jmakes

In the bottle: A stately, manicured old rose that's dusty in the way that dry florals are dusty. There's a restrained quality to this floral. Prim and proper in a genderless way. Wet on skin: This is lovely. The image I get is of six perfect pale pink roses in a white vase, on a lace tablecloth. It's not an obvious floral, nor is it extremely feminine, but just a sense of something polite, nice, unobtrusive. Dry on skin: This is a very gentle scent. I'm sniffing quite hard to catch it. Nothing is front-and-center or in your face about it. This is a genderless, ageless fragrance. Anyone could wear this and smell good. I could imagine a fresh-faced, utterly professional and competent head maid in Victorian England smelling like this as she organizes the manor for a fancy party. This is lovely, but I prefer the showier rose of Peacock Queen and The Rose. However, this would be perfect for me as a soothing sleep scent. I might full-size for that purpose.

In the bottle: That's the whole rose, moving your nose quickly from the fresh bloom to the bottom of the just-cut green stem. Wet on skin: Ooh, that's nice. That's a delicious true rose, freshly bloomed, and the fresh green leaves shaking off dew. I feel like I stooped in the rose garden and put my nose right up to the bloom. I generally don't like green scents, so am surprised how much I like this. It's not a sharp, headache-inducing green at all, it's a very natural and realistic green rose stem smell. Dry on skin: I really did not expect to love this so much. The fresh rose blooms are really taking center stage. There's a hint of the greenery peeking through still, but at this point, I'm walking along in the rose garden at nose-level with the blooms. It's combining beautifully with my skin to turn into something lovely, soft, and complex beyond a single rose note. I'm in love. Longevity: It fades down into something quiet, the natural sweetness of a rose on the wind, after about 2 hours. I agree with the other posts that it's short-lived, but I don't mind. It's the perfect daily warm weather scent, since my skin amps fragrance in the heat. I asked my boyfriend to smell my wrist and he went "OH my god that smells (another huge whiff) SO GOOD." He likes it even more than Peacock Queen. In his opinion, this one is a bit more understated and fresh. Who would wear this? A lively fairy that lives inside a rose bloom. Also me. I can't decide whether I love this one more or Peacock Queen. I'm going to have to full size it.

In the bottle: I'm not getting much of the rose here. It's like headshop incense lite. My skin amps incense, so I'm bracing myself for the drydown on me. Wet on my skin: Strong floral incense that could probably clear my sinuses with a heavier application. A touch spicy, that makes my tongue tingle just a little. Dry on skin: 5-10 minutes: This is beautiful. I'm getting the image of the Empress Theodora, a beautiful, dark-eyed, pious woman (with perhaps a secular past), looking regal in an ornate, gilded church. 30+ minutes: The sinus-clearing aspect of the scent has calmed down a little. It's not spicy like it was a bit in the bottle. I don't get nauseous the way I normally do with strong incense. That's probably because the rose is balancing out the incense (and this rose is quite nice - it does smell like true rose across a cloud of incense). My favorite true red rose is Peacock Queen, and the rose here smells truer and purer than the one in Whip, Blood Rose, or Persephone. Hopefully this won't turn into mega-amp incense on my skin the way it always does? Waving my wrist around in the air, it smells mature and gorgeous and like someone who knows loss. 60+ minutes: The incense is starting to amp, but it's not as nausea-inducing as it usually is on me. It's got a touch of sharpness in my nose like menthol. The beautiful floral is still in the background, though it seems to be receding. It smells like what I hope a confessional booth would smell like. 120+ minutes: A feminine incense. This is the smell of a cultured and principled lady. Who would wear this: An elegant, silver-haired woman in an ancient, august church. She is so culturally Catholic that the catechisms and rites are in her blood. She is always wearing a knee-length designer skirt suit with black pantyhose and heels, as well as a hat with a small black veil indicating she is a widow. She still wears her wedding band, though she sold her engagement ring for the war back when she was young. You both know, without speaking, that you shouldn't ask when her husband passed. This is the smell of a beautiful older soul who's experienced heartbreak and is open to love again.

In the bottle: Juicy red scent. Like biting into a perfectly ripe red fruit, red juice dripping down your arms. It's a very feminine, spring scent. Not sexy or alluring, but more joyful. Wet on my skin: So sweet it brings to mind the slighty sweet zingy smell of saran wrap - images of sweet cheese also flash through my head - this is not a sexy floral, it's a very youthful, girlish pink floral. Light-to-medium pink, not hot pink nor baby pink. Dry on skin: 5-10 minutes: This is definitely sweet pomegranate, but purely so. I wouldn't want to eat/drink this flavor. I probably wouldn't have been able to identify the rose without the notes list, but the rose certainly does add interesting and lovely frills to the pomegranate's tang. It smells a bit like scented berry stickers. I wouldn't be surprised if a new hot pink plastic kid's pencil pouch smelled like this upon unboxing. 30+ minutes: Still getting new hot pink plastic girl's pouch. There might be hot pink glitter in the plastic as well. She's got scented stickers and berry-scented erasers in there too. Waving my wrist around and sniffing, it smells pretty and girlish and welcoming. 60+ minutes: The sweetness is dialing back, though the tang is still there. It's magenta berry berry berry with one floral waving around in the background. This is not a complex or deep scent, to me. This is the sexy Blood Rose's little sister. 120+ minutes: Has faded back almost entirely unless my nose is on my wrist. Then there's that tangy pomegranate. This is the girl next door on the brink of womanhood. She's cheerful and friendly and athletic, on the cheerleading squad or volleyball team. She's a fresh-faced natural beauty who wears white sneakers, loves animals, and lifeguarding at the local summer camp. She's only ever known what it feels like to be loved, and has a smile for every stranger. Neighborhood moms would be happy with her being their kid's first girlfriend. She's the type of teenager who'd get cast to be in a commercial for something thoroughly unglamorous, like Burger King or Segway, because they want to reach an active, youthful audience. And her commercial works.

I ordered 6 sample Imps (Peacock Queen, Whip, Blood Rose, Rose Cross, Persephone, London), this bottle, and got 5 frimps (Amsterdam, Brimstone, Prague, Sjofn, Bugbear Doula). This one smelled the most like a juicy and delicious fruit. ------- For context: I am brand-new to the world of scents! I previously never wore fragrance. I'm extremely sensitive to smells, and fell into a rabbit hole while searching for a perfume that matched my favorite rose + leather candle. That rabbithole let to me placing large sample orders to BPAL and Fantome after joining the IMAM sub. Me: 30-something trans man working an office job. Notes I like: Rose, wood, smoke, leather, orange, realistic coffee. Notes I'm OK with if they're not too strong: Berry, aquatics, incense, vanilla, amber. Notes I dislike: Gourmands, sweet cream, artificial fruit (especially lemon, banana, and watermelon). ----- In the bottle: Red, juicy floral. It's an extremely feminine, slightly wild scent. It smells so juicy I'm expecting it to be sticky when I wipe the wand on my wrist. On my wrist: Fragrant, in a natural, sexy, springtime way. It's a strong floral, but tempered by the red fruit notes, so I'm not getting a headache. Definitely smells juicy, smells like it would taste delicious on a hot summer day. This is a playful rose, swaying happily in the breeze as the fresh fruits around it grow into their full ripeness. This is what I expected BPAL's Persephone to smell like -- but to be fair, this is a little sexier than the greenish innocence suggested by Persephone's pomegranate notes. This smells like a girl the church ladies might tell their sons to stay away from. Dry on my wrist: 5-10 minutes: Still SO juicy and fragrant. It's giving WOMAN, outdoors in a lush garden, eating a bowl full of red ripe perfect fruits. 30+ minutes: It's not changing much - this isn't a super complex scent, but it just consistently smells nice. Beyond the florals and fruit, there's something else now - skin? - coming through that enhances the rest in an appealing way. There's a freshness that I haven't encountered before without aquatic or citrus notes - this is nice. 60+ minutes: I forgot I had this on and when my hands came near my face, I was like "Woah what smells so good??" It's giving a sexy nymph running, laughing along the river. She is barefoot with flower-strewn long wavy hair. An amorous young man is chasing her and does not realize that her perfection is a bit inhuman. That's not her problem, though. 120+ minutes: I'm learning that my skin amps incense - this is pretty much floral and sweet incense on me at this point. That's probably the dragon blood. Bummer, because it smelled so good up until the incense took over. I forgot the actual notes listed for this and checked the description. I was shocked to see wine listed, since I HATE the smell of actual alcohol. This is very much the poetic, ideal image of wine -- Dionysus and his (less murderous than usual) maids merry-making during the perfect spring day. The wine is probably the enhancing freshness I mistook as an aquatic note. Unfortunately incense tends to amp on me, but it's nice to learn that I might like wine notes. Who would wear this? A laughing, charismatic woman dressed up as Poison Ivy for a spring or summer costume party. She's not trying to steal anyone's man, but she sure smells like it.

For context: I am brand-new to the world of scents! I previously never wore fragrance. I'm extremely sensitive to smells, and fell into a rabbit hole while searching for a perfume that matched my favorite rose + leather candle. That rabbithole let to me placing large sample orders to BPAL and Fantome after joining the IMAM sub. Me: 30-something trans man working an office job. Notes I like: Rose, wood, smoke, leather, orange, realistic coffee. Notes I'm OK with if they're not too strong: Berry, aquatics, incense, vanilla, amber. Notes I dislike: Gourmands, sweet cream, artificial fruit (especially lemon, banana, and watermelon). ----- In my hunt for a perfect rose and leather scent, I hoped this would be what I was looking for. It was not, though it's a nice scent that could be a great fit for others. In the bottle: Sharp. This is lemon pledge lite. I'm not getting getting any leather. There's some high, greenish notes of rose if I focus. Contrary to most of the reviews here, I don't feel like this is the same lush red rose as Peacock Queen. This one seems greener and sharper. But perhaps it'll mellow out on my skin. Wet on my skin: Still pretty sharp lemon wet wipes. The florals are unrolling, and I smell a clean aquatic as well. Lemony all the way. I'm not sure I would've identified the floral as rose if I didn't know beforehand. Sniffing it makes my head hurt a little, like when I try to sing way above my pitch register. Dry on my skin: 5-10 minutes on my skin, the lemon is starting to take a backseat, and I'm getting a little leather now. I don't know if I would've identified it as a leather note if I hadn't already known. I can't quite decide if it's a new, shiny black leather, or a soft old warm leather. 30+ minutes in, the lemon is gone, the green is gone, and it's definitely rose and leather - however, it's not quite the leather I was looking for. It's the sharp, awake, and zinging tang of a brand new car, whereas I'm looking for a sleepy, cozy, warm leather of a beloved old pair of gloves. There's also a touch of powder, akin to the expensive makeup of a rich woman. 60+ minutes in: A bouquet of long-stemmed roses from a designer florist, tucked in between the leather seats of a new car. The rose and leather isn't mixing into the comforting blend I was hoping for - this is more metropolitan. I feel like the person in this car has somewhere to go, and they're absolutely not going to be late. Unfortunately, I'm in the backseat and my childhood motion sickness memories are kicking in when I smell the leather of the new car. This smells smart and clean. It's a feminine-leaning scent with sharp no-nonsense touch to the rose. The person I imagine wearing this is an accomplished woman who is a consummate professional at work and always flawlessly put together. Her car -- if she isn't chauffeured -- is a luxury model in pristine condition. She will ask someone out on a date with confidence they'll say yes. If it goes well, she'll take them back to her place and make it known exactly what she wants. If it goes poorly, she'll say so mid-date, pay the bill, click her purse closed, and walk away on her high heels as her date gazes at her, wondering where they went wrong.

(it's giving evil prom queen who may secretly be a demon) I ordered 6 sample Imps (Peacock Queen, Whip, Blood Rose, Rose Cross, Persephone, London), this bottle, and got 5 frimps (Amsterdam, Brimstone, Prague, Sjofn, Bugbear Doula). Tomie is my definitely favorite. I'll be writing reviews for the others as I get to fully testing them! ------- For context: I am brand-new to the world of scents! I previously never wore fragrance. I'm extremely sensitive to smells, and fell into a rabbit hole while searching for a perfume that matched my favorite rose + leather candle. That rabbithole let to me placing large sample orders to BPAL and Fantome after joining this sub. Me: 30-something trans man working an office job. Notes I like: Rose, wood, smoke, leather, orange, realistic coffee. Notes I'm OK with if they're not too strong: Berry, aquatics, incense, vanilla, amber. Notes I dislike: Gourmands, sweet cream, artificial fruit (especially lime, lemon, banana, and watermelon). ----- TOMIE: I was aware that Junji Ito is a famous horror manga artist, and that Tomie is a female character, but beyond that, I was not at all familiar with Tomie prior to reading the notes of this perfume. I don't remember how I came upon the listing for Tomie on BPAL, but one reviewer sold me on it when they said this was their favorite out of their 30+ BPAL bottles. While waiting for Tomie to arrive, I read up on her. Perhaps I shouldn't have, so I would've had a clean-slate first impression, but here we are! In the bottle: dark, mysterious, feminine-of-center, but could also be the scent of a soft and bewitching man or genderless being. Something a little floral, a little woody, that makes me feel lulled into being pulled into its embrace. There's the hint of something sweet upon the beginning of the first whiff, but that hint doesn't play out. It's a promise of sweetness that's not followed through on. Upon exhaling and inhaling again, the breath feels chilled, and somehow hungry. This is the scent of a beautiful girl who you spot in a crowd in the mall, who smiles mysteriously before disappearing. You get the sense that she's much more worldly, experienced, and complexed than her youth suggests. There's something dark there. But in the darkness, there's also youthful feminine beauty. On my skin: The sweetness pushes through a bit more - there's something skirting along medicinal, if the smell of medicine could be beautiful and somewhat seductive. The sweetness of pale blonde sandalwood seems to be almost holding back the scent of nighttime jasmine. There's an ever-so-slight bitterness upon exhale and inhale, in the back of my throat. The sweetness is really unique and hard to describe. While most sweet notes are girlish and youthful, this one is not. This one is alluring, and slighty inhuman. I want to lean in and sniff again to see if I was mistaken (I was not - there's a very slight sour note to the sweetness that's almost imperceptible). It's kind of like the sweetness of dark berries, but made more complicated here with the addition of wood, vanilla, and amber. Dry: The wood is stronger now. So is the slightly-sour-slightly-medicine-something's wrong but I love it SOMETHING that was in the background earlier. If I were told this were the smell of the most beautiful medicine in the world, I would believe it. At this point, I feel like I've followed the initial scent past the jasmine and vanilla into the woods and amber. The sun has set and the stars have come out, and I am lost. But I am at peace. There's a growing feeling of loneliness and surrender. It's beautiful and soothing. This is a smell that I could curl up in and fall asleep to in the darkness. It's the taste of a fairytale's sleeping draught. It's changed from the wet scent's suggestion of youthful feminine beauty to something still beautiful, but older, farther from human and closer to nature. You've followed the scent miles and miles away from the mall and are now in a dark forest under starlight. You don't remember how you got here and you're okay with that. The woods are closing in and lulling you to sleep forever. It's quite amazing how this scent begins as recognizable notes and imagery, ultimately transforming into something else. On me, this dries down to being lost in Grimm's Fairytales forest at night, under the stars -- beautiful, lone, and there's no guarantee of safety. I would feel comfortable wearing this anywhere, anytime, year-round. I could very much see this being my signature scent in the winter especially, or whenever I'm in the mood to embody a beguiling, underestimated, beautiful creature beyond human comprehension. EDIT: 3 hours later, this has fully dried down into almost pure amber, which I can smell if I hold my wrist up to my nose. For me, that's a scent memory of entering the perfume area of the makeup store and feeling nauseated. This is one I'll probably save mainly for winter.

(aka I can finally smell like a benevolent fairytale queen clad in velvet) true rose is one of my very favorite scents. When I was a kid, I remember holding a bouquet for a friend's baptism and sneaking a bite of a petal. I was devastated to find that instead of a delicious, velvet, lush-to-almost-chocolate flavor I expected from the smell, all I got was sharp astringent green. I've been chasing that elusive rose flavor my whole life. After reading what seemed like every single post on IMAM about true rose, I ordered this from BPAL since the Peacock Queen perfume oil is out of stock (however, for comparison, I did order and am still awaiting the in-stock Peacock Queen oil from Ajevie). This arrived yesterday and I spritzed a little on my wrist, and spritzed twice in my hair. This is a garden full of lush, juicy red roses, from a distance, caught on the wind. I was burying my nose in my wrist chasing that smell, but it faded quickly on skin (which is totally understandable, given it's a hair gloss). On my hair, the scent bloomed softly for an hour or so, going through every iteration of a mature red rose. It's sweet but in a beautiful, not gourmand way. This is the scent of a magical rose in the forest that's so perfect you're scared to pick it because it must be a trap set by a beautiful, but possibly malevolent, spirit. My nose expects each whiff to turn sweet, but instead it turns beautiful in a way that is just shy of seductive. It's not beauty meant to entrap, but beauty for its own sake, to witness from afar. I smell like the queen the tired heroes return to after they vanquish the great evil. I'm ready to grant them each their one heart's desire for their valor. I enjoyed catching subtle whiffs of this whenever I turned my head. longevity is about 2 hours, after which I needed to reapply. I wish I could turn this into a solid flavor and eat it. My boyfriend was hugging me and pushed his nose into my hair, saying it smelled really really good. This isn't an overwhelming smell by any means; even those sensitive to scent probably won't smell it unless they're very close. I love this so much and am missing it while I test out my other imps. It's an all-seasons scent and I'm definitely going to be using up the full bottle. Excited to layer this with warmer, richer notes as the weather gets colder.

got this as an imp! i have a sensitive nose and typically like rose, wood, leather, smoke, and orange notes. i dislike very gourmand-y scents and artificial fruit smells. in the bottle: STRONG, sinus-clearing blast of clean floral and aquatic. almost too strong for me - brought to mind air freshener. wet on my wrist: still strong but less so. very, very floral, bringing to mind white and colorful flowers by the water on a sunny day. too clean, floral, and feminine for me at this moment. drydown: i like this better now! it continues to be light, cheerful, colorful/white floral with a parallel/even aquatic note. it brought to mind a bouquet of tulip's, mother's day, and bicycling by a pretty lake. Overall: too feminine and clean for me, but it's a nice scent. I imagine the person who wears this is a beautiful young mother wearing a white sundress, laughing while having brunch with her friends during the spring. They either just came from or are going to a park in full bloom by the water. It's not a "me" scent but I think excellent for freshening up my home. I might deposit the imp in an empty candle jar over time this summer.