Imp #28: Melpomene
"Melpomene is Tragedy, and the sound of Her voice is filled with beauty, power and strength. She is crowned in cypress branches, holds the mask of tragedy, wears the cothurnus and wields a knife or club. Her scent is rife with pathos, and inspires us with the ability to express our grief, loss, and the pain in our souls in a cathartic, creative fashion: dark cypress with mint, geranium, Bulgar lavender, orange blossom and passion flower."
Note: Middle of cycle. Imp from littleone101701's sales.
In the bottle: Cypress takes the stage. I don't really notice anything else.
On me: Cypress still predominates, but some of the florals come out, blended together nicely, with just a hint of the mint. This isn't a cypress swamp, it is much drier. This is the cypress lane leading somewhere mysterious. Not dry and dead. Alive, but not dripping with life.
1 hour+ later: A quiet, subtle scent. A walk in a wooded lane in autumn. The woods are open below the canopy, with little underbrush to be seen. The trunks soar up tall, orderly and branchless like columns in a cathedral nave, finally reaching out to meet each other near the bright grey sky. The wind is still and the leaves littered across the floor of the wood move to the breeze of your footsteps.
Imp #2: Lust
"red musk, patchouli, ylang ylang and myrrh."
Note: Early in the cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.
In the bottle: This smells rather perfumey to me. And red. Like Red Door? Or is that just a totally dissociated scent memory?
On me: The "perfuminess" is starting to mellow. I'm not sure what it is I don't like. Is it the patchouli? Is it the ylang ylang? I'm not sure I've ever smelled red musk or myrrh.
1 hour+ later: This has mellowed down to a light incensy scent, like old books in a sacred library, or the library at Hogwarts, yes, I think this is a Hermione Granger scent -- at least on me. It isn't the lust I was looking for, though. *tear*
Imp #25: Libertine
"Like a puffed and reckless libertine,
Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads.
Rosewood and chamomile with bergamot, violet, red sandalwood, primrose and Arabian musk. "
Note: Middle of cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales.
In the bottle: To me, this is "perfumy".
On me: On me, the bad perfume smell goes away immediately, and I get a rich dark musky floral. I don't know which flower does it, but I get a Victorian feel from this. It is plush velvets, a roll-top rosewood desk, and a man writing with a nibbed pen.
1 hour+ later: It stayed true for as long as I stayed awake, which wasn't really all that long. I don't know if the scent helped me fall into that rich darkness, or if it was just the time of night.
Imp #6: Hamadryad
"Seven dry woods with mossy lichen and a gentle breeze of forest flowers."
Note: Mid cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.
In the bottle: Faint and hard to capture. Sweet, mossy...
On me: Licorice! OMG LICORICE!
1 hour+ later: The licorice has gone away, and it is now a mild, vaguely spicy, unitentifiable second skin scent. I like it, but I'm afraid to put much on and have to wait out the initial stage.
Imp #15: Florence
"The pearl of the Italian Renaissance. Elegant iris, bright berries, gilded amber and velvety spices."
Note: Mid cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales.
In the bottle: Sweet berries take the front, but I can smell the amber and I think iris, with a hint of spices.
On me: My left wrist is very iris while my right wrist is stronger on the spicy amber. How odd. It is thankfully not as sweet on me. Not a very strong throw.
1 hour+ later: Very faint iris & amber with a hint of vanilla.
I just received my first order from the lab, and I can't wait to try it out! Of course, it's something I will do better to avoid, since I am about to go out and join friends, and I have no idea of my body chemestry. Still, I will try one tomorrow morning.
I received my order: Anne Bonny, Blood Kiss, Hamadrayd, Scherezade, Swank, O, Lust, Sea of Glass, Sin, Neo-Tokyo, Prague, and Tintagel.
Plus, I received two free imps:
Seraglio
The Bow and Crown of Conquest
Funnily enough, the package smelled a lot like stepping into Raven's Nest Herbals. From that, I really feel that true oils were used.
Thanks for your help, zankoku_zen.
I am now placing my first order for the following imps:
Bewitching Brews:
Anne Bonny
Blood Kiss
Hamadrayd
Scherezade
Swank
Love Potions:
O
Sin & Salvation:
Lust
Sea of Glass
Sin
Wanderlust:
Neo-Tokyo
Prague
Tintagel
The Firefly thread might be useful.
I'd follow the pattern of Zoe or Inara. According to the thread, that would give me:
Zoe:
O
Snake Oil
Dead Man's Hand + Bastet or The Lion
Anne Bonny
Dirty
Dragon's Heart
Loviatar
Inara:
Kurukulla
Silk Road
Lust
Scherezade
Snake Charmer
Queen of Clubs
Seraglio
Hetairae
F'54
Aglaea
Imp #18: Eclipse
"All the glory, warmth and majesty of the sun -- darkened. A delicious blend of bitter almond, vanilla, frankincense and heliotrope, with a drop of cinnamon."
Note: Late cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales.
In the bottle: Red KoolAid in the package before you add the sugar. I'm sorry, but that's what I got from the first hit. I smell something fruity and I can smell the cinnamon. I'm not sure I can identify the other scents.
On me: The cinnamon steps back and the vanilla and almond step forward. This has a spicy almond cookie scent. It is definitely foody on me.
1 hour+ later: Bitter almond and vanilla have a strong staying power. They were still there after many hours, but the spices eventually faded. I smell like a Madelaine cookie.
Imp #29: Djinn
"An ancient, free-willed race created from the essence of Fire, much as man was created from Earth. They prowled the land at night, vanishing with the first rays of dawn. Myths surrounding the Djinn paint them as many things: benevolent champions of mankind and slaves to mad sorcerers, malicious incubi / succubi and energy vampires, or malevolent harbingers of madness and disease. The Djinn are ruled by Iblis, the Prince of Darkness, who bears unspeakable contempt for man. The scent of black smoke, of crackling flames, and smoldering ashes. "
Note: Middle of cycle. Imp from littleone101701's sales.
In the bottle: It doesn't seem particularly fiery. Woody, perhaps. Green sandalwood wet with oil, ready to light.
On me: A little smokier, dryer. Like a cedar sauna, with a hint of pine boughs. Nordic.
1 hour+ later: Dry cedar, light smoke and wet rose? Possibly some kind of sweeter incense? Myrrh perhaps? (I have no idea what that smells like.) It lasted strong for several hours, then dropped off almost completely just before I went to note the scent down, so that's making it tricky to describe. I think I get quenched iron in there as well, like the smell of a blacksmith shop, if the smith were working over a wood fire.
Imp #22: Delphi
"The smoke of Sacred Incense of Apollo twined through laurel branches, bay, and honey wine."
Note: Very end of cycle. Imp from littleone101701's sales.
In the bottle: Laurel and bay with honey in the background. This is heady and a bit smokey.
On me: The honey steps up a little, and the scent is less green. The notes are more blended. It is becoming more like what I hoped for, but less incense than I expected. I had expected this to be the dark cave of the oracle, but it is the bright day on the field of Olympic competition.
1 hour+ later: Smokier, but still bright. Not much change from initial dry down. I think this will be a good scent to wear to work, as it is not as sultry as Athens.
Imp #10: Blood Kiss
"Lush, creamy vanilla and the honey of the sweetest kiss smeared with the vital throb of husky clove, swollen red cherries, but darkened with the vampiric sensuality of vetiver, soporific poppy and blood red wine, and a skin-light pulse of feral musk."
Note: Late in cycle. Imp straight from the Lab, but about eleven months old.
In the bottle: I am not sure what vetiver smells like, but I am getting something green, and musk, and poppy, I think. Cherries.
On me: There's the honey & vanilla. They're all I smell now. I didn't smell them in the bottle. At this point, it seems like it could become too sweet before long. I have yet to smell the clove, or the wine, really. As I type, the honey is already backing off. I am smelling a green sharpness, now. The cherries are gone, I think. It seems to be going light & crisp.
1 hour+ later: Now I've got the honey & vanilla, plus some green crispness, and a faint hint of musk. These last two keep it from being too cloying. It doesn't have a ton of throw -- or I've just gotten used to the throw -- and it isn't as dark as I expected. It's rather mild, and personally I like it, though it wasn't what I was expecting.
Edit: This has major staying power. I can still smell it after17 hours!
Imp #21: Athens
"A reformulation and modernization of a true Classical Greek perfume, myrrhine: voluptuous myrrh, golden honey, red wine, and sweet flowers."
Note: Very end of cycle. Imp from littleone101701's sales.
In the bottle: Very sweet but also a tiny bit sour in a good way, like a Flemish sour, which happens to be one of my favorite styles of beer. There is something deep, but the honey jumps out at me, followed by the flowers, making this a bright scent.
On me: Out comes that sour that I like - the wine? -- and especially a spiciness -- myrrh?
1 hour+ later: Still spicy with a light sweetness and light floral. The floral notes remind me of Sea of Glass, but here they are accompanied by a spicy red wine. To me, this scent is a summer evening drinking red wine in the temple gardens.
Bewitching Brews
Aeval
Anne Bonny
Blood Kiss
Eclipse
Hamadrayd
Ouija
Penny Dreadful
Scherezade
Séance
Swank
Diabolus
Black Phoenix
Djinn
Phantom
Excolo
Pannychis
Queen Mab
Funereal Oils
Dance of Death
Limited Editions
Beltane
Love Potions
Libertine
O
Salomé
Seraglio
Whip
The Muses
Melpomene
Sin & Salvation:
The Bow & Crown of Conquest
Lust
Sea of Glass
Sin
Tzadikim Nistarim
Somnium
Temple of Dreams
Wanderlust
Athens
Delphi
Florence
Neo-Tokyo
Prague
Tintagel
According to the General Recommendations Post , folks recommend the following aquatics:
Amsterdam
Apothecary
Bayou
Black Pearl
Blue Moon
City in the Sea
Cold Moon
Cthulhu
Danube
Desdemona
Dragon's Tears
Dublin
Empyreal Mist
Glasgow
House of Mirrors
Hurricane
Jolly Roger
La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente
Lightning
Lurid
Mock Turtle's Lessons
Neo-Tokyo
Niflheim
Obatala
Old Glasgow
Ophelia.
Paris
Penthus
Prague
R'lyeh
Sea of Glass
Shattered
Szepassony
Tarot:Temperance
Tears
The Isle of Demons
The Lady of Shallot
The Pool of Tears
The Unicorn
Two, Five & Seven
Ulalume
Undertow
Virgo/Harlot
Water of Notre Dame
Yemaya
Zephyr
Some sound more floral, etc. I will need to see how my skin reacts. From the descriptions there, the most appealing look to be:
Danube
Empyreal Mist
Jolly Roger
Neo-Tokyo
Niflheim
Prague
R'lyeh
Sea of Glass
Imp #4: Anne Bonny
"A blend of Indonesian red patchouli, red sandalwood, and frankincense."
Note: Mid cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.
In the bottle: It smells like salt-water soaked teak, the smell of a sailing ship!
On me: Knocked back a little -- mellowed. More feminine. Less patchouli. I like this red patchouli much better than the patchouli in Lust. I still get a whiff of the salt spray. It doesn't seem to have changed much at all, in general.
1 hour+ later: Same as when I first put it on. I like this very much, especially since I enjoy sailing.
[Edit] Anne Bonny has proven to me that it is entirely possible to have too much of a good thing. After liking it so much I applied more so that it wouldn't be just on my wrists, and OMG strong & headachey! It took a while to calm down, but by the end of the night it was back to happy pirateishness.
I am new to BPAL. Yes, I have been signed up for quite a while, but I agonized over what I would choose for my first order. Then I got laid off, concentrated on a new job, etc., etc. Now, I'm still overwhelmed by the vast selection and my lack of olfactory knowledge, and a large dose of perfectionism.
I had narrowed it down quite a bit, but now I can't remember my conclusions. So, I had the (not so) revolutionary idea of chronicling my search here. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll even get some input from more knowledgeable noses.
My known preferences: I am not a girly girl. I do not like flowery perfumes or fruity or sweet scents. The prospect of smelling like food scares me; I am not a snack! I like the smell of the woods after rain. I am drawn to nature, and I plant flowers and vegetables; knit, spin, and dye yarn; make candles, bake from scratch, and have intentions of making soap from scratch as well. I also paint watercolors, draw with conte crayon, sculpt clay, sew, make chain mail and venetian masks. I am drawn to Native American traditions, medieval knights, & the exoticism of the Marrakesh Market or the holy Ganges. But I also like steampunk. I like the simplicity, asymmetry, and elegence of ikebana. I ride bikes a lot and hang out with indie hipsters. If that makes any sense to you, then you are starting to develop an idea of me.
I wish to first develop a framework to hang my further explorations of BPAL on. I plan to start by trying some musky scents, some earthy scents, some aquatic scents, some exotic scents, and some bohemian scents. This blog will chronicle my plans & reactions to the scents.
Imp #19: Aeval
"A raven-haired Fairy Queen of Ireland. One of her eternal duties dictates that she must hold a midnight court every season and hear the pleas of married Irishwomen. The court serves only to determine whether or not husbands are adequately serving their wife's sexual needs. A judicious yet powerfully sensual blend, a mingling of justice and sexuality: sage, sweet pea, bold pale musk and warm tonka."
Note: Late cycle. Imp from littleone101701's sales.
In the bottle: A sweet floral with a warm, more sophisticated base.
On me: Sweet and floral with musk in the background. Possibly tonka. I don't smell the sage.
1 hour+ later: A bit less floral and more musky. A very feminine and floral sort of sensual, but a watery floral. I could see this being very good when I am going '20s glam.
Ok, I've gone through the Sexy, Smutty, Seductive, Proactive thread about as much as I can stand -- 15 pages. I was looking for specific categories, and of course it all depends on what makes you feel good about yourself, but:
13
#20 Love Oil
Aizen-Myoo
Alice
Anne Bonny
Antique Lace
Antony
Arachne
Aureus
Baghdad
Baobhan Sith
Bastet
Bathsheba
Bathsheba
Bearded Lady
Beaver Moon
Bengal
Bewitched
Bewitched
Black Dahlia
Black Lotus
Black Opal
Black Opal
Black Phoenix
Bliss
Blood Amber
Blood Amber
Blood Countess
Blood Kiss
Blood Lotus
Blood Rose
Bordello
Brisingamen
Carnal
Carnivale
Casanova
Cerebus
Chaste Moon
Chimera
Coiled Serpent
Come To Me
Crucible of Courage
Dana O'Shee
Debauchery
Depraved
Desire
Dia de los Muertos
Dirty
Dorian
Dragon's Heart
Dragon's Milk
Elegba
Embalming Fluid
Eve
Fae
Faustus
Fenris Wolf
Fire of Love
Follow Me Boy
Formula 54
Freak Show
French Creole
Frost Moon
Glasya
Gluttony
Golden Priapus
Grog
Harlot
Haunted
Hecate
Hellcat
Hellfire
Hell's Belle
Hetairae
Hollywood Babylon
House of Night
Hunger
Hunter Moon
Incantation
Jack
Jailbait
Juliet
Kali
La Belle Au Bois Dormant
La Belle Dame Sans Merci
La Petite Mort
Lampades
Laudanum
Lenore
Lilith
Lolita
Love Me
Loviatar
Lust
Malic
Marquise de Merteuil
Masquerade
Mata Hari
Midnight
Mi-Go
Morgause
Morgause
Morocco
Nemesis
New Orleans
Noir
O
Old Athens
Old Morocco
Old Port Au Prince
Old Scratch
Old Shanghai
Old Sybaris
Omen
Othello
Persephone
Perversion
Pink Moon
Psyche
Queen
Queen Mab
Queen of Hearts
Queen of Sheba
Rakshasa
Rapture
Ravenous
Red Devil
Red Moon
Regan
Rose Red
Sacred Whore of Babylon
Salome
Samhain
Scherezade
Seraglio
Silentium Amoris
Sin
Siren
Snake Charmer
Snake Oil
Snow Bunny
Snow White
Snow White
Spanked
Spellbound
Spooky
Storm Moon
Succubus
Sudha Segara
Sugar Skull
Swank
Tarot: Temperance
Tarot: the Empress
Tempest
The Lion
The Star
The Unicorn
Three Witches
Tombstone
Tzadikim Nistarim
Undertow
Urd
Veil
Velvet
Venom
Vixen
Voodoo
Wanda
Wanton
Water of Notre Dame
Whip
Wicked
Xiuhtecuhtli
Yog Sothoth
Zombi
The ones I am most interested in trying based on the comments are:
Blood Kiss
Blood Rose
Love Me
Loviatar
Lust
Morocco
O
Scherezade
Silentium Amoris
Sin
Snake Charmer
Snake Oil
Spellbound
Sudha Segara
Swank
The Lion
Vixen
