Emerrific

The first time I wore Glasgow I thought 'Oh, that's nice', the second time I wore it I thought "oh...that is VERY nice". The third time I wore it I thought 'Oooooh, Yummy!!!' now I am almost ready for a bottle (or at least another imp). On me, it starts out as fresh fruity blackberry, but not an overly sweet fruit or one that is too cloying. It smells like actual berries, not 'berry scent'. After it has been on for a while a nice floral scent that I think is the heather (not that I know what heather smells like) comes out. The fruit and the flower play nicely together and I smell sweet-but-not-too-sweet and floral-but-not-too-floral. The throw is not strong on me, but I can smell it on my wrists all day, and a little bit of this transferred to my t-shirt will make it seem fresh after the sweatiest day! I've never been to Glasgow, but this definitely does capture the feel of a cool breeze over fields of heather and blackberry and every time I wear it I like it more.

On me this is earthy and dark with a hint of floral...there is something about it that reminds me of Penny Dreadful (maybe it has to do with the 'grave loam' in that blend) but darker and moodier. I like this a bit better I think. Wet on my skin I get a blast of floral and something sweet and resin-y. There is something sharp about it at this point, and for a second I worry that it will be a cloying sweetness, which is not always my style. As it dries though it gets dustier, a little more earthy, the florals seem drier. It is lovely and feminine, but also somber. Every now and then I get a whiff of something that reminds me of dried flowers. This lasts for a couple hours on me. I like this a lot and will definitely use my imp up.

Out of the imp this was almond-y sweet with the sandalwood and spices adding depth. Once on my skin the neroli and rose stepped forward, adding some lightness. I kept getting whiffs of citrus-y almond that reminded me of the bags of candied-orange-flavored almond I buy at the farmers market. Almond often goes weird on me, but this stayed true and I was in a yummy sandalwood-marzipan haze for about an hour. It mostly faded at that point, but I still get an occasional light whiff of the rose or sandalwood a few hours later. I like it a lot and will use my imp.

This is looove! There are a few fig trees at my boyfriends house and this evokes exactly the feel of breaking a fresh ripe fig off of the tree and biting into it. On first application I can smell the fresh green-smell of the sap of the tree (which inevitably gets all over my fingers). This green gives way to spicy wood notes, the earthy scent of a fig before you open it, and then dries to a warm, sweet and oh-so-slightly fruity fig smell that clings gently to my wrists. It is wonderfully evocative

I am a GIANT rose junky...so I was really excited to try this. It is lovely, and ROSY! Backed by the warmth of the frankincense. On me it smells warm, something I'd love to wear in the summer and sniff from a warm tanned wrist. Yum. I don't think I will get a big bottle, because this reminds me very much of Wanton and Hymn (though on me the rose in this is more prominent than in Hymn and a bit less damp-rosy than in Wanton) and I already have 5 mls of those. I will definitely use my imp and love every drop.

Goodness! This is just lovely. Rose works well with my skin, Jasmine however (even though I love it) is sort of hit or miss. This blend is rosy and warm, with the sort of Jasmine that does not go too sharp on me. The myrrh and musk give it a bit of depth, while the citrusy notes lift it up. All in all this blend is gorgeous warm, and feels golden. I feel sexy with it on...not the OH MY GOSH super sexual-sexy I feel when I wear 'O'...but just a warm pretty, sensual sort of sexy. It is very very nice. I can imagine wearing this often. I'll use my imp gladly, and may even purchase a big bottle.

On me this is a lovely soft spicy floral skin scent. Totally warm and very very very pretty with the carnation giving it a little delicate spice. Wet the carnation is the most prominent, on drydown the amber is there doing a yummy second skin thing. It is subtle, but definitely has an effect, when people get within about a foot of me they compliment me and that makes me smile!

The first order I made was last summer, it was a bottle of Tristan for friend that I had found myself in crazy-mad-confusing-accidental love with. When I blurted at him I found out that he was in crazy-mad-confusing-accidental love with me! The second order I made was a bottle of Yvaine for myself. The first thing we'd done together as friends was see Neil Gaiman speak, and Stardust was one of the first books he loaned me. When the movie came out we went to see it together and sat close in the theater and I was so happy that I thought my chest would explode So Yvaine holds a special place in my heart...Anyway THE REVIEW: Crystalline is the perfect word for this scent. The lavendar is herbal and floral and a little sharp, but the magnolia adds depth and headiness. This lavendar is nothing like the fresh bright scent that I associate with bright stores decorated in a classy french-country sort of way...you know the ones that sell fluffy white towels and lavendar sachets, and large pale bottles of light lotions and eau de toilette. This is not the lavendar scent of one of those stores. It is darker, heavier, and a different sort of luxuriant. Lavendar generally means a light bluish purple, but this is the scent of a deep soft blue violet pierced with crystal white... It smells exactly like a velvety-blue-black night studded by bright twinkling stars. It is cold, and warm at the same time, like the light from a star. It TWINKLES! In summary, beautiful and bold and EXACTLY Yvaine.

2007: Hmmm, this was beautiful in the bottle, and really impressive! It smelled like snow! Unfortunately, the first time I tried it the snowy smell took over and went a little wierd on my skin. With my body chemistry it was actually a little playdoh-ish. After I let the bottle settle for a bit it got nicer, but still not quite what I was hoping for. I found a buddy who has skin chemistry that is NOT destructive and gave it to her...on her wrists it was the awesome goodness that everyone is raving about. The entire time we were hanging out I kept catching whiffs of her and trying not to be jealous.

I love O! It is my absolute favorite of all the blends I tried. It's dark and sweet and darned sexy and I go through the day distracted by how freaking delicious I smell. When wet it is a little sharp, it dries to something warm and womanly. Love it! It's one of those wonderful second skin sort of blends that mesh just right. Just beautiful. I knew that vanilla and amber work on me, but was pretty sure that honey would not do well with my skin. So I am so excited that it does! I cannot wait to see how it ages. Also...my boyfriend REALLY likes it. Really really really likes it.

MMMMM!!!! This is great on me! *does a little dance* On me this is spicy amber and patchouli. Its a little burnt, its a little dirty, and its REALLY sexy. The sandalwood and amber make it classy, dark, and a little exotic. The cinnamon does not go foody, or even remotely begin to make me feel like a christmas candle, in fact, it gives the whole thing a dangerous flaming spiciness...this the first cinnamon blend that I have loved! The patchouli adds the little bit of rawness and is what I think it is what gives the blend its edge. All in all, this is a scent I love. I feel like I smolder!! I want a bottle!

51 in Wanderlust immediately leaps to mind. Of course! Thematically perfect and it sounds lovely too! Thank you very very much!!! It is perfect!

What a nifty thread! Anyone have any recs for scents that would be good for a Delta Green game? I play a 29 year old white female NSA analyst who about a year before the game starts was pregnant and happy with her long-time boyfriend. She began noticing that internationally reports of crop circles line coincide with missing persons reports. Thinking she was onto something she devoted more and more time to her job, and became obsessed with finding more evidence. Her superiors ignore her reports and penalize her for them. She just works harder and harder and gets more involved, straining her relationship with her boyfriend. When her pregnancy miscarried her boyfriend split, she's really depressed and has given up on the crop circle deal and is just treading water in life , when...ENTER DELTA GREEN. Now she is still unfulfilled and depressed with no life outside work...but also part of a government conspiracy to keep the forces of evil at bay! Whoo. Her name is Kirsten.

Rose and amber ate two of my favorite notes, but red musk is one that I dread, so I was apprehensive and excited to try this one. The oil is a lovely deep red brown, in the vial it is a strong incense-y musky rose. On me it was still a strong incense-y musky rose, but the musk got extremely strong. One swipe of the imp wand and the entire room could smell me. Great throw on this one. Unfortunately, the red musk got more feral than I'd like and even though it did not get as wonky as I feared, it is not a keeper. The smell that clung to the cuffs of my sweater (where it does not interact with my tainted skin chemistry) is absolutely gorgeous though...makes me wish that I could wear red musk. If you can wear red musk I say go for it!!!! It is wonderful, just not on me.

Oh goodness! I like this a lot! I picked it because I really love the white musk/apricot combo in Katharina, and I thought this might work similarly well! It does and I am happy! On me it is an beautiful floral ever-so-slightly-spicy PEACH smell deepened by musk. The white musk makes sure that the fruit melds well with my skin chemistry. Commercial scents with a strong fruit note are cloying, generic, and artificial on me, but Fae is wonderful (I swear! I looooove white musk!). It fits so well that when I sniff my wrist I almost believe that I naturally smell this good and peachy...and am a little tempted to bite my arm. Not sure if I will get a big bottle...but I love it, and can imagine having withdrawals when I finish my imp. I totally agree with TrailerTrashPrincess that this would be a blend for someone new to bpal.

I like this a lot. At first the pink grapefruit is what I smell, and the chocolate mint. Dry, it is the same yummy grapefruit/lime/chocolate mint combo. The lavender does not really show up on me, but the longer I wear it the more complex and delicious it smells. Goodness, it is wonderful! Bright and citrus-y and it makes me grin! The bottle that I am sampling from is something I bought for a friend (she does not wear scents often, but is into physics!!!) I think I may (maybe) need to get one for myself. It smells gooooood, and it just gets better! If I were to prescribe a human characteristic to this scent, I would say that it is 'Charming'! Seriously! Charming!!!!

I have had Dragon's Blood go kind of strange on me before, so I was a little wary about trying Dragon's Milk, I've worn it twice now though, and decided that I like it a lot! At first it is very sweet and creamy with a fruity tart background. The vanilla kept the DB from getting cloying like it has on me before. it stayed warm and sweet and creamy and I smell like a marshmallow in a totally good and wonderful way. This makes me cozy and happy! Yay for Dragon's Milk! I will use my imp, and if I get really hooked I will get a 5 ml.

I seriously am in love with this! Fig, Mahogany, Rose, Vanilla, Tonka, and Coffee are some of my favorite notes! Jasmine has been hit or miss with me, but backed up by my all-star notes it stays true and wonderful. The scent is sexy floral (jasmine and rose) with a slight coffee scent making it a little edgier, the vanilla, tonka and tonka make it sweet and warm, a little more sweert-earthiness is added by the fig, and the mahogany gives it a nice woodsy backing. Yummmm. This blend has elements that are womanly and sexy and mysterious and bookish and intelligent and complicated and strong and down to earth and sophisticated too! It smells like the me I want to be!!! Oh goodness, This is love, and I neeeeed a big bottle!

Me, my friend, my boyfriend, and his roommate made one or two or three (the three was me ) holiday orders each. So we were awash with Fruitcake imps! They just kept arriving as random gifts in our mailboxes until we had absolutely no clue what we were going to do with them all.... JUST LIKE ACTUAL FRUITCAKE! (omg!) Anyway, the realism did not stop there. On opening an imp there is a mouthwatering smell of sweet boozy almondy fruity cake! Yum-O! Wet on the skin there is more sweet boozy almondy fruity cake! Now I can specifically smell cherries!!! It is probably my imagination, but I can also smell buttery brown sugar! Even more yumness. Dry it is still sweet boozy almondy fruity cake. But now it is more cakey on me (how do they make a perfume that smells like CAKE? I swear those labbies are magicians!) with the cherry and vanilla more pronounced and the booze and almonds in the background. Basically...yummy. I am wearing it now, and I need to find myself some cake to eat. Yum. Yum. Yum.

Wet in the imp it was a full delicious cherry scent, not an artificial cherry-flavored chapstick sort of cherry, or a processed maraschino cherry, but a real-life juicy dark cherry you get at the farmers market. Yum! The anise added a nice spicy feeling and it was absolutely lovely and I thought I'd found a new favorite. On my skin though the cherry went all wierd and artificial, the red musk did the wonky-red musk thing it always does on my skin (so sad! so far there is no red musk for me!) and only the anise stayed true. I really really love anise, but with the other notes going funny on me the anise spiciness just made me feel like a cleaning product or cough syrup. My boyfriend said I smelled like berry flavored dental flouride (bah!). The oil is lovely, it just did not work on me. I passed it to a friend who does better with red musk and on her it stays juicy-sexy-cherry wonderful the entire time.

In the imp: This was ozone-y and salty with maybe a hint of citrus, and something floral...it smells androgynous and clean. Wet on my skin: More citrus and salt, the ozone backs down a bit on me, and it gets a little sweeter, and more flowery and feminine. It is extremely evocative of a tempest! I keep getting images in my head of a tropical resort suddenly hit by a storm, beach umbrellas rolling over beaches, tourists in white bathing suits and big floppy sun hats running wildly for cover and spilling their mixed drinks (the sort that come in a coconut shell with little umbrellas). It stays extremely salty, in fact it is making my mouth water a bit. I can smell the seawater and the lightning. Dry: On me this turns a lot softer, a nice salty floral scent. Overall: This is lovely and fresh, evocative and clean, but not really the sort of thing I'd wear (too salty and ozone-y on me). I might dump the imp into the spray bottle that I use when I iron, or I might pass it on to a friend.

I only discovered BPAL about six months ago when I saw an advertisement for the Neil Gaiman collection on the back of my copy of Bitch magazine. I had just confessed to a good friend of mine that I was madly in 'like' with him, and discovered (to my surprise!) that he was in 'like' with me and had been for a good long while. I wanted to get him a present, and since the very first thing we ever did together as friends was go see Neil Gaiman read and, since he had also loaned me Stardust, and Good Omens, and American Gods and Sandman and we'd bonded over each of those, I ended up ordering him a bottle of "Tristan". When I next saw him I told him that I'd gotten him a present, and he said that he had ordered a present for me too! We decided to trade clues...I told him that what I had bought for him was connected to Neil Gaiman, and not a book. He told me that he had got me something connected to Shakespeare that was not a book. I told him that his present was something that could be worn, he said that mine was too. And then, looking at me, he asked if the site that I had ordered his present from, also sold things with a Shakespearean theme. I said yes, and asked him if the site he had ordered from carried Gaiman themed products. He said yes. I asked him if the first initial of the place he had bought my present was 'B'...yep, and the second turned out to be 'P'. Neither of us had heard of BPAL before, but seperately, and simultaneously, we'd both gotten an impulse to give the other something, we'd both discovered the site and ordered bought each other our first BPALs. A few weeks later I gave him a bottle of Tristan, and he gave me Katharina (with a note saying 'because you are strong') and Juliet (with a note saying 'because you are beautiful'). It could be an entirely coincidental event, but we'd both like to think that it is evidence that we are perfect for eachother. Since then there have been about nine orders between us, me and my man are blissy, in love, and probably the best smelling couple in a 20 mile radius. Thank you BPAL!