zomathesadist

Now, I haven't been able to place a BPAL order in 3 years, so when I finally could order some backups of beloved GCs, I threw in a bottle of LSSB. I have been waiting so anxiously for it...iced lemon sugar sounds straight up my alley! In bottle: LEMON. Astringent, sharp lemon with a faint, faint hint of sweetness in the back. All of a sudden, I know what people who say "Lemon Pledge" mean. I'll soldier on and see... After it dries, it does become sweeter, but the lemon is still very much in the front. and then...SHIIIIIIIIIIIT. What is that smell? It has morphed into something else, something VERY familiar...it's a BPAL, I'm sure of it, but I can't quite place it. In any case, there's not much lemon anymore, some sweetness, and that florally spice that I can't quite place... then it hits me. This, on me, is a dead ringer for Huesos de Santos, which I eventually had to sell. I take it back...it's got a fair amount of the flowers that Sugar Skull has, too...which I also had to sell. DAMN IT. I'm so bummed! I really wanted to smell like a lemon pastry, and there's this sharp herbal ick on my stupid skin. I'll hang on to it for a few weeks to see if it mellows, but I'm not optimistic, since I held on to Huesos and Sugar Skull for a year before I finally gave up the ghost. DAMMIT.

I looooove the smell of licorice, and fennel, and star anise, and any number of other things in that family! (But I hate eating licorice, so go figure. ) Vetiver and I are ok, and I like earthy scents well enough. let's proceed... Wet in imp: pungent, earthy. about what I expected. Not getting the animal smell, or anise, surprisingly. On skin: Definitely wet, leafy, and earthy. This is a chilly wind on a November morning, before it freezes, before the snow comes. I get a faint sweetness that is presumably the anise, but on me, it's not strong, and not immediately identifiable as anise. =( bummer. Humbug and Le Pere Fouettard are two of my favourites. Come back, anise! Drydown: now, in light of all the other reviews, my impressions are...different. This seems cuddly! I just have this vision of a big comfy wool sweater on a chilly wet day, and a mug of herbal tea. Not getting the creepy old lady imagery, not getting the animal musk. It's definitely unusual, and it definitely will stand out. I like it. But I don't LOVE it, and given that I have more perfume that can last a lifetime, this isn't a bottle purchase for me.

I was hoping this would be just like Envy, only without the 'disappearing in five minutes' act that Envy pulls. Wet on skin: frui-TAY. that's not what I was expecting...then I reread the description. ahh. it all makes sense. After ten minutes: fruity citrus. green musk. melon. yep. it's a dead ringer for 51. Unfortunately, the day I tried 51, I got a raging headache that lasted two freakin' days. I don't think it was 51 that caused it, but that smell immediately brings back that memory. It smells lovely--but it's not very me, and the association is a little too great to overcome. drat.

I loooooove anise and mint, so I had hopes for this one. wet in imp: hello lemon. wet on skin: I got smacked in the face with a ton of lemon. Definitely not getting any mint, and there's the barest hint of something sharp in the background which may be the anise. Not really digging it so far. drydown: i hate to say it...lemon Pledge. verdict: the imp was given away already. If I got more of the herbal sweetness, it'd be a different story, but it's way too sharp and sour on me.

lab frimp. Thanks guys! How'd you know the Spousal Equivalent got laid off and we could use some plenty of our own now? the oil is dark and thick. so I was pleasantly surprised to smell CHERRIES! or something fruity. wet on skin: yep, still cherries, with something a tad medicinal in the back, but not in a bad way. it's distinctive, and different. after ten minutes: boy, this is taking forever to dry down. it must be some pretty viscous stuff. However, I smell the herby stuff more. Definitely vetiver in here, too. drydown: sweet and rooty. deep and herbaceous. blends with a vetiver base almost always have strong throw and crazy wearlength but I haven't had it on long enough to test that. I also haven't been able to test the effects, since I just put it on. I'll keep the imp, though, for sure.

I reviewed this without looking at the notes. It's a lab gift, which is awesome because I've really wanted to try this. My first impressions, et on skin: leather, patchouli, and some sort of aquatic. I looked at the notes then, and while I don't see any patchouli listed, I feel like it's lurking in the background. Maybe those are the wood notes. After ten minutes: The salt comes out. This is a clean, bracing, aquatic blend, which reminds me of being on a boat and letting the spray hit hit me. It's very fresh! It's quite masculine, and strong though, and I could definitely see it causing a headache if you weren't feeling well, or put on too much. After twenty: I think the leather is mostly in the background, which is a shame, as it's my favourite of all the listed notes. verdict: it's a lovely scent, but there are others that are more me. I'm not personally drawn to aquatics (odd, given my Pisces-ness), and there are other fish in the sea (pun TOTALLY intended). It also may be too masculine for me, which is weird, given how much I love Dorian, Sin, and any number of other traditionally 'male' scents. This could definitely be unisex, though, in that CKOne sort of way. I may hang onto it, but honestly it reminds me a lot of Mary Read, only masculine, and I have a full bottle of her. So it'll probably go live somewhere else.

A houdoun recipe dating back almost 150 years. This blend is favored by prostitutes, exotic dancers and others in the sex industry for its power to attract, seduce, and enthrall. Ensures financial gain and increased profits. wow. this imp is quite strong. I had an imp a few years ago that wasn't quite as strong or sharp as the one I was frimped. wet: HOOOOOLY Jasmine. HOLY flowers. I am so not a floral chick. We'll press on... after ten minutes: there's a definite musky...body smell. It's not bad...it just smells, um, real. Maybe a touch of incense, too. after 20: yep. I'll just come right out and say it. It smells...vaginal. Again, not rank vag, but definitely musky. Maybe it's more suggestive of vagina than actually smelling of it. After wearing it, it's evident why it's popular with the ladies of the evening! There's a heady humidity to it that reminds me of sticky summer nights where anything can happen. But it's not sexy, to my nose, because to me, flowers aren't really TEH SEX. I'll hang onto my imp, to see if aging makes it more me, but for my own love voodoo, I'll stick to Sin, Schwarzer, Loviatar and Perversion--all tried and true sexy faves. ETA: um, so I just asked the Spousal Equivalent what he thought. He rubbed his face all over the spot where I had applied it and then kissed my arm. Apparently, it does what it says it will!

You know, I put off trying this for at least a year and a half. Every time I opened the imp, I'd get knocked over by the sickly buttery toast smell, and think, "Not for me." But I finally did it tonight. and it's surprisingly nice on the drydown. it's definitely foody, and it's definitely sweet. This is not a good blend for a hot day, or if you wake up under the weather at all--it's quite rich, and would make a headache/nausea worse. But in a Minnesota winter, it's nice. The buttery note dissipates somewhat, leaving...CAKE! There's something slightly sharp lurking in the background that I can't quite place. I can see myself reaching for this on a day when I'm feeling whimsical. Not a bottle purchase for me, and I may pass on the imp. But nice, and I applaud the concept, for sure.

i *adore* Luperci 08's beeswax. That smells light and green and supersexy without being in-your-face about it. It smells like beeswax and and warm green fields.

I'll add Mary Read to that list, too: Salt air, ocean mist, aged patchouli, sarsaparilla, watered-down rum, leather-tinged musk, and a spray of gunpowder. though woods aren't specifically listed, something about the salt and the gunpowder on the drydown is really evocative of smooth deck wood. I *heart* Mary Read. ETA: oh, also Antikythera Mechanism and Glowing Vulva At Ryogoku Bridge if you can find it. The teak note is prominent in both, and is very evocative of warm polished wood.

this is AMAZING. and will become one of my best-loved BPALs of all time. after I sent my plea for Humbug I received Huesos and I don't care for the licorice in that one as much. So I was fretting that I was going to end up with something that I couldn't use. In the bottle: COOKIES! more specifically, biscochitos, which are Mexican Christmas cookies that have brandy, vanilla, cinnamon, sugar and anise. On skin: MMMM. excuse me for a minute. I have to go huff my arm. The licorice is not overpowering, and the vanilla is sweet, but it lacks that buttercreamy sweetness of Love's Philosophy, Glowing Vulva or Sugar Cookie. This is awesome. This is fairly close to a SN, I'd imagine. But the licorice is present--I think it's what's keeping the vanilla from going buttery. The licorice is not strong or sharp--this is very wearable. Drydown: If someone was wearing this, I'd nuzzle my face into their neck to smell them. in a nutshell: predominantly vanilla, kept in check with the spiciness of licorice. Seems to last, unsure of throw. A keeper for sure!

Resurrected. Wet in bottle: honestly kind of unremarkable. hmm. I expect this will change up greatly. on skin: resinous and sweet. I don't get the Snake Oil comparisons, as on me, Snake Oil is much more vanilla. This is not as sweet as SO on me. drydown: musk and sweet. The plum doesn't intrude too much (which is good, as I'm finding that the Lab's plum note isn't that great on me) but unfortunately coconut (which I ) isn't showing up either. that's okay, though. It's nice. After an hour: still musk and sweet. Not sure about strength, though it seems like it'd be strong. Don't know if it will trounce Snake Oil, but I do like it. =)

I've been dying to try this forever! and it arrived today! in bottle: sweet, foody. pretty much like I expected. on skin: definite cheesecake note, which is odd because I never really thought of cheesecake as having a smell, much less something I'd want to smell like. but it's awesome. It keeps the sweetness from being too cloying. drydown: stays foody and sweet. it doesn't get the burned sugar note a lot of foody blends get, which is nice. this is a true foodie's dream. after an hour: it's fading, but it may just have rubbed off. I definitely like it enough to keep one of my bottles, maybe both of them. in a nutshell: true to description with a definite impression of both buttercream frosting and cheesecake. unsure of wearlength or throw.

Tea tends to work well for me, and I love cherry blossom so I wanted to give this a try. In imp: very refreshing, and fruity without smelling too young. This smells floral and herbaceous. On skin: Yuzu shoves everything else out of the way and parades to the front. but that's okay, because it's lovely! I get yuzu and cherry blossom out of this, and verrrry faintly in the background is the black tea giving it a very slight sweetness. This is so totally not me. And I totally love it. =) I don't think I'll wear it as a perfume though--I think it would be great mixed into unscented lotion. Perfect for summer. in a nutshell: strong bracing citrus without being too candylike. unsure of wearlength (though it seems to be fading) and not a ton of throw.

I was lucky enough to procure a very full imp in a swap. =) On skin: it is smoky, and sweet, and boozy. The scent develops over time, and deepens and rounds out. It is all smoky vanilla at first, but then the tobacco comes out. The cognac really works in this, by giving it a nice sweetness. Often boozy scents like rum go butterscotch, but this is what I wish boozy notes did on me all the time. I don't get a lot of incense or musk, but I like it as is. It's quite lovely, and works well for me, chemistry and personality wise. nutshell: boozy smoky vanilla. Unsure of wearlength or throw, but I have a feeling it's fairly strong.

I'm a mint freak, so I was really looking forward to trying this one. On me, though, it just smells like department store cologne. =/ The mint is very subtle, it gets very perfumey, and dries really sweet. It also made the Spousal Equivalent cough uncontrollably. D'oh! I'll hang onto it for a while, but I have a hunch that my mint needs will be met by SGA and The Coil.

wet in bottle, I mostly smell the plum. on my skin: leather amps, but the smell mixed with the plum is not one that works for me. It turns almost acrid and rubbery on me. yet I can't stop sniffing it. drydown: the rubbery note lessens, but is still there. Mostly plum, with some leather. I'll retest this a few times, but I don't think it's a winner for me. boo.

in the imp: very fruity, with the cream mellowing it out. on me: the cream takes that familiar butteriness, which becomes almost cloying. I smell like...plum pie. drydown: buttery note fades a bit, but still very sweet. It's nice, but not very me. rating out of 10: 6.00

my most anticipated snakey. =) in bottle: mint and green tea with some resin in the back. wet on skin: the cocoa that people have mentioned mixed with the mint. the green tea note makes it fresh. bergamot went acrid on me in Theodosius, for a little while, but is fine here. The green tea and the mints keep SO from being too heavy. it's really nice. drydown: sweetens up, but still fresh. this is a perfect balance for those resin/spice lovers out there that want a lighter scent for work/everyday but still feels like them. out of 10: 9.00

Like so many others, pine does questionable things to my skin (Slobbering Pine was nice at first then turned to generic air freshener, boo). but this is GREAT! In the bottle: very foody. the cinnamon dominates, followed by the clove. wet on skin: cinnamon buns. droooooool. warm cinnamon buns. drydown: the clove reigns here, and the pine is a minor player. I think it mostly keeps it from being too sweet. This is a nice winter blend, but would definitely be too cloying for summer. out of 10: 9.00

I've wanted to buy Doc since he first came out. *swoon* BPAL's leather and I--we have a long and rich history. Wet in bottle: this is mostly fir, mostly forest. Wet on skin: FIR. which continues to amp ... for only about 15 minutes. whew. about 20 m later: the leather comes out and does that predictable leathery love on my skin. =) the fir lurks in the background, and the amber keeps things somewhat femme (at least on me). This is a scent for me to wear when I'm feeling like an especial badass. out of 10: 8.5

In the imp it is true sweet apple. This is definitely RED apple, not the crisp green sharpness of a Granny Smith. Wet on skin: HI APPLE. This is an apple that is just a few days past its prime; it is ripe, almost heavy, and sticky. Soon the fruit flies will show up, but not yet. This is a heavy, sweet velvety apple. Drydown: amazingly, the apple is staying, and it's a true apple, not apple scented anything. The herbaceous note is peeping in from the back, but isn't strong, and you have to get really close to smell it. Verdict: I like it. I have a feeling the throw and wearlength will be better than SGA, so I'm happy. Out of 10: 8.5

this is for 2008. Wet in bottle: it's very buttery, very sweet, and smells just like fresh-baked cookies. Definitely evocative and delicious smelling. The exact words out of my mouth were, "If I smelled like this, someone would want to eat ME." Wet on skin: the buttery note disappears quickly, as I'm discovering it does on my skin. This is a good thing, as I really don't fancy smelling like BUTTER. The sweetness remains, though. Drydown: There's an almost boozy quality here. I hope it doesn't get too prominent, as I don't really care for boozy notes, and that's why I didn't get Butter Rum Cookie. After about 45 minutes: This seems pretty light now, but not totally faded. The booziness has remained but not amped. The sweetness remains. It doesn't really smell like cookies anymore, just sweet and sexy. One of my male coworkers sniffed me and said, "Yep. That's sexy." so it's a win! Verdict: sweet but not cloying, boozy but not skanky , and good wearlength. Throw seems about average. out of 10: 8

This is for the 2008 version... wet in bottle: SWEET. shriekingly so, with a slight perfuminess in the back. wet on skin: caramelized sugar, almost burnt but not quite. it's still really sweet, but not in a bad way. I can just tell there's no way I'll wear this in the summer! drying: now it starts to smell more like baked goods, and becomes comforting. The fruitiness is there but only as a means of keeping the sweetness under control. Not sure about throw, not sure about wearlength, but I have a feeling it's impressive. Rating (out of 10): 7.5

Wet in bottle: sweet apple. on skin: still mostly appley, but not a sharp, in your face Granny Smith--this is the smell of apples gently warming. Drydown: stays pretty appley with the spices in the background. It's nice, and it's a comforting fall smell. This is a nice smell for melancholy days where I stay home with a book. sadly, I don't get any of the smokiness or woods. but it's still lovely, and I have a feeling I'll reach for it alot. Rating (1-10): 8.00