Mystery

[edenssixthday]

A swirl of shadowy incense smoke and the lingering perfume of cloaked strangers.

Mystery - Soap! Not just any soap -- Ivory dish detergent, to be specific. I get none of the lemon, anise, incense, or smoke notes from this blend that other people get. It's a very strong soap and has a moderate level of throw. I have the feeling that anyone who smells this on me will simply think that I took a shower with some really strong soap. It smells very clean, but I'd still rather not smell like soap and will be swapping this one away.

[grrrlennyl]

at first: woodsy incense.

 

on: i think i'm getting a hint of lavender and possibly anise. very interesting. it's still mostly an incensy smell, but more herbal.

 

1 hour later: soft, slightly sweet incense.

 

2 hours later: there's an almost fruity feel to the incense in this blend. sort of odd, but nice.

 

5.5 hours later: soft and sweet.

 

overall: i'm really glad i got to try this, but it isn't a keeper for me.

[Gin]

Mystery

 

Mystery indeed. I can't figure out what I'm smelling. Lavender? Anise? Cold air and wool cloaks? It's a very odd scent.

[xoe]

Mystery is an imp I have that somehow I hadn't previously tried. It is very astringent. It smells like something from the 70s, but I can't figure out what. Mystery is definitely not a pleasant smell on me.

[stellans]

Again, I warn hoarders: if you love your BPAL, use it! Don’t hoard it (thinking to keep it forever) because it will either: a) evaporate; b)change its odor, and not necessarily in a good way; c) your skin chemistry will change, rendering it personally unwearable )d all of the above.

The sad thing is: I thought Mystery would be safe from the above rules. During the past few years of testing, I’ve noticed that citrus, lighter florals, and some herbal notes don’t always age well, but so far incense, resins, rose, and most evergreens do. I have many bottles of 4-year-old Snow Moon, and everytime I open the next bottle, it smells just as wonderful as did that first sniff. Same goes for Rose Red, of which I have bottles from 2004, 2005, 2007, and 2008. And those are just 2 examples of scents I’ve found age well.

Mystery is supposed to be incense with a hint of perfume. Unfortunately for me, it is now more of a soapy floral (deep floral, at least, but with soap!), but no incense at all. I am so disappointed that I saved this imp for so long before trying it.

ETA: OK, I read the previous reviews, and now I see 'soapy' was also applied a couple of years ago to this blend. I feel a little better now about having not tried it before, but I still caution hoarders: if you love a scent, wear it now. It's better to use it up while it smells good on you than to keep it until it doesn't, and then you're faced with keeping a bottle which doesn't work or selling it, perhaps at a loss. Enjoy what you have to the hilt! Edited June 5, 2010 by stellans

[zankoku_zen]

Ah... Mystery. You smell like lavender soap and something else. Definitely soap. Definitely lavender.

 

Definitely not that mysterious.

[crebbsgirl]

Lavender and what smells like anise and a hint of smoky incense. This is a little more astringent than I typically like my lavender, but that may be the anise coming into play. I'm definitely getting a soapy vibe from this, which is so disappointing. I thought I would really like this one, but I think I'll be passing it on to my mom.

[filigree_shadow]

I haven't smelled Love's Baby Soft in quite a few years, but this is basically exactly what I remember it smelling like. Soft, a little floral, a bit powdery, and pretty.

 

It's safe to say the my imp is old at this point, and it's been kept in my dark imp box for quite a while now, but I don't know how much aging has changed it from when it was fresh. I remember liking it a few years ago, and I still like it now -- I just don't remember very well exactly what it smelled like before. From reviews it sounds like I should be smelling something like lavender and citrus and soap in this, but honestly I don't.