elinox

First Sniff: Apple with a bit of wet dish-rag underneath it (I hope the apple pushes out the other!). Initial Wet Application: Fresh, light juicy apple. This is not the bite of a granny smith apple, but rather the more gentleness of a mackintosh or a pink lady. It’s delicate, even after three swipes with the imp wand. And it’s a bit soapy already. Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: There’s some soft lemon in this which is what, I think, it making the apple a bit wonky. But the rose is taming this enough so that it’s not lemon drop candy or Pinesol so far, which is nice. Although I do still involuntarily cringe at the scent of lemon! At one point during the dry down it couldn’t seem to make up its mind, which was exactly the point for this imp! Once it dried completely though it was too faint and was hard to tell what I was actually sniffing; faint lemon tamed by rose though I think. My Reaction: I’ve been trying to expand my BPAL collection to include things other than aquatics, hence why I gave Delirium (with apple, lemon and rose) a try. It’s interesting, with the faint apple mellowing the lemony rose, but not something I would reach for often, if ever. Rating: 2

First Sniff: A beautiful, deep incense smell. (That’s not patchouli!) Initial Wet Application: It’s sweet with a deep note in it that makes this lovely so far. Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: As it began to dry it turned a bit powdery and there is some sort of flower in this, maybe jasmine. After reading the notes, I believe the wine is mixing with the honey to make a sweet booze scent. My Reaction: This is one of the very few oils from the lab where I’m getting throw; I can actually smell it on my wrists as I type (usually I have to get right up to my skin). There are some floral notes in this, but they seem to be a bit different than the usual soft ones I get. The myrrh and the wine mix with the honey to make this sweet and mingle nicely with the flowers. There does seem to be some sort of underlying incense or smokiness to this though which tones down the sweetness. It’s pleasant and interesting, but I’m not sure it’s one I need to hang onto given the choice. Rating: 3

First Sniff: Tomato leaf? Initial Wet Application: Rose is the initial thing I sniff once it’s applied to my wrists and it’s very feminine and delicate. Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: This is really light on me so I just know it’s going to fade away into nothingness. It’s pleasant, if faint, and is definitely a gentle and dainty smell. Once this dried completely it was just rose with rose leaf. My Reaction: Since my go-to for roses is The Rose, I was hoping to get a more earthy smell from this one. The rose is pleasant, but too light, so since it’s so faint I won’t be keeping this one. Rating: 1

First Sniff: Buttered popcorn, yummy! Initial Wet Application: Still buttered popcorn with some sort of earthy blend behind it. Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: At one point, after I reapplied this after the first 5 minutes, I was getting lipstick: that fake, warm plastic scent. It was distant, but I could pick up on it despite the popcorn. Later, the popcorn smell came back to the forefront and despite being light on my skin, I think the honey and sugar cane are keeping this warm and inviting. It definitely reminds me of the sweet bite of fresh honey: not my kind of sweet, but still liquid sugar! My Reaction: The full description of this is chilling, but all I got from the tester was warm, tasty popcorn with some dry earth. There’s also a faint whiff of smoke underneath it all too. Unfortunately, since this was limited addition and the test from the imp was so tiny, I probably won’t be able to track down any more of this once it’s gone completely. I am loving the buttered popcorn smell though, yummy! Rating: 3

Bumping this thread as I just had the best idea for a BPAL collection! Wizard of Oz Kansas/Auny Em - Antique Lace Tornado - Hurricane or Tempest Dorothy - Alice Ruby Slippers - Blood or Blood Kiss Witch - Bewitched Yellow Brick Road - Crossroads Scarecrow Tinman - Ultraviolet or Dove’s Heart Lion Poppies - Opium Poppy or Poisoned Apple Emerald City - Absinthe Dark Forest - Black Forest Flying Monkeys - Voyeuristic Monkey Hourglass - Obsidian Widow Bucket of Water - Pool of Tears Wizard - Mage or Magus But I couldn't think of, or find anything, to represent the Munchkins or Toto.

First Sniff: Crisp lilies but I just know this is going to fade into nothingness... Initial Wet Application: Freshly laid lilies on a grave; lite and slightly melancholy. Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: As it began its dry down, I can detect some Spanish moss which seems to make the lily somber. I also got a weird note of lemon which I hope goes away soon. My Reaction: The initial lily scent is beautiful, but so very faint on my skin! Once it had some time to settle though it went powdery soft and was too faint for me to enjoy. I have a feeling Zombi, which I should be trying soon, will go much the same way as Crossroads. Rating: 1

First Sniff: My aunt’s old downstairs basement: wood paneling with a bit of mold behind it and sawdust from the workshop, plus a hint of kitty litter from the laundry room. This was the first time an immediate scent memory came to me upon sniffing BPAL. Initial Wet Application: It’s resiny, which I’m assuming is the dragon’s blood. Like my reaction to Dragon’s Milk, this seems to be warm and comforting so far. I’m looking forward to it turning to smoldering dragon heat! Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: As it completed the dry down, it was floral and soft. At one point, this changed to be so light as not even there. I hope it comes back! I was also getting alternating patterns of ‘not there at all’ and ‘plastic toy’. My Reaction: It definitely brought to mind curling up next to a warm dragon to sleep, at least with the initial scent. The color of the imp, an orangey/red, was delightful! There may be a faint note of smoke in this, but it’s so faint that I cannot really tell. And while the leather in this didn’t go all plywood on me, unfortunately, it’s still very faint and this was after 2 swipes with the wand across my left wrist. I feel like I’m doing something wrong when I test my imps as so many of these go floral/powdery soft/light/fading into nothingness. Help! Rating: 1.5

First Sniff: Bitter cherries and harsh perfume. Initial Wet Application: Red cherries with some biting cinnamon. This is definitely coming across as a ‘burning red’ scent so far. Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: As it began the dry down, I can detect vanilla and warm almond rounding this out. The vanilla, almond and cinnamon blend nicely to make this warm smelling so far which is yummy. Although after about 15 minutes I think the almond has turned to a lite, dusty wood with the vanilla still making the cinnamon soft. My Reaction: The initial wet smell was appealing, but after it dried completely I was getting more of a light plywood scent with only a small taste of vanilla/cinnamon which is disappointing. I wasn’t expecting to love this one but wanted to give it a try anyway. No harm, no foul. Rating: 2

First Sniff: A very light, feminine flower, probably the peony. Initial Wet Application: Spring flowers, still very light though. I can’t seem to tell the difference between tulip and peony, but there’s definitely a clean, wet spring flower here. Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: It’s clear and springtime fresh, despite being very light. Once it dried completely, this was a lovely spring scent which makes me think of freshly blooming flowers (despite my allergies!). I wish this would come out stronger! My Reaction: I dipped this three times and swiped it across my wrists (usually I only do one dip) and it’s still just so faint on me. I’m getting a clear, clean water with this with a light touch of the flowers. I’m thinking that the initial flower scent is actually tulip since peonies tend to have a stronger scent and tulips are more reserved. I didn’t get green grasses at all though, which may have set off my allergies so that’s good. The fresh flowers is very reminiscent of springtime though which is lovely! I really wish this had more staying power and throw as I like it, but it’s just so light on my skin. Rating: 3 (I like it, but it’s so faint!) EDIT: After having this on all day, it got up a little more oomph after initial application and it still smells like clean, wet tulips. It’s still not particularly strong, but I am getting the occasional throw and I’m liking it!

First Sniff: An aquatic flour, maybe lily? Initial Wet Application: Still lily but with a bit of an astringent note to it. It's light and reminds me of some sort of cleaning agent. Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: As it completed its dry down after about five minutes I was getting a dry smell; not dusty plywood like in Miskatonic University thankfully, just dry. My Reaction: Perhaps the lily I thought I was smelling is actually sweetgrass. As I try to focus on identifying individual notes I think I can catch a hint of dry hay, but it's mixed with something else; some sort of warm spice. It seems vaguely familiar, but I don't know what it is. Either way, even after double application it's still very light on me. Perhaps I should try applying these to someplace other than my wrists? Bonus points for originality, but minus points for faintness. Although I'll probably hang on to this one just so I can start my own Oz collection. Rating: 2.5

First Sniff: Smoky dark chocolate. This is not the luscious smell of Bliss, but the almost-burned scent of dark, dark chocolate. Initial Wet Application: Holy cripes it actually smells like chocolate bacon! The smokiness is making this an almost over-cooked bacon, but it’s still chocolate bacon nonetheless. Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: As it began to dry down there’s a bit of a silky smell in this. However, there’s also something in this that’s...wonky and thus making my nose twitch. I think the cassia is causing the burnt smell and its reminding me of black pepper. Once it dried completely (about 15 minutes in) I was getting a strange, plasticy, lipstick smell underneath it all. My Reaction: After reading some of the reviews I was concerned that the cassia would cause a rash on my sensitive skin. So far so good though (15 minutes in) and it’s only burning my nose like capsaicin does. There’s definitely a biting, salty quality to this, but I’m not enjoying the burning in my nose. Bonus points for originality, but burning is not cool. If only I could keep the initial wet application smell from all these imps, I’d be set! Rating: 1.5

First Sniff: Golden amber with maybe a tiny hint of cream. Initial Wet Application: Creamy milk with some vanilla. It’s very light but it smells yummy though! Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: This is a pale vanilla cream with oats in the background. My Reaction: When I first applied this, I was worried that I hadn’t actually put anything on my wrists, but after three swipes from the wand on my left wrist, I think I’m actually getting some throw! It’s still very light, but I can detect almond which is making the creamy milk and vanilla good buddies. It’s a warm, kitcheny scent, that makes me feel like, had it been stronger, as if I’d spent the day baking almond vanilla cookies. I want this to be stronger though as it’s already fading! Rating: 2.5

First Sniff: Fresh lemon, tamed by roses. Initial Wet Application: The rose beats the lemon for its lunch money, but the lemon trips the rose as it runs down the hallway. This is going to be an interesting battle for main note supremacy! Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: ...upon reading the description, I’m starting to wonder if my nose just isn’t cut out for accurate BPAL scent sniffing identification. ‘Course it could be that since I tested Velvet earlier today that’s subtly making this wonky. I’m having trouble picking out individual notes in this. My Reaction: I tried re-applying this slightly higher on my wrist, to avoid any earlier contamination from Velvet, and now I think I’m getting a bit of the grapefruit with the red currant and musk mixed in. It’s still light on me, which is annoying as I swiped the wand across my left arm about 7 times already. I had envisioned a cheshire cat smelling more...mysterious and wispy than this. The notes in the description make me think Red Queen or any of the Heart court, not a creature from Wonderland. It’s also very faint already. I’ll give this another test later, but this kitty just didn’t like me at all! *pout* Rating: 1.5

First Sniff: Milk chocolate with creamy vanilla, yummy! Initial Wet Application: The scent I’m coming to identify as ‘leather’. (After reading the description, I’m assuming its sandalwood.) But where’d the delicious chocolate go? Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: After a m5nute or two from first application, this is almost all gone! It comes back a little after about 14 minutes, but it’s powdery soft with no hint of chocolate, vanilla or really even the sandalwood. I’m going to have to check my other failed scents to see if myrrh is the culprit. *shakes fist* My Reaction: It’s a nice, soft, feminine scent, but I already have a lot of oils from the lap that do this on my skin (soft, flowery, powder). Am I doing something wrong?!? Why do so many of these delightfully descriptive scents, with notes I want to like, go wussy floral/powdery on me? The first sniff had potential though, oh well. Rating: 1.5

First Sniff: Resin, I think. Initial Wet Application: A light type of flower, maybe lily. It's very feminine. I think there's also vanilla in this but its very light and flowery instead of just straight up vanilla. Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: As it started to dry down, it became more of a creamy vanilla which is nice. I think the dragon's blood resin is giving this a teeny hint of cinnamon which is rounding out the vanilla nicely. The vanilla also seems to have a bit of honey which makes it very warm and comforting. At one point, the vanilla in this went to a sort of plasticy, fake candle scent, but it was minimal and goes back to the regular sweet vanilla later. My Reaction: The way this turns into a warm vanilla which is comforting and just absolutely lovely makes me really like it, particularly since it didn't turn to soap or to heady flowers on me. This is definitely a keeper! Rating: 3

First Sniff: It seemed only appropriate to try this one at actual twilight and it's straight up fresh jasmine. Initial Wet Application: Lovely light jasmine, but I have a feeling this is going to fade quickly because it's so light as a scent already. Within the first few minutes it already seems to be going soapy which is unfortunate. Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: I think the slight hint of lavender is mixing with the jasmine to make this be plasticky on me which is not pleasant. I want to like this as the husband really wants a honeysuckle scent for me, but so far I'm not impressed. My Reaction: Florals just don't seem to want to work on my skin chemistry. After the initial dry down this was still light and plasticy jasmine and I just wasn't digging it. And how come the honeysuckle never showed up? Even after double application with the little wand this still fade into almost nothingness within the hour. Rating: 1

First Sniff: Something astringent and not pleasant. It’s probably that leather/patchouli scent again! Initial Wet Application: Yup, leather. But there’s also some sort of light flower with this too. It does remind me of pleasantly perfumed paper. It’s light though, even after a heavy swipe with the wand. Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: Once it dried completely it was warm and smelled like nutmeg (I think). I can now smell some cinnamon and the whole thing smells warm like from someone’s kitchen although it doesn’t smell like anything in particular, just reminds me of a good kitchen smell with various warm spices. My Reaction: I had actually purchased this back in the fall of 2012 and had somehow forgotten to test this! I’m glad I did because I’m actually getting throw from this! I can smell it from my wrists with my hands typing away at the keyboard, which is odd since I rarely get any throw. This is warm and I can definitely see a connection to a library. It’s kind of what I’d wished Miskatonic University was going to be: dry paper and books, with a hint of incense and warm spices with sunlight wafting through the high windows on a summer afternoon. 30 minutes into this and it’s soft, faint paper with some light spices; it’s faded and is a bit too light, but bonus points for a library scent, yay! Rating: 3

First Sniff: Some sort of medication, for colds I think, with mint in it. Initial Wet Application: There might be some underlying eucalypse in this too. It’s definitely reminding me of some sort of yucky liquid medicine from my childhood. I hope this morphs soon as this is making me cringe! Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: After reading the description, it seems like the juniper is just acting weird since it’s usually a pleasing scent. Maybe mixing with the lotus is making this wonky? My Reaction: Luckily, this fades within the first 15 minutes because I did not enjoy the menthol smell at all. I had been hoping this was going to be a minty aquatic, but since I already have my favorite Pool of Tears, this not working on me wasn’t a huge loss. I wanted to try it though, just in case. I’ll give this one more test just to be sure, but it will likely go into the swap pile. Rating: 1

First Sniff: Some sort of biting industrial scent. It’s not metallic, but it could be the creosote. This is going to be a different one! Initial Wet Application: There’s smoke and something dark and ‘sticky’ smelling in this. It’s definitely reminding me of factories so far! It’s making the back of my throat burn though. Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: As it began to dry, it lightened to a softer smoke scent. At one point, this seemed to be smoke mixed with luscious, dark molasses. My Reaction: This is definitely different than most imps I’ve tried! It’s thick smelling and definitely makes me think of factories, although not in an unpleasant way as I had anticipated based on the description. The molasses is yummy and mixes with the smoke nicely. Although this is probably better suited for a male as it’s masculine. The throw on this, which is something I almost never experience from the lab, is a good change too. What’s really odd is that I just noticed that my left wrist smells differently than my right wrist does. On my left this smells like smoky molasses, while on my right, this is a faint metallic note, reminiscent of brass. Very interesting and unique! Rating: 3.5 (for shear uniqueness!)

First Sniff: Light leather and patchouli. Initial Wet Application: It’s the same leather scent I get from Jolly Roger, but softer and definitely more feminine. Here’s to hoping this is my female pirate oil! Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: It’s definitely musky, although it’s more gentle a musk than in the other pirate scents I’ve tried so far. As it completed it’s dry down, I was getting the sandalwood and then the frankincense too. It’s light, which is nice because usually sandalwood screams ‘fakefakefake’ to me when I smell in in places like a mall. All three notes mix together nicely to make up a soft scent with a bit of spices underneath. My Reaction: The softer leather in this was enjoyable and I liked how there are subtle spices in this too. It definitely makes me think exotic sailing destinations, probably to places like India! But it seems that all the pirate scents from the lab are going to have the same leather notes in them because I’m getting pretty much the same thing from Jolly Roger, Mary Reed, Grog and now Anne Bonney. The leather is softer in this, which makes it work better on this lady pirate, but I’m surprised all of these have turned out pretty much the same for me. I realize they’re supposed to be similar, but I’d been hoping Anne Bonney at least would show me something new. Since she’s my favorite pirate, I’ll probably hang onto this for the name alone. Rating: 3

First Sniff: Ginger and a light flower. I might be getting the tea, but that’s probably because I’m expecting it based on the description. Initial Wet Application: Light lemon and then...nothing? Either the notes in this just go poof on my skin, or else it’s just a naturally faint oil, but this is weird as I’m not detecting anything other than my own skin smell. Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: There’s definitely a clean note in this,albeit, faint, but it doesn’t make me think ‘linen’. (It could also just as easily be my own natural skin scent since this is so light.) From initial application to full dry down this didn’t change: it’s light and barely even there at all. I think I’m getting a tiny hint of vanilla, but it’s too light to tell for certain. My Reaction: My nose is good, but even I couldn’t really detect anything from this once I applied it which is disappointing as I was hoping for a warm vanilla tea smell. Based on other reviews, I’m disappointed this was too light on me and that I wasn’t getting strong notes like others have described. I’ll give this another try later, but it looks like white rabbits just aren’t my thing. Likely this will go to the swap pile. Rating: 1

First Sniff: Warm coconut, yummy! Initial Wet Application: Soft and gentle. So far, this is light, fresh coconut. I hope this amps itself up to being stronger once it dries though! Beginning Dry Down (first 15 minutes) & Dry: As this began to dry down, I think I catch a hint of condensed milk in this and it’s making this very light and creamy. My Reaction: I was really looking forward to trying a scent with coconut in it, and this is pure, sweet, soft, fresh coconut. It’s very light on my skin, but when I sniff my wrist it reminds me of summer days spent on a tropical beach wearing sunscreen. This stayed pretty much the same from initial wet application on through the dry down phase. I think the shea butter and milk is making me think condensed milk. I like it, but it is really light on me. Rating: 3

First Sniff: Soft, feminine, jasmine. Wet: This is already light on me, jasmine and orris must not like my skin chemistry. Dry: As it dried, I got some lily peeking through but it’s still so very light on me. As it dries, I’m definitely getting white musk from this. And I just know it’s going to fade softly away. My Reaction: If this were a color, it would be such pale lavender purple as to almost be white; almost, but not quite. It’s definitely evocative of calm, serenity and peacefulness. However, one (or maybe more) of these notes just fades too quickly for me to keep this. I’ll do a re-test, but it’s just not for me. Rating 1-5: 2

First Sniff: Deep red roses and saffron (I think? It's some sort of spice). Wet: Now I’m getting dark red cherries; plump and luscious. Dry: As it dried, it kept the dark red cherry smell with some rose mixed in. Once it dried completely, despite me doing a double pass to apply, this was light and began to fade. The rose is still there, but now it’s a softer rose. And the smell which makes me think cherries is also still there. My Reaction: This barely changed at all from first sniff to complete dry down, which was pleasantly surprising as most things morph somewhat on me. The image of cherries and roses does make me think sensual, although it’s not really my thing. Bonus points for originality and not-morphing, but smelling sexy just isn’t something I’m interested in. Rating 1-5: 2.5

First Sniff: Some biting citrus; lemony-lime. Wet: I think the lemony-lime smell is actually fresh ginger. Dry: After I read the description, I definitely get white tea and ginger. My Reaction: As it dried, I’m still getting lemony-lime something-or-other. Once it dried completely though it reminded me of cleaning fluid and I did not particularly care for it, even though it became softer than the initial first sniff. It’s different than I’m used to or prefer from the lab, but I just don’t care for the citrusy smell. Rating 1-5: 2