monsteralice

Wet: Sneezeworthy, very medicinal.

 

Dry: Still medicinal, but not as strong. More a doctor's office than an Urgent Care Center.

 

Duration: Pretty faint at 2.5 hours.

 

I can't decide if I'll keep the imp or not. It disappeared just as I started to really like it.

 

ADDED Dec. 5:

 

When first applied I get a minty fresh scent. Since the blend isn't listed as containing mint, it must just be my nose playing tricks. When dry the lavender takes over, then shortly fades away, leaving an earthy green scent. Doesn't last very long, maybe 3 hours on me.

 

Not for me, so into the enabling box it goes.

 

Fact of the day: Did you know that pennyroyal is an abortifacient? Might mean that this is one for the pregnant to stay away from, but that is probably overcautious.

When Osun walks down the path dipping honey out of her honey pot and licking it off her fingers, all the little animals go, "Ahhhh," and swoon as she passes by. That's this scent.

 

Wet: Honey and something reminiscent of Coca-Cola.

 

Dry: A heavy honey humid day scent.

 

Duration: Still noticeable at the wrist after 10 hours.

 

This one's a keeper!

Wet: Cardamon tea in a carpet shop.

 

Dry: Warm, rounded, and spicy.

 

Duration/throw: Good throw for the first few hours, them makes a gradual retreat.

 

Silk Road is a great "exotic" scent; one drop and you feel well-traveled even if you don't have a passport. This is definitely a keeper, and probably a bottle purchase.

Wet: A slightly bitter leafy scent like a slight breeze. Hard to pick out the cedar as anything but a woody undertone. Something sweet and a little musky.

 

Dry: The sweetness resolves as berry. Most of the bitter greenery disappears.

 

Finish: Musky

 

Duration/throw: No throw. Down to the wrist by the 3 hour point.

 

The Jersey Devil is pleasant enough, but not one I think I'll be reaching for frequently (my new standard!) so it goes into the swap box. Someone more outdoorsy may find this one to be their dream scent.

Wet: Pleasant, definitely an outdoorsy scent.

 

Dry: Sweet, grassy, and a little dusty.

 

Finish: No change.

 

Duration: Retreats to the wrist fairly quickly, but hangs on for a few hours.

Wet: Light and flowery, with a hint of lime.

 

Dry: Sharp and flowery.

 

Finish: Mixed flowers.

 

Duration: Lasts about 8 hours, never blatant. Would be a good scent to give to someone not yet sure about wearing perfumes - not that we're enablers or anything...

Wet: Lilac with a woody scent backing it up.

 

Dry: Rose comes up to blend with the lilac. The wood is still there. I don't know what osmanthus smells like, so I'm guessing it's that "other scent" that is driving me crazy trying to isolate it.

 

Finish: A little dusty - dried roses and lilac crumbled into a hot bath in a claw-footed tub.

 

Duration/throw: Had good throw for the first few hours - still getting occasional wafts around three and a half hours from application. Steadily diminished until it was completely gone at the nine hour point.

 

Nice. It made me want to put on a high-necked dress and high buttoned shoes.

 

Edited to fix spelling.

Wet: Interesting. The notes come up individually; also this is the first "aquatic" where I really see why they are called that. Apple, mint, and lime are the loudest scents when wet.

 

Dry: It evolves into a nice floral. It's pretty enough, but not really unusual.

 

Duration/throw: Stayed close to the wrist the whole time. Lasted about 6 hours.

Wet: Smells like the Indian grocery where I bought spices - that's not a bad thing, BTW. Alas, a tall office building has replaced "Indian Spices & Appliances"...

 

Dry: Spicy!

 

Duration/throw: Not much wafting, but it lasts well - still strong at 10 hours.

 

It's a keeper!

Wet: Wood and herbs to start, a little bitter.

 

Dry: Flowers come out and it starts to throw.

 

Finish: All flowers.

 

Duration: Goes faint fairly quickly, not much throw after the first half hour.

 

Not bad, but not outstanding. Into the swap pile for someone more appreciative to enjoy.

Wet: Apple and smoke.

 

Dry: The apple fades quickly, leaving an almost medicinal incense smell.

 

Finish: Eventually the amber overpowers the herbs. Amber is nice. I like amber.

 

Duration: Almost gone at 6 hours.

Wet: Eating lemon-ginger cookies in a hayfield.

Dry: Loses the lemon, gets sweeter.

Finish: Amber with a touch of ginger.

Duration: Not much left after 6 hours.

I threw this one into my swap pile. Not that I didn't like it, I did; but it just didn't have the oomph of the ones that I've loooooooooved. Still, I reserve the right to give it another try once I've worked through more of BPAL's offerings.

Wet: Whoa, apples! Then something a little nutty.

 

Dry: Musk and something sweet and grain-like. Reminds me of molasses and oats.

 

Duration: Still wafting at 8 hours.

 

A keeper.

Wet: Nice, not perfumey, not too sweet.

 

Dry: Smoky without smoke - the sage is discernable as a sensation more than a separate note.

 

Duration: Still wafting at 5 hours, still strong at 9 hours.

 

This one's a keeper!

Wet: Mixed floral with a smoky edge.

 

Dry: Has a nice throw. Rose and jasmine are prominent and the smoke is gone.

 

Duration: Had a good throw for 2 hours, was still good on the wrist for at least 12 hours (then I went to bed).

Wet: Interesting and not like any other BPAL I've tried (though that's not many, so YMMV). Galangal, familiar as Little John to Chew and as an ingredient in Tom Kha Gai, is the most prominent, along with something that must be the olive, though it doesn't smell like olive oil, it's sharper than that.

 

Dry: An occult shop, the type with lots of dark wood and little drawers, where you have to ask for everything.

 

Finish: The inside of a wooden box that once held incense.

 

Duration: It was down to the wrist by about four hours, so would need reapplying.

 

This one is a keeper.

Two words: Swamp Thing (that's not a complaint, btw)

 

Bayou is one of the more interesting scents I've tried; it delivers all that the description promises, and more so. The first notes to come out are yummy, heady flowers with something else woody. When first on the wrist this one is strong! Then it calms down into a watery smell with lighter flowers. The finish was sweet and muddy, like mud between your toes.

 

I don't think I'll keep it, it wasn't really my thing, but I admire how well the concept was played out.

Wet: Sharp and sweet, like hard cider (or in this case, perry).

 

Dry: Soft and humid - the pear didn't last very long, neither did the champagne.

 

Finish: Soft tropical floral.

 

Duration/throw: Still wafting at 3 hours, present at the wrist at the 8 hour mark.

Very little scent in the imp.

 

Wet: A warm "perfume" smell with just an edge of honey.

 

Dry: Natural smelling lilies with a layer of honey.

 

Finish: Warm honey.

Wet: Lavender and rose. Evcelt comments that it is not a young woman's perfume (not a problem for me )

 

Dry: The lavender fades back and jasmine comes out, along with musk.

 

Finish: Soft jasmine and musk.

 

Duration/throw: For the first hour everything was peachy, with nice wafting. However, it had faded back to the wrist by 3 hours.

 

Nice, but not my thing. Off to the swap pile.

The perfect scent to wear during the first snowfall of Winter.

 

Wet: Cold apple, then floral.

 

Dry: Light floral.

 

Finish: Lighter floral.

 

Duration/throw: This is where the problem lies - it just doesn't last on me. By the 2 hour mark I needed to be nose-to-wrist to smell it.

 

I think I'm going to swap this one, just because it disappears quickly on me. I've seen from other reviews that not everyone has this problem, so I hope it will find a good home.

Wet: Long grass, a faint rose scent, fruit. Not as fruity as Yerevan, though.

 

Dry: A dry floral with fruit.

 

Finish: A completely blended scent.

 

Duration: Still present nose-to-wrist after 4 hours.

 

Verdict: Nice, but not outstanding and not particularly evocative. It goes to the swap box, where hopefully it will find someone who loves it as it deserves.

Wet: Carnation and coconut

 

Dry: A blended spicy floral.

 

Duration: Retreated to the wrist by the 4 hour mark. Completely gone at 9 hours.

 

This one gets a second chance before I decide what to do with it.

Wet: Sweet and fruity with a sharp edge.

 

Dry: Plum, a little smoky, some floral and some spice. The spice is probably the carnations.

 

Finish: Soft, spicy musk. I wish it kept the plum!

 

Duration: Good for at least 3 hours.

 

This might be a swap. Depends on whether I can think of an occasion where the plum can show off. I like it, but I'm not sure it's one I'll be reaching for often.

Wet: Mostly lily-of-the-valley, with a whiff of pear.

 

Dry: Warm musk with lily-of-the-valley and a little rose.

 

Duration/throw: Not much throw after it dried, still strong at the wrist at 3 hours, gone by 5 hours.

 

I like it, but probably not enough to get a bottle.