The sheer amount of BPAL stuff out there is overwhelming. I don't really need to smell everything, but there's still so much that I want to try. Should I just pick a scent family (ie rose scents, green scents, etc.) or one of the Lab's collections (Marchen, Sin & Salvation, etc.)? How exactly does one *manage* their obsession?
I didn't smell a new imp today. I wore Poisoned Apple all day. Lemme say, the second bite is as good as the first. It doesn't smell as dirty to me today, but it does still smell very dark. I did get a better whiff of the opium smoke today. A lot of the reviews say this is a straight up sweet red apple, but I don't get that much. It smells a bit green to me, and there's the darkness from the smoke. I get apple, but it's not fake or terribly sweet. As a matter of fact, I think that the sweetness is nicely tempered by the other elements. The only thing I don't get directly is the oleander, which is odd. There's tons of oleander around here (it lines the streets and freeways in so many places in CA), so I should know what it smells like. Or maybe my nose is just so used to it that it doesn't register. The official notes from the lab are red apple, opium, oleander and hemlock.
Tomorrow I do plan on trying a different imp. I feel a bit guilty for planning a Lab haul soon with so many imps to go through (upwards of 20 that haven't been tried or even sniffed.) Perhaps I'll do a few more days of testing and then order. The Halloween update should be happening soon, and there are already a handful of scents that I really want to try from that. Wallet, be damned.
Yesterday I sold my bike (an Electra Townie 3 in metallic fucshia.) I was sad to see it go, but since I never ride it, it was time. And I got moneys.
I wore Blood Amber yesterday, which was one BPAL I felt kinda iffy about. I like amber as a note, but making it bloody just seemed a little unappealing to me. Surprise, surprise but I actually *really* like Blood Amber and I think it's a scent I'll be coming back to in the fall. It lasted really well on me and it smells divine. Another winner. When will I start smelling oils that I hate?
Today, I purposefully picked one that sounded rather like a "no" to me: Eat Me from Mad Tea Party. In general I don't like foody scents (with the odd fruit or well-done vanilla being the exception.) The "three cakes" note just really turned me off. I don't want to smell like a teeny bopper or a cupcake, so Eat Me was seeming like something I'd hate. In the vial it smells vanillaish and sweet, but I decided to keep an open mind and tried it on my skin anyway. Lucky for me, the red and black currant notes really come out on my skin. Eat Me turned in to a lovely berry-vanilla that doesn't smell synthetic or sticky (which is what I had expected from reading the notes.) Eat Me was a big surprise winner for me, which shows me that I should always try the oils on my skin before passing judgement.
All in all I've at least liked all of the oils that I've tried, and I love several of them. I suppose I'm lucky that it takes so little product each day, otherwise I would have a hard time narrowing down which scents to buy in full bottles.
Today was my second day of *my* personal BPAL madness, as I would like to call it. I sorta grabbed something at random, which happened to be Emma from The District. This is one that I actually smelled when my RAOK package came. (Some of the others I still haven't sniffed because I want to be surprised. I also haven't read the notes for almost all of them. Look what a weirdo I am.) That's not the point though. I'm talking about Emma. Prior to trying this, I would have said that in general patchouli is a note that I'd most likely avoid (with the main exception being Chanel Coco Mademoiselle.) Patchouli isn't the main thing that I get from Emma, but it's definitely there. I get a greenish-pepperish-patchoulish-sweetish sort of feeling from this particular oil, but it ends up being pretty awesome all combined. (Per the Lab, the notes in Emma are vanilla bourbon, tea rose, jasmine, pink pepper and patchouli.) I find that the pink pepper and the patchouli are really softened by the florals and the bourbon kinda adds this nice sensuality to it. I like Emma a lot, and I look forward to revisiting this oil in a couple of weeks after I've tried some more.
On a not-even-related note, I painted my nails neon yellow (like a highlighter) and I want to add some crackle polish to them. Fun times!
I get these really gnarly sinus infections at least twice a year, usually right about the time the seasons change. Naturally, I would get one now. I'm pretty good overall but I'm very congested, so I can't smell a damn thing. I mean, I have been burning candles, sniffing stuff at Marshalls, smelling BPAL stuff, and nothing. I am using the NielMed Sinus Rinse, but I still can't smell. What a ginormous bummer.
I decided since I couldn't smell period I'd wear a BPAL that I was comfortable with and that I knew wouldn't be offensive if I accidentally put too much on, which was Emma from The District. I wish I could say how it smelled the second time, but...
I can only hope that my sense of smell returns sooner rather than later. I would like to go through some more of my imps that I haven't tried, even though I have made what I feel like is good progress. I was thinking of saving my bike money for my Weenie order, but now that it won't be up until next week I might take this opportunity to make a small GC imp order from the lab before they get the huge OMGWEENIESAREUP rush.
Yesterday, I got my first package of imps from a very generous RAOK. There were a lot of scents to choose from (many of which I will post about as I get around to trying them.) But I chose one that I thought would be semi-safe as my first real foray into wearing BPAL oils instead of traditional mainstream perfumes.
The one I chose to start with was Desdemona from Illyria. I tend to like floral fragrances, though I can safely say that things like sweet pea are usually kinda... not good on me. (The other notes are carnation and water lily, and I do like both of those.) Also, I'm an English major and today was the first day of classes, so I thought that made it all the more fitting. In spite of my initial misgivings about Desdemona, it actually smells really pretty on me. I completely suck at describing scents, but it is very sweet and soft and floral with just the barest touch of sensuality. In a word, I would describe it as feminine. It lasted pretty well on me, and I am still getting little whiffs of it 15 hours after applying. I'm not really sure that I'd buy a full bottle of this one yet, but I will come back to it soon and decide. For my first time, I'm pretty satisfied.
I'm not sure if I'll try something more daring tomorrow. Time well tell.
Last night before bed I decided to try another of my RAOK frimps. Again, I grabbed at random and ended up with Kiss Amongst Discarded Tissues, which according to the label was from Novel Ideas 2010. I don't know the notes because I'm having a hard time locating the review. It's a light floral to me, very pretty. I still suck at picking out particular notes. It's not as sweet as Desdemona, but it's not overly rosey either.
Today I had a long day of classes, getting my car serviced, and dinner with my husband's (boring) family. I wanted something daring and fun. I chose Black Opal from a recent forum imp purchase. The Lab doesn't list the notes on the main site, so I might have to look it up in the reviews. If there ever was a way for something to smell both sparkly and black, this oil does it perfectly. It smells so smooth and luxurious, it's a total winner. It's definitely the first imp that I've smelled that I would look for a full bottle of. I even put some in my hair, and good god I smelled so sexy and wonderful all day long.
I also received yet another forum imp purchase, and this forumite was kind enough to include one of my top wish-sniffs, Poisoned Apple. Naturally I had to try it as soon as I could, and I am just so in love. In the course of one day, I have tried two imps that I now need full 5 ml bottles of. Poisoned Apple does smell like, well, apples, but there's something kinda dark and wet that comes across too. Earth isn't one of the notes, but this one pulls a bit dirtish on me. Like just the barest hint of dead leaves or dirt. It's amazing. It's very complex and beautiful, and I am so grateful to the amazing girl who sent me this. I was going to purchase a 5 ml of Snake Oil, but I guess that one will have to wait.
Finally, my husband has now seen my new BPAL obsession. (He already noticed the Paypal transactions, but he hadn't seen or sniffed any imps or anything like that.) He doesn't *get* it, but I did know he wouldn't. At least I can ask him for imps and bottles for Christmas without feeling like a total fool.
I finally found a BPAL that just plain ol' doesn't work for me. The Hesperides. Boo. The first of the many Greek mythology-named BPAL oils, and it's just not so good on me. The notes sound like what I would like: oak bark, leaves, twilight mist and crisp apple. I don't even know which note in it turns yucky, but one does. Too bad, because I was hoping it might be nice and autumnal.
I've also recently tried a tiny dot of Boomslang (verdict: too heavy for right now, will try again at night in the late fall.) Black Rose (verdict: nice rose with something else.) And Belle Epoque (verdict: fresh and green, loving the lily of the valley.) Belle Epoque and Black Rose are both scents I like a lot and I would like to explore a bit more; Boomslang is strong, so I need to try it at an appropriate time.
I purchased a full bottle of Snow White '07. She's one of the top oils I've wanted to try since joining, and boy howdy I'm so glad I purchased it here on the forums. It does smell like coconut, but IDGAF... It's freaking amazing. It's so soft and warm and womanly and alluring. I've read the reviews and I'm happy to have found '07 as the more recent years seem to be not as good.
I am waiting on pins and needles for the Halloweenie update. I really want to read about Pumpkin Princess, that sounds *so* like something I would like. I'm off for the next three days, so I am sure I'll be F5ing it all day and all night.
Since I bought a ding-dang full bottle of Poisoned Apple recently, I figured I'd try my imp again. I was getting ready to leave, my dearest husband was still laying in the bed but fully awake. He wasn't sure why I was putting the oil in my hair, but whatever, he's a man, he doesn't understand these things. Finally, as I was about to finish my beautifying rituals, he said "You smell like apple pie." Win! He's smelled some of my other BPALs and said "uh-huh." This time he actually committed to saying something about it, which leads me to believe he might like it. I take smelling "like apple pie" as a big time compliment, especially coming from him. He rarely notices nuances of fragrances, so this was something that kinda made my day.
It was weird that he associated the scent with pie and not just with apples. Apples are a food but I don't think of PA as a foodie blend. I don't really detect any kind of spice at all when I smell PA. I smell more of the apple peel and the opium note. Again, it's an accomplishment that he noticed, bless his heart.
5ml Bottles
Snow White '07
Emma (The District) (partial)
Poisoned Apple
Eat Me
Golden Apple of the Sun *Pending*
Glittering Apple of the Stars *Pending*
Pumpkin Princess *Pending*
Halloween: Las Vegas *Pending*
Black Opal *Pending* (partial)
Scents I want 5ml bottles of (Or current Imps to upgrade)
Blood Amber
Voodoo Lily
Black Opal (could use another imp or two of this to make a full bottle)
Snake Oil
Aizen-Myoo
Snooty Rose
Black Rose
Belle Epoque
Pumpkin 4 '09
The Dormouse
Tested Imps
Desdemona
Envy
Amsterdam
Lightning
Blood Rose
Brahmin
But Men Loved Darkness Rather Than Light
Kiss Amongst Discarded Tissues
Boomslang
Nuit
Bite Me
Knave of Hearts
Cheshire Cat
Horn of Plenty
Imps in Limbo (or untried yet possibly sniffed Imps)
Eve
Persephone
Black Lotus
O
Malice
Queen
Mag Mell
Blood Countess
Vixen
Death on a Pale Horse
Heroine
Chocolate, Raw Ginger & Butterscotch (Box of Chocolates)
Diayu (Carnival Diabolique)
Mother Ginger
Hunter Moon
Men Ringing Bells with Penises
Note: I want to try to get through my list of untested Imps by the time my Halloweenie order arrives, so I will be updating the list and moving the untrieds to the trieds.
