malaliath

The Fruit of Paradise 2009 In Imp: Very red fruit. Interestingly, to me it smells like red berries that have been heated. There's a very distinctive warmth to this for me. Wet, On Skin: There's almost something woodsy in this as an undercurrent. It's a sharp, wet wood, with mashed up warmed berries on top. Dry, On Skin: Ruby red fruit and incense. I really like this! Later: It's mild and lovely. I will really enjoy my half-imp of this.

In Imp: Caramel swirled over red musk. Dirty patchouli underneath. Wet, On Skin: Mmm! Thankfully the caramel has died down and the musks and patchouli are out to play. They're dancing, it's not competitive at all...this is quite intense and sexy. Dry, On Skin: Something wants to go to baby powder. Huh. Usually sandalwood is the baby powder culprit on me, but I'm vaguely wondering if it's the way the vanilla is playing with the musk. Later: It's sexy. It's a bit reminiscent of Tombstone on me without the sassafrass. I like it quite a bit. I will probably put a bottle on my wishlist.

Lick It Till It's Sticky In Imp: Sugary, drippy, cold candy cane. Wet, On Skin: The candy cane fell in the mud. Someone is crying about it. Dry, On Skin: The candy cane has spent the winter submerged under the slush and muddy earth, and has emerged into the sleet. It is dirty and inedible. There is almost a faint tinge of mildew... Later: It is a dirty candy cane grasped in the mouldering flesh of someone lying beneath the sodden ground. This scent is made of Doom. Evocative though!

Snow White 2009 In Imp: Um, burning old lady perfume made from plastic? I don't even really want to put it on, but I've been surprised before, so... Wet, On Skin: Almond extract drizzled over burning cherries. What on earth is with all the burning? Dry, On Skin: Coconut coming out dimly through the almond. And yes, the coconut is also burning. Oh MY!! Wham, Play-Doh. Whoa. Whoa. Later: Complete Play-Doh. Wet Play-Doh, at that. Off to swap pile. I was quite excited about this blend. Oh well!

Confections spun of hazelnuts, honey, elderberries, and bilberries with a dusting of hay and a bit of carrot. In Imp: This smells strongly of honey and hazelnut. It has the potential to be great or not so great on my skin. I'm not sure about the honey; I don't like the smell of honey it its pure form and am unsure as to what it will be like as a scent. Wet, On Skin: All heavy honey and hazelnut. It's a pleasing enough smell, but I don't know if I like it as a perfume. During drydown, the hay and berries hover in the background, threatening to break through. I like the berries; they give a juicyness to the allover scent. The hay is a very true hay as well. Dry, On Skin: The honey has calmed down, thankfully. The hay and berries are at the forefront now. The berries smell like red berries to me. There's almost something incensey swirling underneath. It's fading fast though... Later: It fades incredibly fast but it's sweet and gentle berries at this point on my wrist. I kind of enjoy this one! I am not sure it's bottle-worthy but I will definitely use my imp.

Evening Cicadas and Red Peppers I had to try this - my husband's screen name for various things is Cicada. In Imp: Whoa. Why am I getting nothing but cherry cough candies from this? Cough candies being sucked by someone who has just eaten red peppers, that is. Wet, On Skin: Wow! There's more red pepper and spicy red leaves. I'm even getting a bit of the ice. Dry, On Skin: It's morphing and becoming a watery, floral mess. Later: The musks are creeping back out. There's a fine line being trod upon here...this is very similar in a lot of ways as Summer's Last Will and Testament on me. I like my imp, but this isn't bottle-worthy for me.

Snow-Flakes 2009 In Vial: Sharp and green; minty but with an herbal undertone. Wet, On Skin: Pretty much the same as it was in the vial. It's cold and sparkly. Dry, On Skin: I'm getting a touch of pine. There's a crispiness to the scent as it dries down. Like another reviewer said, I am almost getting some strange echo of dill. It's interesting, but I sense it's probably too cold to be bottle-worthy for me. Later: It is indeed wintry. Too cold for me though ... I'll probably enjoy my imp, but this won't be a bottle purchase for me.

CREEPY 2009 IN IMP: Buttery. Very buttery, and foody, and crunchy-sweet. WET, ON SKIN: Apple! Apple has come out, juicy and red, and it has buttery crunchy toffee on top. No coconut here, but I imagine the rum is what is giving me the buttery sense. DRY, ON SKIN: Spices are swirling out around it now, but it’s still juicy, appley, toffee-ish and crunchy. LATER: I love it. I smell like a gorgeous caramel apple. My husband is not a foodie at all but he is not averse to it…I may also see what it does as a room scent … grabbing a bottle.

BITE ME IN IMP: Alcoholic roses? Roses? Where are they coming from? Wow, I'm surprised too, but I'm glad to read others got roses from this. WET, ON SKIN: I recoil. I am amping an almond ROSE to the extreme. Rose, blahhh, how I hate you. DRY, ON SKIN: I am fighting to not run and wash this off right away. Unfortunately I have never been put off of a BPAL scent this strongly before. But – I really, really hate rose, and it doesn’t help that I amp it to a sickening extreme. A burning plastic rose, at that. LATER: I have to get this off me. Is it odd that I feel guilty when I can’t love a scent even a little? …. this will be off to the swap pile. (Wow. Okay, I just scrubbed with soap and water and I can STILL smell this on me, big time. The throw on this is crazy.)

LAMBS-WOOL IN IMP: I just died gloriously, a little. Apples and spices and creaminess, ohhhh my!! Fall coziness in a bottle. WET, ON SKIN: Perhaps a little Yankee Candle…? I still have my nose attached to my wrist though. I kind of want to take a bite. Goldeny ale. Ciderish! I love, love, love. It’s appley baking and spices and cider all mashed in a pot. DRY, ON SKIN: I think I got a sense of the milk. It’s very creamy and balancing; sort of mellows the tangy ale a bit, and the mashed apples and spices are only drizzled in milk, not drowning in it. LATER: Husband is unsure as he isn’t much for the foody scents, but I can’t stop smelling myself. Soooo a bottle it is. He is interested in it as a room scent, for sure, and I know that I’ll definitely be wearing it.

IN IMP: As so many others have said, this is a fresh, tart green apple...not a red one, to my nose. Someone has taken a bite out of it and the juice is flowing forth. It's making my mouth water! WET, ON SKIN: Ooooh. Initially all I get is the same freshly-bitten green apple....but there's definitely darkness beginning to swirl underneath. I am loving this so much. Like, as in, it's already bottle-worthy, and I'm hoping that as it dries it only gets darker and better. DRY, ON SKIN: Mmmm. This reminds me of this lovely apple incense that I have. It seems to be fading fast, but I also didn't put too much on. I really, really, love this. LATER: It's definitely a fast fader, but I don't like my perfumes heavy anyway. I don't mind if it's nestled there in the crook of my arm or the hollow of my neck ... when my husband finds it, will he dare take a bite of this poisoned apple? LOL ... I love this and it's definitely going on my bottle wish list.

I bought this unsniffed based on the description and ... some breath of intuition. In Bottle: There's a frostiness to this...frosted geranium leaves. Is this the breath of winter wind? Wet, On Skin: Wow, citrus! I'm getting a strong orange/lemon from this. There's still the tickle of frost in my nose. The florals are very reminiscent of a special ravine-type park I used to spend hours in during my formative years. The orange has given over to lemon. Sharp geranium frosty lemon during initial drydown. Dry, On Skin: Lemony dishwashing liquid with a bite. I hope as it continues to dry the myrhh and amber start to warm things up...after about 10 minutes something warm, I think the amber, begins to glow through. It really balances out the lemon...very evocative of warm, late summer nights. Later: After about 20 minutes, we are getting warmer. Amber. Amber infused with myrhh over sun-heated geraniums and marigolds, with a twist of lemon. After 30 minutes, I experience a very brief powdery stage but it passes quickly. Final Stages: Sun-baked earth cooling off as autumn creeps in. A lovely, glowing scent, very evocative of its name. I will enjoy my bottle!

Dance of Death - frimp from lab! IN BOTTLE: Very dry indeed. I'm getting almost pure orris from this, with a hint of patchouli in the background. WET, ON SKIN: More of the same bone-dry orris with the patchouli softly lurking underneath. There's something very sharp about this scent but it has the potential to work on me when dry, I think. DRY, ON SKIN: There's a bit of glowing resin going on here ... myrhh. The orris is dying down to let the warm myrhh shine through, accented by the patchouli (but the patchouli is still soft). It's very evocative and does indeed conjure up an image of dry skeletons smoked through with myrrh incense. LATER: I like this much more than I thought I would. The orris has died down and a lovely earthy myrhh/patchouli blend is out now, but it's a bit tooooo dark and dirty to be sensual. Still, a lovely dark fragrance that I imagine would also smell good on a male. I'll keep my imp.

Seance IN BOTTLE: Wet wood with roses. There's a salty quality to it but it's mired down under heavy dead roses...wet, dead roses. I like the tone of the wet wood. WET, ON SKIN: A wet forest floor laden heavily with sodden bark. The dead wet roses are still lying there. There's a spicy astringency to this that I believe must be the hazel. That astringency is keeping the scent from softening down. DRY, ON SKIN: The hazel has died down, allowing the softness of this scent to come through. The wood is still damp and the rosewood is just that, rosewood. It's a pleasant change from the heavy wetness of the dead roses. I don't think this scent suits me very well - it's not what I'd normally wear - but I could see myself pulling it out for solitary times of nostalgia. LATER: It's still a very nostalgic scent, but decidedly powdery and old-ladyish on me. I could see pulling it out and putting it on when I'm in a Victorian mood (which does indeed happen!) so I'll keep my imp.

Plunder In Imp: I'm getting a "clean tea" sensation from the bottle, with a dry, spicy aftersmell. The initial "clean" scent is very green. The sandalwood is very balancing. Wet, on skin: A fisherman has stolen me and rolled me in spices, and he's standing over me all sea-infused. A couple of seconds go by and the saltiness fades. The spices smell like they're wrapped in wet, green leaves. I wonder why this doesn't smell dry and spicy on me? Dry, on skin: Ahhhh. Dry at last. Cinnamon and cassia in the dusty forefront - peppercorn tingling in the background. The sandalwood is steady, earthy base. Later: Spices mellowed by warm sandalwood, which brings down the dust levels and makes me think of warm spiced wood. Verdict: I love it. Bottle-worthy.