roseus

In the imp this is a gorgeous Mediterranean garden. Sun-soaked and heady. On my skin it's less about those olive blossoms, more a gossamer musky-vanilla sandalwood incense. I was concerned about the orris butter but it's not coming through on me, at least not in a way that is unpleasant. As it dries the throw becomes quite soft on me, it has an airy this-is-my-natural-scent quality to it.

In the imp it's a vanilla marshmallow with something herbal (I suspect lotus root?) grounding the scent and keeping the sweetness in check a bit. On my skin it's a fluffy floral confection. Very airy and creamy. The lotus blends beautifully with the vanilla and marshmallow. After awhile the lotus root comes back to ground the scent a bit. Another jewel in BPAL's fabulous marshmallow crown!

Dark, smooth salty in the imp and on the skin. I can get a smooth, earthy/woody sort of base. Pretty sure I can pick out the oakmoss too, a green-clean. Dry the salt is the last thing I get, very much a dusting, along with a bit of spicy carnation. The carnation sweetens it a tiny bit in the end. I wouldn't call this an aquatic. Very much whizzing past the beach for moment on your bike and catching the breeze.

Pretty straightforward, smells like a beautiful spring breeze. Heady, a bit sweet and has a bit of that clean white floral from the wisteria. Pretty strong throw on me.

In the imp: light floral incense On wet: lotus incense. Sweet, waxy, but not bubblegum. Sandalwood is very dry. Dry: I definitely agree with the classic/vintage perfume vibe people are getting. Dry I get more champaca than lotus, and it's a bit sharp on me as it tends to do but not overwhelming though I think it is drowning out the other notes a bit on me. I get some sandalwood and maybe a bit of salt if I sniff deeply. The overall effect is an elegant incense for me.

The osmanthus is the main thing I get in the decant and on wet. A bright fruity floral, almost apricot-y. Dry I can find the oud but it isn't a loud one. It's very smooth and adds a lot of depth to the scent. I really like this as I feel osmanthus doesn't often take center stage, it's a cheerful scent with a bit of body.

In the decant I get fresh cool cucumber followed by a bit of an acidic tang. On my skin they are more in balance. The tomato is less acidic, more earthy and vegetal. Eventually the cucumber takes the lead on me again. It is a very true to life cucumber and tomato smell, a beautiful garden fresh scent. I tried it purely out of curiosity and I think I want a bottle now!

Super sweet and juicy pink in the decant, with a bit of creamy coconut. On my skin the coconut is the star, with the grapefruit and other fruits following behind shortly. Bright and sweet, but no longer candy sweet. As it dries I get more amber and sandalwood. Such a cheerful scent! I was a bit worried about the iris as that note turns on me often, but I'm not picking up on it.

In the bottle this is a very light, sweetish sea breeze. Lightly salty and a I swear I get a touch of bright lime (looking at the notes it is the bergamot!). It's a sunny day on the sand vs the dark briny depths. Very fresh. On my skin it is very much the same. This is definitely a not smoky vetiver, and overall probably the gentlest vetiver I've tried. There's definitely a green quality to the scent but not intensely grassy. As it wears it gets harder for me to distinguish the notes. I would describe the overall effect as gentle but fresh and bracing.

In the imp I get a very fresh green herbal scent with a bit of dry lavender. On my skin the rose comes out and steals the show. Very sweet pink rose. Soon the lilac comes in as well. Then the green herbalness comes back in to balance. A bit of anise from the absinthe. Fresh herbal floral with a slightly bitter green edge.

In the imp: deep and resinous. Pretty sure I get amber and maybe some myrrh. I think red musk as well, there's that smooth almost fruity musk thing going on. Wet: heady floral. Pretty sure it is gardenia. Blending well with the deep resinous situation underneath. Something spicy as well. Dry: Pretty much the same as wet. A decadent fruity, spicy, floral incense. Sweeter than wet. Very mysterious and alluring.

In the imp: smooth, fruity red musk Wet: cherry and strawberry with red musk. Lightly sweet. Dry: dark musky amber and vanilla with a very light red fruitiness. Something here smells in common with Snake Oil, but with the fruits. Often cherry and strawberry go wonky on my skin, but here they are soft supporting players and meld very well.

Clean florals and greens. It has a bit of that cool, sweet, green sap thing going on. I have a really hard time pulling apart the flowers but can identify the orange blossom. As it dries the freshly-scrubbed cleanness fades back a bit and it's more like a field of wildflowers.

In the bottle this is a lush, juicy green. There's some woodier notes mixed in and a bit of spicy wasabi for complexity. On my skin it's much the same, perhaps a bit smoother. I can pick out the bamboo and wasabi. Very grassy but complex still. Wasabi gives it a very interesting green-spice. Very unique as a green scent, fresh and rich.

Bounce indeed! In this bottle this smells like sophisticated orange blossom bubblegum. On my skin it gets more sugary for a moment, but then settles a bit. Still sweet but not sugary. I can identify the carnation now, just a bit of spice and reminding me a lot of High Strung Daisies. This is the opposite of a lot orange blossom/neroli scents that I tend to go for, which are often dark, heady, and showcase the bitter edge neroli can have. This is sweet, bright, and bubbly. With the vanilla, frankincense and carnation thing going on it reminds me a tiny bit of Morocco. Maybe Morocco's young niece.

2007 version: In this bottle it smells like a gentler, chillier October. Which makes sense. On my skin I get a distinct sweetish minty snow and just a bit of dead leaves. It stays pretty much the same but with just a bit more of the dead leaves showing as it wears, they are a bit musky. It's very nice, a slushy atmospheric scent.

In the bottle: musky amber orange. Wet: pretty much same as in the bottle. Dry: still that deep musky amber at the center of everything. The orange blossom, saffron, and orange/bergamot are all made very blurry by it. I can identify the orange but it's not bright or juicy. It's all warm and hazy. It makes me think of a red sky sunset.

In the bottle: creamy coconut, a thick haze of florals, and some light juicy green notes. Wet: the coconut is softer, the florals a bit headier and I get a tiny bit of aquatic freshness and lime. Dry: definitely get that white amber base, sweet and warm, helping meld all the notes. I can't pick out the coconut very well anymore, it sort of wafts in and out. The florals are hard to pick apart, they're soft and humid, very light headiness wafting around. I can pick out the lemongrass and lime brightening the scent. It's gorgeous, a bubbly yet sophisticated tropical beach scent.

In the bottle I get a very salty orange blossom. Deep aquatic salty. On my skin it is a beautiful salty ocean breeze scent with the orange blossom beautiful intertwined. It's headiness makes it humid and tropical without the typical sweetness/fruitiness of tropical scents. As it sits I get more and more orange blossom. It just screams beach on me and I love it. I agree that it's very sexy. It has a sort of wild, carefree thing going on. Very strong throw on me.

Bright, cool water. On me it is a soft watery juniper and pine scent. Very gentle and lightly sweet, with a bit of bergamot. It stays very soft on me.. On my husband it is stronger and more bracing, sort of peppery. I think it will be shared between us and I think both outcomes are quite good though very different.

Sniffing in the imp blind I get a much less smoky scent than I had anticipated based on the name. It's smooth and warm, pretty sure I get some tobacco and maybe amber. Kind of swirly. On wet it's similar but muskier. Looking at the notes it clicks that I'm getting ambergris, it has that lighter more skin musk-like quality. As it dries I get more of the dark musk and incense. Never get leather specifically but if it's here it's a very soft leather. Everything melds very well. To me it's in the family of Hag Grey. Warm, musky, lightly sweet.

In the imp and on wet I get a swirly, fruity incense. It continues to get fruitier bc DBR just tends to do that on me. Sort of a deep red chewy fruit situation with the incense less apparent as it settles. It's not shouty, it's a nice smooth fruit but I'm missing the incense.

Sniffing this in the imp blind I am shocked looking at the notes. Deep and whispy are perfect words for this. It is dark but not heavy, smoky, or any of the other things I usually associate with vetiver or things described as burnt. It is very smooth dark wood with a lightness that I can't place. On wet it gets a fresh almost grassy quality. Crisp, almost minty. This is the most pleasant experience I've had with vetiver on my skin. It's swirling and the woods come in and smooth it out some more. Dry: this reminds me of something but I can't place it. I'm so happy I got this frimped because I would never have tried it on my own. It is gorgeous, dark and smooth but not heavy. When I sniff deeply I get a touch of pleasant (not sharp or bbq-y) smoke that adds depth. I'm really loving the fresh green quality. It is so hard to describe but if I had to assign a colour it would be a very deep teal. Might need to pick up a bottle!

In the imp: crisp lemon and sandalwood. Very light and airy. Wet: okay that is lemongrass. Much greener but still lemony. I'm getting sandalwood and some heavier notes, it's getting woodier and earthier. Dry: okay I definitely get the cedar and patchouli in the base, it's earthy but it stays overall very light. The lemongrass really lifts the whole scent. I think I get some of the indolic headiness from the jasmine but can't pick out the rose. A very bright incense, with a very raw/natural quality to it.

I'm definitely seeing the comparisons to Hag Grey, Zorya P, and Pediophobia. But if I had to pick one I'd say it is most like Hag Grey, but it definitely has some differences. There's that warmish ambergris with tobacco flower instead of white tobacco, but it has a similar effect. The lavender is present but so well melded with the other notes. I can't pick out the white oud but I'm sure it's contributing to the depth. It's a rich, yet floaty scent. Almost vanillic. Great throw.