suki

in the imp: salt and lime wet on skin: salt, lime and the aquatic scent i knew was coming dry down: salt, lime leather, in that order, and a faint hint of the aqua note from before. in all: although not my personal cup of tea, i wouldn't mind smelling this on a cute stranger, though probably not my boyfriend.

note: i've yet to meet an ozone-note scent that likes me, so let's not get our hopes up on this one... in the imp: wet on skin: more of the same- cloying perfumy smell. dry down: well, the leather is there, which is neat, because yes, it smells just like leather. but the ozone is there in a strong way, and i simply can't deal with it. in all: one for the swaps, as predicted :shrugs:

in the bottle, wet on the skin and dry down is all the same: simply awful for me i'm so deeply disappointed, i really wanted to like this one. but between the overly zealous aquatic/ozone notes and the man's aftershave/ cologne aspect, i felt like i was in a bad 80's commercial for Drakkar Nior. deeply saddened.

in the imp: a very fresh lavender. like the flower, not an oil. wet on skin: mostly lavender still, but an under note of honeysuckle. dry down: the florals blend at this point so it becomes difficult to pick out a single note. in all: a light, complex floral. not my thing, but i think that those who swoon from florals will like this one very much.

in the imp: oh YEAH- luscious, sweet, resinous and spicy wet on skin: a creamy note mixes in making it even better dry down: like a spiced hot whip cream drink. in all: yep. getting me a big ole bottle of THIS!

Unrestrained revelry, unchained licentiousness! Violet deepened with vetiver. in the imp: vetiver, smelling surprisingly...poopy wet on skin: uh...more of the same dry down: the poopy aspect has become smoky, so that's a plus. in all: a smoky vetiver, no violet.

in the imp: dragon's blood with a tiny bit of cherry candy wet on skin: the cherry fades and the amber peeks out in it's place, with the Dragon's Blood still being the strong note. dry down: the amber has faded in all: i *love* BPAL's dragon's blood and i *love* all sorts of amber. this became more of a stright shot of DB, which is fine, but i'm not feeling it as a mix of any kind.

in the imp: a baby soft floral with a sharp under note. interesting. wet on skin: there's something familiar about this. i think it reminds me of a body lotion i had in 5th grade that was supposed to smell like aloe, but smelled 'green' instead. nice. dry down: something candy sweet has emerged, so this now smells like spicy carnation flower, straight up. in all: if you like carnations, give this a try.

in the imp: strong, heady and pungent. i can't discern any notes, but i feel a little light-headed, and yes, a surge of power just from a sniff. wet on skin: there's an earthy note in there, not exactly vetiver or patchouli, but a rootiness that both of them encapsulate. with this is a dark chocolate note. not sweet or foodie, but like raw cacao. it's really pretty amazing. dry down:pretty much the same-rooty, earthy, a tad sensual and chocolate-y. in all: a powerful scent. as i approach 40, i feel that i am only now becoming a woman strong enough to wear an oil like this. i have a feeling that, like ladies ourselves, this oil will only become more powerful with age.

in the imp: uh oh. fabric softener. wet on skin: fabric softener with ozone-drenched aquatic notes dry down: more of the same in all: oh Cthulhu! why have you forsaken meeeeeeeee????????

in the imp: a mix of floral and 'green' smells, but nothing that stands out separately. wet on skin: the lilac comes forward substantially, the 'green' scent a soft back note. dry down: the lilac becomes stronger, more cloying, the other notes all but disappear. in all: i need my floral notes to be subtle, or mixed with something non-floral. i find this blend too sharp and too sweet for my tastes. but someone who loves lilac as a note will likely fall in love with this blend.

in the imp: more floral than anything else. a very sweet, thick floral. wet on skin: very cloying, very floral. i'm not getting much in the way of honey, strangely enough. hmmm... dry down: ah! THERE'S the honey! and lots of it! whoo hoo! i am getting little hints of floral, they comes and go, mostly something a bit ginger-y (might be the carnation) and something sweet, like gardenia. it's really lovely. in all: ok, who's gonna swap me a bottle of this?!?!?

(this decant was not marked with a year) in the imp: sweet, boozy musk. normally i like all these things, but this, i'm not so sure about... wet on skin: the booze is amping- it's very cloying, reminds me of cough syrup. uh oh dry down: ok. the cloying bit has faded. *whew*! now the booze and musk seem to be fighting it out. in all: the musky/boozy thing made me think it might turn out to be something similar to Smut, but even though the listed notes are similar, they smell entirely different from each other. Devil's Night is raw, hard edged: like a night playing chicken on your motorcycle, drunk on cheap malt liquor. Smut, on the other hand, is all about being sexy, sultry and full of lust. i guess i'm old fashioned, because i'll take lust over daring any day of the year!

in the imp: cinnamon! and something a bit...medicinal lurking. hmmm wet on skin: more cinnamon and i'm getting some cassia now, which is making for a nice, spicy mix dry down: the two continue to intermix, mellowing out with a dab of honey, but not really morphing. in all: although i had other expectations of this (only a small trace of honey, absolutely NO ginger) it's still a sultry, spicy mix and those who like such things will be in love with this. ETA: after having Bengal on me for an extended time, it has sweetened and mellowed further, the honey has bloomed and i am finding this to be a very sultry, close-to-the-skin sort of fragrance- and i *love* it!

in the imp: butter, cake and currants. wet on skin: this smells a LOT like Crumpet Rebellion-sugar, incense and cake- but with a rose undertone. unexpected, but nice dry down: the cake aspect fades into the back ground, the rose comes up and the sugar stays the same. in all: like a cross between Hope and Crumpet Rebellion- rose, currant, incense and sugar with a cake bit behind it all. unusual, but it works!

in the bottle: spicy. i get a ginger note, maybe some cinnamon, cumin. but it's not foody at all. wet on skin: cypress is coming out now. i hope it doesn't stay. i'm not much for cypress. dry down: interesting. the cypress has, in fact remained, but the other elements, notably cloves, vanilla and ginger, have taken the edge off, made it better. it's complex, darkly sweet and sexy as hell. in all: oh YEAH!

in the bottle: like maple syrup and mahogany wood. sweet, resinous, woody. wet on skin: the wood comes out a bit more. i'm discovering that i generally love all BPAL formulas that contain mahogany. it's not bitter the way sandalwood can be, and it's not light or sharp like cedarwood. it's just earthy, good. dry down: the blue musk finally makes it's appearance. it's not what i expected as far as musks go- it's sharper, cleaner. but it adds a lovely balance to the wood and the sugar cane. in all: there is something so unusual about this blend. i can honestly say it's like nothing i've encountered before. i can't compare it to *anything* else. it simply must be experienced first hand. i'm glad i bought two bottles!

in the bottle: like some sort of lemon cream cheese cake. yeah! wet on skin: now sweet tarts have been added to the cake. dry down: the cream has faded a bit, leaving behind a lovely lemony cake/candy smell. sweet, but not cloying. in all: *thrilled* i got a bottle in time, and equally thrilled the lemongrass didn't turn soapy on me, as often happens. this is wonderful- i'm sure to get lots of wear in the coming warm months, and would certainly wear this for goddess worshipping as well!

in the bottle: light, floral. the shampoo comparison is on the money at this point. wet on skin: lovely! a mix of cherry blossom and something else i can't name. it has a more 'perfumey' note than i'm used to with BPAL oils. dry down: reminds me a LOT of one of the only mainstream perfumes i like, Aqua di Parma. in all: something for warm spring days and a dinner with relatives. i'm glad i have a bottle, it really is quite nice, though i don't think i'll be wearing it every day or anything.

in the imp: ozone, bay rum wet on skin: the dirt is coming out now, and something...sweet, that i can't identify. dry down: dirt, smoke, ozone and funeral flowers. yup, just like the name. in all: although not for me, this is interesting and my BF just bought a whole bottle of it, and i know he's gonna love it, so that's good!

in the imp: yup- candy wet on skin: candy, but softer, not so harsh or bubble-gummy as in the vial. dry down: a subtle, muted form of candy, sugar-powder and something mildly fruity- it's like the happy childhood i never had! in all: this is sweet, innocent and lovely. i want to eat it (yes, i AM a foodie!) but it *is* also giving me a sense of gentleness to my spirit that i've been lacking as of late. this is really, really wonderful. :D

in the imp: citrus, and- yes, bananas. wet on skin: the banana becomes more pronounced, but it's soft, too, like the real fruit, not like circus peanuts. dry down: the banana is still there, but i also catch some floral- perhaps lilac- making it's way into the mix. in all: the point of magicked oils is for their purpose first, scent second. i haven't worn this oil long enough to know if it's going to bring me a rush of good luck (though that *would* be nice!) but it's sweet enough that i'd certainly be willing to give it more time to do it's thing. in short- it's strange and lovely!

in the imp: cedarwood, strongly. hmmm. wet on skin: yep. cedarwood. it reminds me of smelling freshly sharpened pencils in grade school. dry down: more cedar. nothing but, not even a hint. in all: not a fan of cedar, so off to the trade pile with this one!

in the imp: almond and coconut. yummy! wet on skin: the almond becomes more rounded...it reminds me of marzipan and almond cookies. dry down: the fig is there, but only in the farthest back ground. the coconut has gotten *much* stronger and the effect is nothing less than totally delicious! in all: oh yes, i will need a big ole bottle of this!

in the imp: spicy yumminess! wet on skin: i get cinnamon and dragon's blood and something that reminds me very much of yuletide revels. dry down: more of the same, only slightly more subtle. in all: this is GREAT. a very winter time scent, one to wear to masquerades and costume balls, bonfires and lunar gatherings.