JazzieCazzie

Was able to acquire a full bottle of #390 (reviewed in entries #24 and #49) as well as a bottle containing about an imps worth of previously-unreviewed #94 which the lovely EllaLaRose threw in as a "frimp" for me in our swap! Man, I wish (though my wallet doesn't) that I'd known about the Amber and Frankincense CT series at the time of release. Two of my favorite SNs. #390: IN THE IMP (I decanted an imp as I always do from new bottles): A deep almost red-gold color. Along with the amber, I get a slightly fruity and sweet deep note. It's both green-forest and red but not red-fruity if that makes sense (for example, not cherry or plum or any of my dealbreakers). Applied to wrist and into crook of arm. WET: I think the note I can't put my finger on -- the deep, sweet, fruity/not-fruity scent must be the black musk everyone is referring to because it's really predominant and while it's familiar to me, it's not something I could have put my finger on (and I do like the note and I do like musk). The more it dries, the sweeter it gets. DRYDOWN PHASE ONE: There is no question in the world that there is myrrh in this blend though I didn't see it noted in the other reviews. I happen to like myrrh a lot BUT when it combined with my body chemistry in the crook of my arm (not anywhere else) as it dries down it has an absolutely unique and immediately identifiable "funky" smell for a little while. I really like this as it dries down, funk and all. Sweet and sinuous. DRYDOWN PHASE TWO: About four hours later, this is still sniffable on wrist and in crook of arm and it's really morphed a lot. It's sweet and smoky, like the final embers of a campfire that has several dropped burnt marshmallows in it (I confess this is what I am hoping my pending bottle of Gorobble smells like). This part of the drydown is so amazing that I'm thinking maybe next time I slather on more of this just to get more of this phase later. OVERALL: I absolutely love this. I am kicking myself for not having known about the series ... #94: Since this had no previous reviews, I worried that I'd be completely unable to put my finger on a single note and flunk BPAL school. This turned out to not be an issue. IN THE IMP: Deeply golden scent, very pale gold color. Amber combined with a familiar sharply sweet scent. Applied to wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Boom. CEDAR!!!!!!! Hello cedar!!!!!!! Come to mama. For some reason, not really recognizable in the bottle but the minute it hit my skin it amped ... and I LOVE LOVE LOVE cedar! I think there may be some frankincense in here as well but it's possible that just the combo of cedar and amber is making me think of my myriad of amber/cedar/frankincense blends and am having trouble determining that particular detail. DRYDOWN: As is usual with cedar, it changes very little on me from wet to dry. Divine divine divine. OVERALL: While I really wish I had more than an imp's worth of this, I at least can take solace in the fact that, as mentioned, I do have several amber/cedar/frankincense type combos to go to. But this is delicious. I think that the wet version of 94 is my favorite wet Chaos Theory ever but the late drydown of 390 is my favorite drydown of a CT. (I make an exception for one mystery scent that I can't even find my review of, that I got from long-gone and much-missed forumite Gdogs in the summer of 2005 when we met in Sacramento ... several of us, including Cupide340, sniffed that bottle and NONE of us were ever able to actually figure out any of the notes). Anyway, on a scale of 1-5 BOTH get 5s. UPDATE WITH ANOTHER IN THE SERIES MARCH 15, 2014: #200. Acquired an imp in a swap. Reviewed in this thread by Venneh, post #6. IN THE IMP: Faint amber and other resins. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: A beautiful medicinal amber with a slight indefinable sweetness which worries me a bit, but which I suppose could be frankincense. When wet this is pretty fabulous. DRYDOWN: Ruh roh. The more this dries, the more a note that had not been that noticeable when wet amps more and more and more. It's definitely not frankincense (which is not to say that there is not frankincense in here, as speculated by Venneh). But it's a creamy, sweet scent ... perhaps ambergris or orris? I do think it's some sort of resin. It's not floral or foody. But the more it dries, the more this note overwhelms the amber and anything else there, to the point of going from kinda icky to nauseating to rancid. And, of course, hard to wash off. OVERALL: Sadly, this is just blerg on me. That one bad note is the only thing I can smell. It might be good on someone else, it's just something that my body chemistry does not like one bit. On a scale of 1-5, a 1.

Thanks, Arsinoe!!! I figured NC was a longshot because goat's milk is such a wide target (probably not the right terminology) and I have a feeling that the main note I love in the C&E may not be the GM itself but the lavender. I probably have a better shot at finding a match by continuing to try the BPAL blends that have lavender and other "clean" herbs in them!

I've found a bottle on the forum to buy so I will FINALLY be able to weigh in on the elusive Gorobble

I'm thinking that because of snipe nature there is chance that bottle will re-appear on the board at some point so I'll keep my eye out

This was one I just had to have based on notes and reviews, and was lucky enough to find two partial bottles for sale on the forum! Just got to try it today and nomnomnom!!! IN THE IMP: Limesicle! Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm WET: Sweet and delicious. The lime and the vanilla are prevalent early on, much like a lime float! I don't get full-on ginger (or any fig) but get the sparkly ginger-ale type of effect. Absolutely nummy! DRYDOWN: This goes a little less foody and a little more perfumey on the drydown for me. On my wrist, it's slightly powdery, perhaps from the vanilla and the cream, while the crook of my arm is the spot that captures, finally, the fig (like a limey-sweet Nemesis!). OVERALL: I love this. It's not something I'd wear as an everyday scent, because it's a little sweet and girly, but it's perfect for when I WANT to smell sweet and girly. I also look forward to trying to layer this with a few other scents that might offset the full-on sweetness to see what I can come up with! On a scale of 1-5, a 4.5 with potential to move up in the ranks.

While not exactly a perfume comparison (because, damn them, Crabtree & Evelyn has not made a cologne or perfume of this scent), can anyone recommend a BPAL similar to Crabtree & Evelyn's Goat's Milk line (body wash, body lotion, soap)? I have no idea if the BPAL goat's milk blends, such as Nonae Caprotina, are at all similar or are more "milk" scents. The C&E GM scent is very, very clean with a bit of lavender to it. I've gotten a tiny bit of a similarity from Caterpillar but so far that's the closest I've found. It seems like a scent that would be right in Beth's wheelhouse so I'm thinking it's out there, I just haven't found it yet! Thanks in advance for any advice!

Actually, it was Love that inspired this thread ... really didn't like the rose or the strawberry at all (Love is now in my swap pile) but LOVED the little bits of whipped cream scents that wafted up from it periodically and was hoping I could find a strawberry and/or rose-free blend that had the whipped cream LOL! Thank you, too, for the Gorobble rec ... I'm officially on the lookout! :) GRRRRR Got sniped on an eBay bottle of Gorobble in the :30 before it expired by new bidder. Damn you, whoever it was.

I remember having a bottle of this awhile back, purchased strictly on the notes, and I no longer have it ... I can't recall if I sold it in a destash or included it in my Katrina auction (not sure of release date). Either way, re-reading the notes of all GCs I didn't have and wanted, I put this on my list of imps to buy in a recent big buy. So glad I did. IN THE IMP: Clean, lovely, perfect lavender. Applied what would generally be a "normal" amount on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Very, very, very lavender with a tiny bit of wisteria softening it. Since these are two of my very favorite scents, the early returns are excellent. Especially since the rose does not amp on me at all. DRYDOWN: The good news is that the scent is divine. Just a happy marriage of lavender and wisteria. The not-as-good news is that, like many have said, it fades quickly ... OVERALL: I think the obvious solution is MORE COWBELL. I mean more Ode on Melancholy. I just need to try to scoop up as many imps and/or bottles of this to allow me to apply it more generously and lavishly and frequently. On a scale of 1-5, a 5 for potential.

Originally I was going to pass, because ... well, I wasn't familiar enough with Sweet Alyssum to make a full bottle commitment. But after reading some reviews and one forumite invoking the name "Wisteria single note" I decided at the very very very last minute to buy a bottle ... and am SOOOO glad I did! This is actually my first SN purchase from the Lab in as long as I can remember (I did buy a bottle of Spanish Carnation from a forumite, because I missed its release when it was live). IN THE IMP: Gloriously sweet and honey-ish and floral without being cloying, in-your-face or soapy. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm from the tiny droplets remaining in my dropped after decanting an imp for myself. WET: This somehow manages to combine the lovely white floral scent of the Sweet Alyssum and also have a fresh spring outdoorsy feel to it. DRYDOWN: Very light, sweet and lovely. Even my hubby, not a perfume fan and not a floral fan, liked it on me. OVERALL: This is a fantastic single note. I can see wearing it on its own and also experiment with layering it with some other blends. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.8.

Hard to believe that I had never tried this before ... or if I did, I didn't review it. Certainly looking at the notes it seemed like it would have been a no-brainer for me at one time or another ... but instead I ordered it in an impapalooza/big bottle buy and am testing from that fresh Lab imp now. IN THE IMP: Hmmmm. Slightly plastic to me, which isn't usually something I get from any of the notes listed. But not unpleasant. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Still plasticy. And very sweet. My first thought is vanilla and myrrh, the two notes that tend to go plastic and powdery on me respectively. That smell is overpowering anything that might be musky, carnation-y or sandalwood-y. Not getting ANY of that. OVERALL: Sadly, not a scent that works for me but still one that is complex and fascinating. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.

Of the six April Fools scents I purchased in a decant circle, this was the one I was most excited about and held such high hopes for. It's the one I tried last, after I had sadly placed the first five into the swap pile. IN THE IMP: Whatever the indefinable note that Stellamaris mentioned that made her go Blergh (which I spell Blerg, just check my license plate) Stinky, I'd like to know what it is too. Because ... just ... blerg. Or blergh. So not what I expected. Pungent. Acerbic. Unpleasant. In most cases it would have been enough for me to cap up the imp and pop it in the swap pile but this was (Redacted) Dragon, it had tons of notes that called my name. I must soldier on. Dabbed on my wrist and into the crook of my arm and prayed that the beloved notes would all amp and change my mind. WET: Yeah, this is fiery like a dragon. But there is SOMETHING in it that smells like Chinese food gone bad when it sits down at the table with my body chemistry. I don't think it's ginger (unless red ginger is a very rare component for BPAL) because some of my best friends, I mean favorite BPAL blends, are ginger-based (Shuuuuuuuuuuuuub). I guess it could be pink pepper. Is that super different from black pepper? I like black pepper though in reasonable doses. I do not get any carnation, no cinnamon, hell, not even any jasmine. DRYDOWN: Okay, I'm hesitant to even write this because I know it will come out wrong but it's more a statement on what my stupid body is doing than the scent itself. As this oxidizes, it does improve but there's still something "off" about it ... it takes me a few minutes to put my finger on what it reminds me of. Then I realize ... it's the zoo. You know, the open-air areas where the big animals like the elephants and stuff roam. And poop. I smell like fresh manure. And when fresh manure is an improvement on what I smelled like a few minutes ago, I know that there is something in here that is NOT my body chemistry's friend. ... About an hour later, all of the stinkies have worn off and it's not horrible. There's something like a deep fruit and resin there. But it's very subtle and faint (hey, the good news is this doesn't have a lot of throw on me). OVERALL: What can I say? I'm so pissed at my body for not making friends with a blend with great notes and a great story. On a scale of 1-5, big surprise, a 1.

The last of my RG Apiary imps, several of which I acquired in hopes that I'd find another one on the level of my newly-beloved Hemlock Honey. IN THE IMP: Verrrrrry interesting. The honey is a secondary note to oleander's floral, yet both are surprisingly subtle in the imp. Applied to wrist and crook of arm. WET: Wet, it's great. If you're down for a super-sexy heady sweet scent, this seems as good as any. Neither the honey nor the oleander takes precedence but rather the two seem to mingle together, dare I say it, sensuously to create a whole new category. DRYDOWN: Sadly, for me, here is where the break-up occurs. As it dries down more and more, the headache-inducing sweetness that I'd feared from the combination of two such potent notes, and which to this point had not happened, slowly but steadily creeps in. At first, it's more like being in an outdoor field of flowers but within an hour, while still very very strong, it's more like being trapped in a small room with them. OVERALL: I am sure there will be others who this works for more beautifully and it is a scent that has SUCH promise for someone bigger and bolder than I am. And of course I will now spend the rest of the night singing Steely Dan's "My Old School." Not that there's anything wrong with that! On a scale of 1-5, 3.

One of the six April Fools scents I purchased imps of in a decant circle. IN THE IMP: Yes, this is SOOOOOOOO sunshine! A very golden scent. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Absolutely liquid sunshine. The lemon peel is predominant on me but it's sharp fresh lemon and not furniture-cleaner lemon. The champaca and sandalwood combine with it in terrific style. DRYDOWN: This is where it starts to lose me. It gets just a wee tad too floral, with the magnolia taking over, and then the bergamot sneaks in behind it. Those two notes drown out the champaca and sandalwood in the dry stages and I never got the cardamom at any point. OVERALL: By the end of the wild ride, the scent on my body was just not where I wanted it to be. Too "perfume" and not enough "fragrance" if that makes sense. I knew that was a risk I took because of the last three notes listed but had hoped perhaps my body would surprise me and allow the FIRST three to dominate. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.

One of the six scents from this line ordered from a decant circle. I wasn't sure if it would work or not ... grass and clover tend to be a game-time decision by my body chemistry, flowers could be anything, breeze is too often laundry-detergent but incense is a favorite. So ... spin the wheel and have some fun! IN THE IMP: Fresh and outdoorsy and quite lovely, but I get the tiniest hint of something vaguely fruity lurking in the background which has me on guard. Applied to wrist and into crook of arm. WET: No fruit. Yay! Grass. Yay! Clover. Yay! It's a lovely spring day, maybe one of those first days of spring when you go out and think "spring!" (at least here in the northeast/mid-Atlantic). DRYDOWN: The fruit I thought I sensed never appeared again once out of the imp, so a happy false alarm. This is a very pleasant blend. It's fresh, clean and vaguely soapy, which I guess is the laundry detergent others noted ... for me, it's there, but not to a dealbreaker degree. On the other hand, not getting ANY incense at all. OVERALL: I'm on the fence with this. I like it. I really do like it. It's a lovely scent and definitely lives up to its description. I can't decide if it's something I would reach for in the box so I'm going to let swap list fate decide once I finalize my swap list (sooooo close to being ready to assemble it). It's something I could happily live and wear occasionally. Or possibly regift to my daughter who likes fresh scents too. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.5 but not a keeper at this point.

One of the two strawberry scents I ordered out of six decant circle selections ... while I know I don't usually "do" red fruit well, I remember liking one of the Strawberry Moon blends and am hoping to duplicate the magic! IN THE IMP: Uh oh. Strawberry and rose combusting into something very syrupy and bad-medicinal (as opposed to what I consider "good medicinal," the resiny old-time pharmacy smell). Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm (knowing I'm going to be showering in a little bit, I am forging ahead to give it every chance to win me over). WET: Not good on me. My body is turning this into cough medicine zero-to-60. DRYDOWN: Happily, and somewhat surprisingly since it so often amps on me, the rose subsides after a little while and I am left with what others are finding, a wild strawberry scent combined with outdoorsy goodness. However, there remains a cloying sweetness which I am THINKING may be the orris? This definitely gained points in the drydown but not enough for me to keep it. OVERALL: For those who don't have the same weird body chemistry that turns roses into old lady powder and orris into sickly-sweet something-or-other, I think this could be a great scent. I love the combination of the fruit and the outdoorsiness. Which according to the red line isn't a word but dammit it is for me. On a scale of 1-5, a 1 in the imp, a 1 when wet, and a 3 overall after drydown.

Thanks, all, for the recommendations! Did some homework, read all the reviews ... I am definitely going to pass on all versions of Boo. It sounds like, regardless of the year, it has way too many dealbreaker notes for me and nearly every review singled out something I know I wouldn't like ... I can't stand the "linen" or "cotton" notes and milk is one of my top 5 "goes horribly wrong on me" notes. Plus, virtually every other scent someone comped it to has been at best a swap and at worst (and more frequently) a wash-off. But I definitely appreciate the suggestion and wouldn't have thought to even look at it! I think at this point the one that will go on my wish list will be Gorobblies. I love burnt toasted marshmallows! Marshmallow Poof sounds like ti would also be too sweet for me. And in the meantime I'll do even more homework and see if there is anything else I can come up with ... Meanwhile, if there are any other Whipped Cream scents other than Boo, that would be great!!! But it's quite possible that none really exist ... I wish I could just take Love and remove the rose sugar and strawberry. Maybe even the marshmallow ... the thing I love about whipped cream is that it's best when it's neither really sweet NOR creamy. Just that light airy taste.

Bought this as one of six imps in a decant circle from the April Fools series ... IN THE IMP: Salty, soapy, clean, as in Dial Soap clean. It reminds me a little bit of how I remember Jolly Roger smelling, one of the very few "aquatic"-themed scents I've liked (though at the time I gave it to my daughter, then about 15, because she really loved it). Applied to wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Okay, this will sound weird, but maybe not that weird to HeyGrayCatbird ... There was a very strong odd note immediately and it took me a few moments to figure out what it was, because it wasn't something I thought of as a perfume note ... It smells like peanut butter. Wet on me, this is peanut butter-scented Dial Soap. Distinctly salty oil. DRYDOWN: I assume the peanut butter scent comes from a combination of the salt from the sea salt and the Snake Oil. Behind the prevailing peanut butter scent, once it's long-dry I get something resembling driftwood, which I guess is combo of the seaweed and the cedar, but I definitely don't get the cedar note per se. It's not a bad drydown in the long run, but it's very very faint. OVERALL: This was an interesting sensory experience because it was certainly unexpected and unusual. But it's not something I think I want to smell like. On a scale of 1-5, a 2.5, giving the extra .5 because at least it wasn't a washoff.

One of my most highly anticipated decants from the lovely Pickman Gallery April Fools update, but I just had to hope upon hope that the rose would not amp on me. IN THE IMP: All of the notes listed are present and accounted for in different little waves. The whipped cream? Yummmmm. The marshmallow? Nom nom nom. The strawberry? Not bad but holding off judgement (I find that strawberry when sweet can be great for me, like in Strawberry Moon, but it's touch and go as a red fruit) ... and ... sigh ... rose. Go away, rose. Dabbed on one wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Rose rose rose. Then the occasional intoxicatingly delightful throw of delicious whipped cream, and sweet luscious marshmallow. Then ... rose again. DRYDOWN: Just too rose rose rosey for me. As it dries, there is less and less sweet dessert-y deliciousness and more and more old lady perfume. OVERALL: Oh well. Sigh. This is what it says it is, and the fact that rose can kill a blend for me is my own problem. It did, though, make me VERY desirous of a blend that is nothing but whipped cream and marshmallow. A girl can dream. I wanted to love this for so many reasons. And I love it for what it is. It's just not for me. On a scale of 1-5, a 2.5 for me.

Bought this in a recent impapalooza spree, because I do loves me amber and cinnamon. Testing from that imp. IN THE IMP: For whatever reason, probably my weird nose, I don't get any amber from this whatsoever. Nor cinnamon. Something vaguely fruity and very evocative of a hair tonic me dad used to wear. Applied on wrist and in crook of one arm. WET: Some resins amp but not the amber(s) I'm used to (I know there are a ton of different ambers). Unlike other reviewers, not getting any sandalwood or cinnamon (sadly, since those are also favorite notes). Juicy and bold and outdoorsy and quite sweet. DRYDOWN: I just can't put my finger on the notes here but I can't identify any of them. To me it's a deep fruity rich scent, very outdoors like in a savannah or beige expanse. OVERALL: Again, there's something about this scent that reminds me of my father from my childhood which is a very positive and loving scent association, but it's not something I can wear. On a scale of 1-5, a 2.5.

Would suggesting the RPG scent "Elf" be too obvious?

Bumping this in case someone else remembers it to help Suzie ... and me! I had forgotten how much I adored Eau de Love but can't quite put my nose-finger on the scent. I'd love to try it again ... I can say, from having tried all of the scents suggested below and not liking any of them, that it's unlikely any of them are a match though well-intentioned suggestions. Two very broad categories with no specific notes listed will be a tough match without someone who has actually smelled the scent. I'll see what I can do to track it down, meanwhile. But thanks for the sensory memory explosion! (I remember the radio ad was something like this ... a geeky-sounding guy with a New York accent saying "Oh de flowers, oh de trees, oh de smell of Eau De Love")

Received a boatload of RPG frimps in a recent purchase from the Lab, and this was one of them -- the last one of the series for me to review. IN THE IMP: Woodsy and nose-ticklingly evergreen. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Sooooo very very very green. I'm getting the aspen in huge doses, the moss, and the berries. And ... that's all. NONE of the other notes are even slightly present for me at this point ... DRYDOWN: ... or at this point either. It's very clean and soapy, like an ad for Irish Spring. There is also an unplaceable note for me but whatever it is, that I can't put my finger on, it's definitely not the amber, honeycomb (sniff, I really was psyched about that!) or musk. There is a very odd berry juiciness that I actually quite like (berries are usually dealbreaking notes for me), almost as if the berries were steeped in men's cologne. But good men's cologne. OVERALL: If I was blind-testing this, I would be unable to pick out any notes other than the green ones BUT I think I'd IMMEDIATELY know that it was an RPG scent. It really captures this feeling of being in an otherworldly forest, hidden away with all sorts of interesting characters. That said, as a scent, I like it but I don't love it. It will go into the swap box. On a scale of 1-5, a 3. Just not for me.

Received this as a frimp in my most recent order, which was awesome because it had been on my longer GC wish list but was pushed back to a "next time" status. I keep thinking I must have tried it in the past at some point but I never reviewed it if I did. IN THE IMP: It must be my week to keep thinking I smell almond when it's not there (did the same thing yesterday with Chimera) but the first note out of the imp was, to my nose, almond. It was followed closely, though, by the rich lush flora. I know this has a lot of promise as long as the notes do not combine to be too heavily floral and "in your face" (in my face). Applied to wrist and into crook of arm. WET: This is one of the most interesting blends I've tried in awhile, especially for something that is so simple, with three distinct notes. Those three combine in the most fabulous way, though ... to me I am getting a very balanced mix of medicinal, sweet (myrrh, for sure) and floral. DRYDOWN: The early drydown continues to delight with a very clean yet somehow not SOAPY floral. Fine line that it straddles beautifully. It's also intoxicating and deep and rich. Finally, there is a resiny throw that is ever so slightly fruity ... it reminds me a bit of the drydown of my beloved Nemesis. OVERALL: This is an absolutely lovely, sexy, intoxicating scent. I don't think I need more of it since I do have similarly-crafted big bottles (Nemesis, Nephilim, etc.) but I will definitely use up this lovely imp. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.5

Being a honey blend lover and having had mixed results on the blends from this particular series, I read over the reviews of the ones I hadn't yet tried and ordered two imps -- this one and Oleander Honey (which still awaits me in my "to be tested" box). Hoping for a blend where the honey is detectable but offset by other notes that I love and that keep it from being TOO in-your-face sweet. IN THE IMP: Sharply green and herbal with virtually no sweetness. In fact, I don't even get any honey in the imp. So far so good, since I know the honey itself will amp on me since it always does. Applied to wrist and into crook of arm. WET: Upon application, it seems to have a great balance of honey (which does amp) and the sharp green herbal scent. Slightly medicinal, very green and gold. I am getting excited ... DRYDOWN: ... and then I return to earth. Within about 10 minutes, the two sides basically combust on me. I have no idea why or how, but the result is unpleasant. Plastic, old lady scent. It actually required a washoff and still lingers on for hours even afterwards. OVERALL: Sadly, this joins several of its RG Apiary brethren in my swap box. I continue to hold out hope for Oleander Honey, and if that doesn't work, well, I'll always have my precious Hemlock Honey. On a scale of 1-5, a 1.5

Placed a pretty big-for-me order recently that included 18 imps, split between old favorites and new-to-me scents. This was one of the latter, because I see the word "incense" and unless I see other dealbreakers list, I'm gonna want to try it. IN THE IMP: I confess. I opened the imp, was hit hard by a truly unpleasant smell, and immediately recapped it and said, "Um, no. Into the swap box with you, stinky imp." It was sour and pungent, with the most prevalent note being red wine (something I LOVE to drink but goes horribly wrong on me as a scent). Vinegary. Acrid. The, I re-read the reviews ... many people had had similar observations (not necessarily as negative, but that it was very wine-y upon application but dried down into a deep resiny incense scent). I decided that, with a hot bath already on the night's agenda, I would give it a shot and see what happened, knowing that whether I hated it, loved it, or something in between, it was going to be washed off anyway ... just a matter of how quickly. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Still wine, but immediately upon meeting my skin, the incense started to amp and offset the pungentness ... Pungence? Pungency? In addition, I could detect some honey that sweetened it and even some ineffable floral notes. It was about 1000% better on than it was in the imp, for me. DRYDOWN: Honestly, I didn't get that deep resinous incense drydown. In fact, as it dried, it reverted to being almost all wine all the time with some honey and possibly a little bit of fig? I love those last two notes in BPAL but they weren't quite enough to turn Cairo into a winner for me. They did, however, keep it from being a washoff. OVERALL: It's one of the biggest differentials between off-body and on-body scents of any of the BPALs I've tried. It's complex and interesting. But it doesn't work for me and, once again, it returns to the swap box but minus the name "stinky imp." On a scale of 1-5, a 2.5