musk & honey

wet: hello, patchouli. and myrrh, too.

dry: pleasant honey & something funky

I'm going to give patchouli a break for once and say that I think my skin is doing something weird to the cognac? Fantastic bled, but Totally Bleh on me. Off to swaps and someone whose skin is more booze-friendly than mine.

imp: almond

wet: almond and pine, a little smoky

dry: calm, starry forest

I really like the conifer notes in Knecht Ruprecht, and the fruitiness of the apple remains understated, which I'm happy about - but this is a little too masculine on me for my tastes. If I had a boy handy, I would like to test it on one. I think my brother might like it, actually. (We look very much alike...I wonder if we have similar chemistry.)

imp: aquatic floral

wet: acidic (wha?)

dry: watery, white flowers

Pretty, but not really my favorite type of floral or aquatic, and it's a bit flat and fades very quickly on me. Does not go soapy or powdery on me though - that's a plus.

imp: amber and cinnamon

same on skin, wet and dry

This was the scent that taught me that even though my skin seems to love amber and amps it to high heaven, I myself am not a big fan of amber (RAWR!) - I like the warmth of it, but it also has a strange, icky undertone on my skin. I do like the cinnamon in The Lion, though.

ETA 8/21/07 - I'm trying this again, just for kicks and really, really liking it this time around! It's very warm, with a pleasant hint of spice. Who'd have thought!

imp: vanilla bathroom cleanser

wet: sweet pea? I think that what may be translating as "toilette" to my nose

dry: uh oh, the vanilla's going plastic

Oh mouse, you are so sweet and soft, but on me you smell like a recently sanitized cage. I am very sad.

imp: berries and osmanthus?

wet: snowy sweetness

dry: pretty, sweet floral ice

Very pretty and light, and I think it suits the story perfectly: a young, melting heart. Doesn't really suit me, though. Glad I got to try it, but I'll be swapping this one.

imp: Mr. Bubble!

on me: soft, mysterious floral

This doesn't smell soapy, per se, but I cannot shake the association with childhood baths...I don't know what I'm smelling, what is the lilac and what is the violet. I may have to take the imp with me to a florist and do some detective work.

I really like this scent - it seems old and young to me at the same time, as well as wistful and giggly. WEIRD. GOOD. Seriously, what am I smelling? I want to make friends with it.

Right now I can't imagine wearing this as a personal scent, but I don't want to part with it. Oh, this is so going in the bath with me.

imp: chilly smoke and ambergris

While this is intriguing in the imp, it quickly morphs into the scent of...smoke machines.

Not for me, unfortunately.

*edited for typos

Very pretty and light. I like it, but as with most vanilla, this quickly turns plastic on my skin. Will pass this on to someone who can enjoy it.

Lavender, jasmine and honeysuckle, that's all she wrote.

I like all three, but the jasmine (as usual - I can't quite give up on jasmine yet, but I may have to,) goes sour and horrid on my skin.

Will be swapping this one, I'm afraid.

bottle: verbena & evergreen

wet: also something juicy...maybe that's the holly berry?

dry: ooh, what is *that*? Thyme maybe?

On me, Yule becomes almost creamy and a bit foody along with the lightly lemon conifer scent. I wish I could identify the notes properly. The creamy sweetness fades and I'm left with a bitter plant odor that sits in the back of my throat. Hmm. I'm not wild about it.

imp & wet: strong resin
dry: something sweet and waxy emerges

This reminds me of playing in the undercroft at my childhood church. It is a comforting yet slightly intimidating scent.

ETA: The further drydown is magnificent. The sweet note that was verging on sickly has fallen back to reveal more of the myrrh and something woody and nearly cedar-like. Mmm, I like this a lot & will keep my bottle.

imp: snowy pine with something sweetish

wet: aha, amber! icy violet amber.

dry: flowers pushing up through hoarfrost

Such an interesting mix of warm and cold and so pretty, but something in here is making my head hurt maybe the violet?

Very glad I got to try this - I can see why people love it so.

imp: cherry licorice (yum!)

wet: high quality cherry licorice and a soft lemon that I think must be the linen note

dry: soft cherry licorice with linen and a wisp of pipe tobacco

This is really neat and yummy to my nose, but I don't like it on me as a personal scent and wouldn't want it for my room either. Sadly, no guy to test it on...so, I think this this must be passed along to someone who can truly love it.

imp: round lavender and something sweet and yeasty/tangy

wet: ditto

dry: Mmmm, bakery sugared lavender

I love this so freakin' much. The vanilla is light and warm and miraculously does not go plasticy on me! Yes, TKO works. It makes me sleepy and soothed, and though my mother doesn't smell like sugar or lavender, TKO smells/feels like a hug from my mom.

Five stars. Definitely getting a bottle or two.

I don't have nightmares often, so I can't vouch for Baku's use in that arena.

imp: lavendar

wet: lavendar

dry: anise

I like anise, so this is a nice, sweetly soothing scent for me. I agree with whomever compared this scent to those little iced seeds at Indian restaurants.

Not quite as soporific as some of the other BPAL sleep blends I've tried, but I don't mind - anyhow, this is for nightmares, not inducing sleep.

Not sure if I'll want a bottle, but I'm definitely hanging onto my imp.

imp: jasmine, lavendar, and something sharper - tea tree?

wet: jasmine

dry: rats, jasmine went sour bonkers on me

No good on me, I'm sorry to say. I think I will stick with TKO for sleep purposes.

Eos is so pretty - a really lovely, bright, springtime, sun-warmed floral. Just smelling it made me happy. I adore honeysuckle, and although jasmine tends to go sour on me, here it seemed to behave itself -- but not quite, I'm sorry to say.

Ultimately not for me, but really lovely, and the jasmine is quite light in this blend.