Jenesis

So gutted I can't get on with this. All I get is TUBEROOOOOOSSSSEEEEEE in a very heavy, "Imperial leather soap" cloud, sickly sweet, soapy stink.

Let's play "wear your random Imps"!

Depraved (I think the imp is quite new/fresh)

Very dirty and dark patchouli, earthy/muddy. I can get the apricot a little bit but not much. Very heavy patchouli to me, almost SN. I do like it but it's not complex, and is somewhat too 'dirty' for every day.

Did someone say 'opoponax main note'?! My money could not leave my wallet fast enough. I LOVE this. The vetiver is basically non-existent, I get woody, dark, resinous opoponax. Once fully dry the honey comes out and lifts it very slightly, giving a gorgeous sweet yet dark musk. Not much throw. Very comfortable, skin-close scent. I'll have to try this layered.

Alas, this opens with "salty sea air" but sadly turns to "National Trust Gift Shop" very quickly (that's soap/artificial potpourri stink, for the uninitiated).

I am so happy this is a GC! Fresh on (my bottle is lab-fresh) I get 'new handbag' leather, rather than 'dirty' leather. That simmers down very quickly to a warm, leather/amber mix with a little dustiness from the tobacco and warmth from the opoponax underneath. All of these things are wonderful and if I do say so myself this does suit me marvellously; I can't wait to see how it ages. I'll definitely hang on to my bottle for when I need to feel strong!

Blind bought this and I'm SO GLAD I did. This may have to be backupped ASAP.

Heavy, heady rose at the top, with a dark 'dirtiness' underneath - not scummy filthy dirt, more like fresh-turned earth dirt. The tobacco lends a dustiness to stop it being too heady. It mingles down to a rich, 'velvet' (to quote from above reviews) rose with a deep undertone. Got the seal of approval from the other half too so must be good!

This is very light and pretty! My inexperienced nose gets red/summer fruits with a sweet undertone. Not much on the ginger. Clean and light.

Fresh on: Argh, cardamom! Pooh. I'll have to wait for it to rest and age for the curry note to die down.

This is an odd morpher on me. Initially it's reminiscent of the HM signature scent; heavy patchouli with a touch of booze. There's a touch of something.. astringent underneath? Unfortunately it turns into bathroom cleaner on me. However I've only had this one a day, I'll let it age and come back to it after more rest.

All the HM scents morph strangely on me. I do get a bit of patchouli but a rather unpleasant 'curried sink' scent after. I'll have to let it rest more.

Edit: 2 days later, still get 'curried bleach' on initial application.  I'm willing to give this more resting time but there's a truly unpleasant note in there for me, which is such a shame as coconut and patchouli are very me, but all I get is curry (must be the cardamom!) with the coconut, amber and patchouli waaaay underneath. Let's give it more time...

Bought this unsniffed on the assumption I would like it - and I do! In fact it may go into my Top 5. I can usually make opopnax work and the violet is perfect, I was really afraid it would be powdery parma violets, but it's not. I can detect the smooth floral note but it isn't an in-your-face violet on me. The dark patchouli blends perfectly too to make a gorgeous, dark, deep scent. I think it'd be suitable for all genders. Yummy!

Initially, I get Gin and Tonic smell (perhaps the lime), with a metallic tang somewhere. Definite aftershave vibes though. I'll keep the imp for occasional use, but not bottle material.

Definite patchouli, a lovely floral underneath with a deep dark base. The woods come out after a while for that 'haunted house' vibe. Gorgeous!

Bottle: Very vanilla! Luckily that's my jam.

Wet on: Slightly fruity, slightly woody vanilla, beautifully blended.

Drydown: More woody now, with a tiny whiff of eau-de-shower-gel - from past experience I think that's the lily talking. The ginger comes out after a few moments.

Dry: Warm, faintly sweet and 'golden', matches the inspiration art perfectly. The woods stop it being too sweet.

Drydown a few hours later: A gorgeous sweet, musky, woody vanilla. The woods prevent the vanilla from being too sweet and icecream-ish. Absolutely love it, just a shame it has little throw!

Throw: Very little, I have to huff my arm to smell it. Must try this with a primer or balm underneath.

First whiff is a woody patchouli; like the shelves in a hippie shop. Drying down I get much more smoke and clove, with deep patchouli underneath. Nice enough, but I probably wouldn't buy a full bottle of it.

Talk about a wild swing - I took a chance on this (brand new from HM). In the bottle I get boozy almonds, like rum-drenched marzipan-covered cake. Fresh on, the almonds stay but the deep leather and patchouli come out on me (the booze thankfully takes a bit more of a backseat). The vanilla starts to rise to the top. It actually has vibes of 'O', but darker and more complex. Absolutely lovely!

Addendum: I love this on skin but not in a scent locket. That heady patchouli note right under my nose, and without the skin chemistry, just gave me a headache. Wear-only!

Are there any GCs like Geek? My Geek bottle is getting very low (just a few applications left) and finding a bottle is basically impossible these days.

Talk about some post necromancy but I am down to about 1ml of Geek left and bottles are basically unavailable even on eBay now. (Hint Lab for a resurrection. Guaranteed seller!)

Earlier in this thread I saw that some consider Nemesis to be an equivalent for Geek. Anyone else have this experience? Any other recommendations?

Found an old decant.

First on: An odd vaguely plasticy scent, like those "scented" toys they used to sell.

Drying: A smooth, light floral, definitely pink! Very sweet.

Dry: The carnation really comes out.

Verdict: Not really me but if you like sweet florals, this should be up your alley.

First on: Boooooozy almonds. If there was such a thing as almond liqueur (is there?) it would smell like this.

Drydown: Much better. Pineapple and peach, with a sugary note over the top - brings to mind Xanthe a bit but it's not as bright or citrusy.

Dry: I'm usually impressed with the Lab's ability to replicate non-perfume scents and this time they've managed to make a cocktail smell! A pretty, sweet, fruity scent with a boozy undertone, much like a Sex on the Beach. While I do like the smell it's a bit too "night before" to wear in most situations, questions might be asked of my health if I wore it to work

Dug up some old Imps.

First on: I get a whiff of vetiver but not too strong. I understand why some say menthol as I get a whiff of that as well. Smells like new wood.

Drydown: A slight leathery note over the wood. Hardly any throw at all.

Dry: Surprisingly complex and hard to classify! A comforting, warm scent, like a wood-backed leather chair. Very little throw though and it's fading already so this one won't last on me, I think. Edit: After a while the leather comes out more.

Digging up some old Imps, found this decant. Here goes...

First on: Dirt with a light hint of bananas. I'm genuinely impressed with how good the Lab's "dirt" note is, it really does smell like soil!

Drydown: The soil goes a bit manky, the banana peel is rotting now.

Dry: Better balanced, certainly "dirt and banana". An intriguing scent but I don't think it's for me.

nervous energy this morning - finished updating the Lupers BPTP update, and added the new Alice and Emerald City (and Lunacy) - think it's up to date.

 

(as ever, ignore the color coding, and column A, that's all personal notation)

 

Izile's BPAL Spreadsheet

Holy crap. This is AMAZING

Thank you!!

Couldn't make this one work for me (but then if you examine my previous reviews you'll see that light, girly scents rarely do!). Quite a "yummy" scent, if it was a fruit I'd eat it, but too sweet and cloying for my taste. My skin does weird things with lavender and apple blossom so I think it's probably that making it not work.

Haven't reviewed a scent for ages, so here goes... This is a surprisingly complex blend. I can smell the vetivier in the background but it's just "there" rather than being the overpowering cat-pee smell that it usually is. The sickly sweetness of carnation is beautifully balanced by the earthiness of the fig and the green tea, while a delicate smell in itself, works well here to round the blend off. The opopanax (possibly my favourite note) grounds the whole thing.

A gorgeous dark, mysterious scent. A keeper!

This smells exactly like Miskatonic University to me. The Irish Coffee note stands out too much on my skin.