JazzieCazzie

Received an imp of this as lagniappe in a swap and am sooooooooooooo grateful. I don't believe I've ever tried it (I definitely didn't review it) and I'm thinking if I did ever receive it, it would have been as a frimp because the black currant and ozone notes would have scared me away. Before I review it, I want to give major props to the review by LoraJC which kicked off this thread. It is so very very very on target for what I would have said as well ... I write up my notes before I come to the board, and then I look over the thread to be sure I hadn't already written a review, and I just sat there reading hers (and others) and nodding like a bobblehead doll. IN THE IMP: I really expected to be hit in the face with fruit and have to battle just to test-drive it, since I have vowed to apply ever single scent I have -- new, old, imp, bottle. Yet oddly enough my first thought was "medicinal" (a word used a lot on this board and one which, for me, is a very positive note even though I still haven't figured out what it is -- often for me it's amber but there is no amber here). I get the fruity RIGHT after that but it's a resiny fruit and one which pulls me in instead of repelling me. I was encouraged enough by that first impression that I actually applied it pretty generously to me wrist AND crook of my arm (the place where notes go to amp). WET: This is an absolutely fascinating, unusual and complex blend on me. The resin is high up in the mix, as is the musk. The lavender and black currant kind of battle away behind those two. It is not what I think of as "fruity-bad" at all, but the sweetness of deep dark fruit is there. The scent this reminds me of the most is Nemesis -- not so much that the two scents are similar in notes as much as the complexity and balance of the notes it contains. DRYDOWN: The ozone, which is NOT a good note for me, rises up on the drydown and for a few minutes I fear I'll lose my love for this, but in reality it only lasts for a short time, after which the long-term drydown is a fascinating combination of medicinal, resin, lavender, woods, musk, floral and dark tangy fruit. OVERALL: I am amazed by how much I really love this scent. It is an absolute work of art from Beth. On a scale of 1-5, this comes damned close to a 5. Maybe a 4.9?

Received this as a generous lagniappe in a purchase and on face value had no issues with any of the notes. Working my way through the entire alphabet with my imps, old and new, my big bottles, same and same, and whatever I am getting via swaps and small forum purchases (along with a Lab purchase or two along the way). When I hit a letter that I've covered, I swing back and jump on it so ... IN THE IMP: Honestly? This was the first and only, so far during this experiment, scent where I immediately recapped it and didn't even try to test-drive it. Though there is no fruit in the description, for some reason it smelled fruity to me. And aquatic. And perfumey floral. And basically, weirdly, every "note group" that doesn't work for me. However, after finishing up L, I realized that I had tried every single other scent so far, even ones I didn't think I'd like, and it would seem incomplete if I didn't at least give this the old college try, so I went to the swap box where I had gently nestled it and uncapped it and dabbed a bit on my wrist. WET: Fruity. Aquatic. Perfumey floral. Basically, it smells like every "note group" that doesn't work for me. And it's strong. DRYDOWN: It still smelled exactly like it did in the imp and on my wrist. WYSIWYG -- what you smell is what you get. And for me, that wasn't a good thing. I washed it off but I can still smell it. Really strongly. OVERALL: Sometimes I need to learn to just trust my gut. BUT, that said, my plan was to try every single scent I have/get (unless of course someone sends me Kitsune Tsuki or Masabakes or Maenad or Sacred Whore or something). So I am glad I did it. But this returns to its already selected spot in the swap box to rejoin its other fruity/aquatic/perfumey floral friends. On a scale of 1-5, a 1. For me.

Working my way through all of my imps, frimps and bottles, revisiting and reviewing, and this marks the end of my halfway point of the A-Z journey, my last L (until, at least, a few pending swaps and purchases arrive that include scents from the first half of the alphabet, LOL!) This was from a lagniappe included in a purchase. I was wary based on the notes. Though I tend to like most of them combined, I feared the blend itself would prove to be too masculine cologney for me. IN THE IMP: Very very very male. Woodsy with a cologny-floral kick. Not "in your face" enough, though, for me to not try (so far, I think there has only been ONE imp that I just recapped and put into the swap box). Dabbed very lightly on one wrist. WET: The fruit notes combine in an interesting and complex way with the other floral and woods notes and I also get, oddly enough, a definite salty note. DRYDOWN: Sadly, this dries down quickly and nauseatingly on me and becomes a wash-off ... I am not sure which note or combination of notes is the culprit. It just gets very powdery and queasy-making. It could be the lilac, but my skin generally plays nicely with lilac (in real life, it's one of my very favorite scents, and I still cherish my remaining imp of the Blue Lilac SN). OVERALL: Ah well. I am glad I tried it. It just didn't work for me but in a few weeks, when I can post my entire swap list, I am sure it will work for someone else!!! On a scale of 1-5, for me a 1.5

Working my way through my BPAL collection -- old imps, new imps, brown bottles, blue bottles -- from A-Z, reviewing or revisiting. This entry is from an imp I decanted myself from my original 5 ML bottle of Lycaon 2006 from the Lab, purchased at time of release. IN THE IMP: COCA COLA IN A TINY GLASS BOTTLE!!! Dabbed on wrist, into crook of arm and into cleavage. WET: Definitely cola on me. Which happens to be one of my favorite morphs. Still not sure what notes create it ... a few people in this thread have suggested maybe the oppoponax? Or however you spell it? A resiny delicious and slightly spicy cola. There is a tiny tingling when I apply it to the crook of my arm. DRYDOWN: While I can understand why this would morph on some people to be distinctly "masculine," fortunately on me it's just deep and resiny and divine. It dries into a dark resiny sweetness but not a wonky one, which can sometimes happen on me with myrrh. I'm getting minimal if any myrrh or patchouli, and maximal ginger, musk, frankincense and, I guess, oppo of that is what causes the coca-cola scent. OVERALL: I love love love this. Now, I'm working through my goodies A-Z so when I reach S I will be sure to pull this imp out and "test drive" it again on one arm when I re-visit my Schwarzer Mond on the other arm to compare the two. And I guess I should also check all my references to "smells like coca cola" and see how many of them contain oppo. Whatever that is. On a scale of 1-5, a 5.

Ordered an imp of this from the Lab during an impapalooza purchase (four six-packs) in February as I looked to revive my BPAL collection and dispersal. Am working my way through my entire collection -- old, new, imps, bottles, purchased, swapped-for and frimped/lagniapped -- either writing new reviews or updating old ones. Once I'm finished A-Z, I'll be able to post a full swap list AND wishlist. I tend to be hit-or-miss with rose, based on what it's combined with and where it is in the mix. I knew this one was a little risky since there were fewer notes and a likelihood of it being really rosy but "spice" is always a draw for me. IN THE IMP: The initial sniff is promising. Rosy, yes, but the spicy note seems to give it good balance. Optimistically dabbed on wrist, crook of arm and in cleavage. WET: Sweet and rosy but not TOO sweet or rosy at first application. DRYDOWN: Sadly, for ME, the more it dries, the more prominent the rose gets and the more the balance of the spices take a backseat. I am not an expert by any means (I don't even play one on TV) but to me, the rose note seems like tea rose, more than, say, roses that bloom in my garden. I remember when I was in my early teens growing up in New York City, there was a perfume line that had a counter at Bloomingdales that would sell single-note tea rose and give it out in these little woody strips. EVERYONE had them and we'd stick them in our purses/bookbags and everyone smelled like tea rose for months. That's what this smells like to me. And it's got major legs. OVERALL: I can totally see why this would be a scent that would be popular over the years. I think it would be one of those nice "first scents" for girls -- safe and yet slightly unusual - and also appeal to fans of the rose, the gothic, the victorian, etc. However, I'm really not one of those people so instead, Lucy's Kiss shall go into my swap box for future availability. On a scale of 1-5, a 3, just not me.

Gifted with an imp in either a swap or purchase. Though I suspect from description (evocations, not actual notes) that it is not going to work for me (aquatics are one of my dealbreaker notes, as noted in my Notes I Love And Hate link, and Ozone is in my "usually dislike unless every other note is one I love" list), I am soldiering through on my awesome journey through my imps/bottles from A-Z. IN THE IMP: Soap. Soap. Soap. And more soap. With a tiny bit of salt. Dabbed sparingly -- very sparingly -- on one wrist. WET: SOAP SOAP SOAP SOAP. And more soap. It's not horrible. I actually love Dial soap. But it is STRONG, especially considering how very little I used and only used it on my wrist, which generally amps the least of my touch-points. DRYDOWN: Soap, water, and just a touch of seaspray. In real life, I love the scent of the beach. But on me, this goes just a little too perfumey strong. I feel like I smell more like I just took a shower at a cheap beach-town hotel that had those little plastic bottles of body wash and shampoo on the edge of the sink than like I just took a swim in an ocean before the storm came. And that's no fault of the Lab. It's just what my body does with this sort of scent and why I tend to avoid it. And DAMN it's strong on me. Wash off. OVERALL: The Lab is great at being able to evoke sensory imagery in blends such as this, without actually listing notes. I personally wish, though, I knew which specific notes were involved so I'd be able to narrow down the ones that don't work on me, the better to avoid them in blends that DO have notes listed. This was a rare wash-off. On to the next scent in my journey through the alphabet (which will be Lucy's Kiss). On a scale of 1-5, a 2. I'm sure it is good on others. Just not on me.

Was gifted with an imp of this, can't recall if it was a frimp from the Lab or a lagniappe from one of my swaps/purchases but whatever the case may be, I am eternally grateful. I don't think I would have bought this on my own because I'd have assumed it would be very masculine. Reading the reviews here would have done nothing to change my mind. But working my way through all of my imps and bottles, revisiting and reviewing them A-Z so I can prep a swap list and wanted list, and more of this is definitely going on the latter! IN THE IMP: To me, this is 100% sweet cedar which I ADORE. Honestly, if someone had waved this imp in front of my nose with no label, I'd have thought it was a cedarwood Single Note. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: This remains almost COMPLETELY cedar -- lovely sweet light wood, almost sugared or candied wood, if there is such a thing, with just the slightest inexplicable background note of something beachy. I am guessing that latter is the sage. I am not getting ANY bay leaf and that's fine because it usually makes me smell like chicken soup. DRYDOWN: True to the imp, true to the wet scent. Sweet wood. Light, lovely, clean and amazing. OVERALL: This isn't even remotely masculine on me. It's much more like my favorite woody incense scents such as Kathmandu, Penitence, etc. I think this would make an absolutely fantastic go-to scent for a seaside vacation. It is totally going on my eventual big-bottle list and I will hope to swap for more of it soon. On a scale of 1-5, this is my newest 5.

Lagniapped from a goddess of a forumite and reached it today in my A-Z working my way through all of my scents. And seriously, this could not have come at a better time ... kind of like karma (no pun intended)! Yesterday I got results of my blood tests, including cholesterol, and today is Day 1 of the rest of my ... well, hopefully not the rest of my life but certainly the rest of the spring/summer as I work on lowering that nasty count with a lot of greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen stuff. IN THE IMP: SOOOO very fresh and green it's like sticking my nose into a little bottle of Farmer's Market! Very fresh and invigorating and perfect for the official first day of spring, even though here in the mid-Atlantic it does not feel springy OUTdoors. Dabbed generously on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: I know that there are no cucumbers listed in the notes but, like some other forumites, I am getting BIG TIME cucumber water, along with some other indefinable green and veggie notes. I used to use a "cucumber water" scent which I think was Caswell-Massey and, wet, this reminds me of that but in a more complex and fresh way. DRYDOWN: This stays, happily, very true to the wet form and also reminds me of, as another forumite mentioned, my holy grail of scents, the original Herbal Essence shampoo. I proffered my wrist to my hubby (something I don't do that often) and he immediately commented it smelled like Herbal Essence as well. So you know what THAT means, right? IT MEANS I HAVE TO FIND MORE MORE MORE OF THIS! Did it come in a 5 ML or only in imps since it was a Food Drive giveaway? Looks like I will be on the lookout for any and all imps of Karme, as I once was for Peace when it was an unreleased prototype. OVERALL: Awesomeness. Spring. Freshness. Health, Green. Yum. On a scale of 1-5, a definite 5.

Received an imp of this as lagniappe in a swap or purchase, can't recall which (have been doing a bit of swapping and purchasing of late ... must stop the purchasing and get more onto the swapping until I get Gainful Employment). I admit, I would NEVER have bought or chosen this based on the notes (specifically the orange, which tends to remind me of Triaminic syrup). But soldiering on with my project to test drive every single scent I have, from A-Z, today was the day for my lone J. IN THE IMP: Amazed how much I like this right off the bat! A bright blast of pine and eucalyptus with the fresh hard cold scent. Not picking up any orange. Got daring and dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Wow. WOW. I really, really, REALLY like this a whole lot!!! I am not getting any PineSol or any of the "cleanser" vibes of the pine and eucalyptus, and the orange is very subtle and more like orange peel used in mulled cider or something ... basically, to me this is a GREAT Christmas tree-type of scent (and I have spent too much money buying blends trying to find a real Christmas tree scent over the years). DRYDOWN: The orange rises just enough to make this more of a Christmas tree pot-pourri or candle, but not a cheap crappy one ... a good one. It evaporates pretty much on my wrist but the crook of my arm retains it better (I find, in order, that wrist-crook-cleavage will keep a scent in that order based, I guess, on the amount of moisture). The drydown is really clean and fresh and bracing. OVERALL: I am so glad to have gotten this, because as I said it's not something I ever would have chosen for myself but it's definitely a keeper. It's so interesting that there are people who see it as a fresh, spring/summer scent whereas for me, definitely a winter scent, more because the scent memories/associations are so strong. On a scale of 1-5, a good keeper 4.

Bought a bottle from the Lab when this was released, based strictly on the notes, all of which I like separately. IN THE IMP: Very very very sharp. In fact, I'd say acrid. Not getting any ginger on first sniff. I guess it's the pepper but not like I'm used to smelling a pepper blend. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. It actually stung a bit on my arm which hasn't happened to me with a BPAL blend in ages (one of the super-potent old cinnamon Sephiroth blends did that to me). WET: I definitely get the ginger once it's on, in that fizzy way, but not quite ginger-ale. The pepper offsets it SO much that it's more like ... fizzy chicken soup? It's salty-pepper if that makes sense. And still very acrid. DRYDOWN: This definitely improves for me on the drydown as it gets just a touch sweeter, with what I assume are the neroli and myrrh notes making their way to the top. The problem is that I have recently discovered myrrh doesn't play nicely with me on drydown, going wonky-sweet and powdery, while neroli often turns to bubblegum. So this ends up being gingery-peppery-powdery-sweet. Which isn't bad, mind you, it's just not something I think I would wear with regularity. OVERALL: I wasn't a fan of this when I got it but I couldn't figure out why. Generally the ginger and/or pepper scents work marvelously for me (and in fact I have imps forthcoming thanks to a forum sale of both War and Priala, both of which were mentioned in this thread, and I ADORE Gnome -- it's one of my top 10 BPAL scents). But I never swapped it away so decided to give it another try and at least make sense of WHY it didn't work. My guess is that while I wasn't a fan of the wet scent because it was so acrid, I would have liked the drydown a lot were it not for the neroli and/or myrrh. So, again, it will go to the swap box which will be officially listed once I've worked my way through my entire alphabet of BPALs. As you can see, I'm on I. On a scale of 1-5, a high 3.

Acquired via a decant circle this month (March 2013). IN THE IMP: Actually indescribable. Really a unique scent. Even looking at the notes, I can't single any out but rather am writing down the images the combination evokes ... Food. Soup. Manly men. Bound-books. Sipping gourmet soup in a manly-man's library. And unlike most of the other (albeit few) reviews before this, the note I'm NOT getting is cloves. And honestly, it was the clove note that prompted me to order this. Dab cautiously on one wrist. WET: Still no cloves. Minty ... how odd but I'm getting mint, definitely. Not sure which note is creating that for me. Masculine, very very masculine. Still foody which I assume is the bay leaf since hubby uses that a lot when he cooks. Leather, wood, yes. Like a museum or a library. Or a museum library. DRYDOWN: Well, one thing I can say for sure is that a little bit of this goes a long way. VERY strong and long-lasting legs. My wrist remains smelling like minty smoke and some guy's sinuous lair. OVERALL: I think this would probably kick serious ass on a hot guy. But I'm not a hot guy. I'm not even a hot woman. So it is going into a little box of mostly-unimpable LE goodies headed to a very special forumite tomorrow. On a scale of 1-5, certainly a 3 at least but not a me-3.

Got an imp of this by choice in a decant circle -- actually only selected six of the whole 2013 Luper line. IN THE IMP: A musty closet but intriguing enough to want to explore it and see what hidden treats it might hold. Applied to wrist and into crook of arm. WET: The patchouli amps up hugely on me so the first overall smell, for me, is nursery school paste. Now, I actually like that scent ... it's one that evokes a lot of good memories and is often my mental connection for pure patchouli. It is quickly joined by a medicinal subnote, which would be the amber. I am getting very minimal honey when wet, surprising since that is usually a note that comes to the forefront with my body chemistry. DRYDOWN: Sadly, this isn't working for me. I gave it some extra time to see if I'd get what I call a "second drydown" which happens sometimes. Instead, the vanilla goes a little plastic and the honey, oddly, goes very perfumey and the overall combination is just way too masculine and cologney for me. I don't need to wash it off, it's not BAD on me, it's just not ME. OVERALL: This is a very interesting and complex scent and I can definitely see that it will be a popular one. Interestingly, since I've been working my way through my imps and bottles alphabetically, I tested both this and Forgive Us Our Virtues today ... if you'd asked me in advance which one I'd prefer, I would have predicted this one. Instead, this goes into the swap/give box whereas Forgive Us has been added to the OMGOMGOMGIHAVETOHAVEABIGBOTTLEOFTHIS list. On a scale of 1-5, I give it about a 3.

Acquired my imp through a decant circle -- only chose four from this series but this, for me, was a no-brainer -- even though I had/have no idea what styrax or palisander are supposed to smell like!!! IN THE IMP: Just sheer beautiful frankincense with that light spicy note provided by its little friend cinnamon. Dabbed pretty generously on wrist and in crook of arm based on that first sniff. WET: Upon application, the rosewood amps pretty quickly to round out the scent and make it a bit bigger and more complex. So many notes comingle and play together that it's harder to single one out, but they all play so NICELY that it doesn't matter. I can just sit and sniff and smile. DRYDOWN: As the original poster noted, this is just absolute bliss for frankincense fans (of which I am one). Once dry, that reigns supreme again but NOT, to me, a a single note pony. It's like it's sitting on its throne but its acolytes -- cinnamon, patchouli, rose (which, I guess because it's rosewood rather than rose, is kinda perfect and non-wonky on me) and the others -- are gathered close at its ankles and offering their best to join it. The result it just divine. A light and golden and spicy frankincense. OVERALL: This is absolutely one of my favorite recent BPAL scents yet. It's complex yet calming. Unique and notable yet not "in your face." There is nothing perfumey about it. It is TOTALLY going on my "must have big bottle list" right away. On a scale of 1-5, a definite 5.

After trying to figure out how to search the entire BPAL catalogue for a scent containing boxwood, a wonderful mod pointed me in this direction and, once I'd read the notes and reviews, I was doubly-lucky to find a forumite who would sell an imp to me ... A little history, I have loved the scent of boxwood since way before I knew what it was called. It was the scent I inhaled when I'd walk through the streets and gardens of old-town Williamsburg with my family, or even before that, with my 7th grade class trip. A lovely fresh green scent of spring and old and new. But I never smelled a boxwood perfume, and -- a city girl -- what did I know from boxwood. Then our landscaper added a boxwood bush to our house and I immediately made the connection. It brings me back every day to that lovely feeling of our history and our future melded into a green fugue of beauty. So ... IN THE IMP: So very very very green in a just so slightly dried and desiccated way. I wouldn't call it the pure boxwood of my childhood but it is certainly a wonderful green stems and stalks and leaves and nothing else scent. ON WRIST AND CROOK OF ARM: WET: I smell of the inside of a cool, quiet florist shop on Lexington Avenue, where I've taken a few bunches of flowers out of the refrigerator and had the florist snip off the ends and pull a few stems to take home to my mom. It is also very much what my favorite Tarot oil STRENGTH smells like though that has more amber. DRY: On drydown it gets a little more, well, dry ... herbal and soapy, just slightly soapy. I smell ineffably clean. I could wear this to work with no trouble at all no matter where I worked. OVERALL: It's not boxwood for me. And it's not Strength. But it's a green florist shop scent that dries down to a clean, calm, soapy, subtle scent that can go anywhere and be unique and sophisticated without being in your face. Can't ask for much more than that!!! On a scale of 1-5, about a 4.

Received this as a lagniappe in a decant circle and I have a feeling that the lovely decanter actually really looked at my "favorite notes" and "dealbreaker notes" list based on the two imps included :) Or else just lucky, because there were NO dealbreakers at all and many favorites. I had never tried this because, I guess, the "doeskin" might have scared me off. IN THE IMP: Just SUCH a nice, fresh, green-and-gold scent. Dabbed on one wrist and into crook of arm. WET: This is absolutely lovely when wet. I'm not sure what doeskin is supposed to smell like, but there was nothing "animalistic" for lack of a better word for me. However, there was a definite sweetness to it that was at the forefront -- could have been the grasses, or indeed the doeskin. It's a subtle and outdoorsy scent with just a little spicy kick. DRYDOWN: This got just a little too "cologney-perfumey" for me when it dried. It was not at all unpleasant or offensive, but probably because of that not something I'd reach for in a crowded box. Very short legs, by the way. It was "all goney" on me within about two hours. OVERALL: I would call this gender-neutral but could definitely see it more as a guy scent than a girl scent, for some reason. If my husband were the type to ever wear cologne or scent, I would give him this imp in a heartbeat. But he's not, so instead I will add it to my swap box and make someone very happy. But I would be fine keeping it as well. On a scale of 1-5, a high 3. Just not really me.

Working my way through my imp and bottle box, A-Z, either re-reviewing scents or reviewing them for the first time. This is an imp I purchased from Lab a little while back, not sure how long. IN THE IMP: Pink sweetness. Reminds me a lot of my precious Pink Moon 2007 (the blend that smelled like sugared pink carnations). Dabbed moderate amount on one wrist and one crook of arm (I'm going one-armed today because of blood tests on the other one). WET: Like many others have mentioned, the first note to waft up and hit me is pink bubblegum. But not the super sweet bubblegum (at least not at first) ... a little spicy, more like Dubble Bubble than Bazooka, say. The florals bloom next with the carnation and daisies. DRYDOWN: At first I thought the spiciness of the carnations would offset the extreme sweetness, as it did for me in Pink Moon. But instead the scent remains on the just-a-little-too-sweet side for me. OVERALL: This is going into the swap pile because it's just too sweet for me, and I'd reach for my Pink Moon first on the occasions when I want something like this. But I think it's a great scent and can absolutely see why it would be a wonderful first scent to by a girly-girl daughter or niece or whatever. On a scale of 1-5 I give it a solid not-for-me-3.

Working my way through all of my scents, old and new. This was frimped to me by the Lab during a recent impapalooza purchase ... and all I can say is OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG. IN THE IMP: Strong honey with a slightly green twist lurking below that I can't put my finger on. Dabbed on one wrist and crook of an arm. WET: Absolutely delicious. Sweet, sweet, sweet honey but with that slight medicinal/green/resiny hint that offsets it JUST enough to keep it from being TOO sweet. And I happen to LOVE "medicinal" when its resiny though I hate it when it's fruity. DRYDOWN: There is a ton of throw with this scent and it is blissful. The drydown is just as spectacularly deliciously sweet as the wet scent. OVERALL: This is an ABSOLUTE big bottle purchase, no doubt about it. I am so grateful to the Lab for frimping me with it because I don't think it would have ever occurred to me to buy it on my own. On a scale of 1-5, absolutely a 5.

Working my way through my imps and big bottles, A-Z, testing, reviewing and revisiting and figuring out which are keepers and which will move to the big list of swappables once I am done. I've had my 5 ML of Hermia for awhile but had not reached for it until today. All four notes are ones I like, or so I thought. IN THE IMP: Clean and light with a floral that is not quite soapy. My first impression is that this would make a great bath oil. Applied to wrist and crook of arm. WET: I thought it was my imagination that I detected a bubble-gummy note that I would not have associated with pepper, amber, honeysuckle or passionflower but wonder, now, if perhaps it's the PINK in the pink pepper and that I am actually more accustomed to black pepper (one of my favorite notes in perfumes and wine!)? It's not bad, just surprising. Overall this is more floral than golden. DRYDOWN: Shockingly, it just doesn't work for me. I get too much perfume and not enough "scent" if that makes sense. OVERALL: I am not sure why this was discontinued. Due to its popularity in wishlists, I assume it was the unavailability of a component rather than lack of sales. I think it would be a very lovely scent for a teenage girl who is literary and intelligent and one-of-a-kind. But, surprisingly, this will be one of the first of my previous keeper big bottles that I am actually going to move to the "swappable" list when I complete it. I don't think I'll regret it (though I will be picky about the swap LOL). I just don't love it as much as I should and I can't see reaching for it when I have so many others I love (and would love). On a scale of 1-5, about a 3.5

Working my way through all of my sniffies, old and new, alphabetically ... my imp of Haunted was, I believe, purchased from the Lab in impapalooza last month. I never reviewed it before but am thinking I must have bought it at one time or another because I do love amber and musk so it seems a natural. IN THE IMP: Simple, strong, resiny. Seems like a WYSIWYG ... dark, and sinuous, it lives up to its name in the imp. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm (I find the slight bit of perspiration in the latter gives me a truer feel for how a scent will work overall but I only do it with notes that I am generally pretty optimistic about). WET: For the first few minutes, the two notes listed play together nicely, even adding a fizzy little kick like a cauldron bubbling. Then ... oh no. I sniff the crook of my arm and literally recoil. I smell like a stinky guy's locker room (and yes, as a sportswriter for 25 years, I do know what stinky guys' locker rooms smell like). Why? Whywhywhywhywhyw? These are both notes that I have always (or almost always had success with or, at least, not failure). DRYDOWN: I am determined to be patient and see if the wet sweat smell dissipates as it dries. But it really doesn't. However, the Johnson's baby powder smell others have mentioned rises up like a stinky athlete who covered his stinky sweat in powder instead of showering. Within about 15 minutes, thankfully, the sweat smell eases a little bit. The wrist never gets THAT bad and the crook dries out. But I have never liked the smell of Johnson's baby powder either. OVERALL: Sad face. I did have hopes for this but somehow it didn't have hopes for me. On a scale of 1-5, a 1.5. Luckily, it's bathtime.

Working through all of my imps and bottles with re-visits and new reviews. The timing was perfect to reach H and Hand of Hermes this morning since I was about to guest-lecture (via Skype) to a college graduate school class. I've had this bottle for awhile. Not sure how long, honestly, but awhile. And I had somehow forgotten how truly glorious it is. IN THE IMP: Wow wow wow wow wow. This really does sum up the word "joy." Dabbed ... well, okay, slathered generously on wrists, both crooks, cleavage and a little behind my ears. My recollection was that it didn't have a TONNAGE of throw or legs and I needed all the help I could get. WET: This may be my favorite BPAL scent. Absolutely divine. The cinnamon is actually prevalent over the lavender but only by a nose (heh). It is just the perfect combination of the two where they co-exist so beautifully. It's truly rapturously transporting. I talked talked talked for 1:20. Now it's time for ... DRYDOWN: Very faint but still there, lovely and light. OVERALL: This scent is warmth and comfort and confidence and joy. My only wish is that it had a little more throw. And also that they would release it in bath oil, soap, candles and everything else. On a scale of 1-5, eleventy-zillion. Or 5.

Received this as lagniappe in a purchase ... not something I would ever have chosen for myself based on the usual dealbreaker notes of strawberry and cherry, and sometimes vanilla, but the amber/heliotrope/musk part made me more than willing to at least take it as far as it could go for the sake of science. IN THE IMP: Surprisingly nice! Sweet and slightly spicy floral with only the slightest touch of fruit, and the fruit seems to be the strawberry ... a note which has been known to work for me on occasion (I liked Strawberry Moon -- I like the "strawberries and sugar at Wimbledon" kind of scent). Dabbed cautiously and sparingly on one wrist ... and am glad I did because ... WET: Boom, here comes that damned cherry, barging into the party and knocking over the punch bowl. And apparently it's a Halloween costume party because cherry is all dressed up like cough medicine. Boo. DRYDOWN: Never got there. Washed it off. OVERALL: Um, yeah. Honestly, without the cherry, this could work for me ... and I will probably be more open to scents where strawberry is the ONLY potential dealbreaker for me in the future. But this wasn't it. I DO see why there are people who love it, though. If you like cherry, this could be a great scent for its complexity, etc. On a scale of 1-5, a 1.5. Into the swap box.

I honestly can't remember when I got this imp or who I got it from. It has an interesting label on it which I THINK is not Lab-produced so am guessing it was either a swap, small forum purchase or decant circle (I know I got two RPG imps, this and Mage, at the same time). IN THE IMP: Fizzy yummy soda, somewhere between ginger ale and cola. Abso-freakingl-lutely YUMMMMMMMMMMM. Dabbed on wrist and into crook of arm. WET: A spicy, light ginger ale that tickles my nose, with the pepper rising pretty quickly to give it a little extra kick. DRYDOWN: It's not strong at all and has minimal legs, but it cools down into a soda-and-woods scent. I never get any smoke from it at all. OVERALL: I think Gnome is the perfect name for this scent because it's playful and mischevious. I apparently used a lot more of this than I'd realized because my imp is almost empty. Definitely going on the refill-re-order list. I think this would make a wonderful scent line ... I would totally buy it in lotion, bubble bath and candles. On a scale of 1-5, a 5 for sure.

Gifted with this in a purchase by a lovely forumite. I was so pleased to get it but felt pretty confident that it would eventually be regifted to another lucky forumite down the road and I was right. The notes, one by one, have some potential and are also fraught with issues. I LOVE LOVE LOVE passionfruit and guava. To eat and drink. I love gin and tonic. To drink. I love tangerines. To eat. My biggest dealbreaker notes are: fruity fruit fruit, booze and aquatics. But I forged on for science. IN THE IMP: Smells like I'd love to pour this in a nice glass at a tiki bar, stick a few cubes of ice in it and down this baby. DABBED ON WRIST WET: Oy, Orangey orangey orange orange orange. My problem with fruit is that it goes SOOOOOOOOOOO syrupy sweet medicinal I feel like my mom has come back to life and is chasing me around the house with a bottle of Triaminic cough syrup to make me take it. Not one of my favorite childhood memories, shall we say? SO, sadly, we never got dry down. We got wash off. sooooooooooooooory. Scale of 1-5: 1. But I bet it would have tasted good.

Gifted this in a purchase by the most generous seller who sent some really hard-to-find and unusual scents. I confess that as a died-in-the-wool Democrat I figured I would not POSSIBLY like this scent ... but ... IN THE IMP: Light and dark (hahaha), but overall a lovely slightly sweet yet strong resiny spice. Dabbed on the wrist and in the crook because I loves me my resins. WET: Just ... great! I'd vote for this! Clean and sexy and yet subdued, not in your face at all. And thank GOD I did not get ANY of the booze, which can be a real deal breaker on me. DRYDOWN: I just love sniffing my wrist. It's subtle and lovely and something I could wear to work because it's so light it would be my little secret. Though I'd never admit the name if anyone asked. OVERAL: A shocking keeper. Yay! On a scale of 1-5 I g 4.25.

I'm so envious of people who can really identify specific notes. I can do it occasionally but most of the time my reviews tend to be images, evocations, etc. Sooooooooooory Got a bottle of this from the Lab's Etsy site, intrigued by the blend though admittedly not recognizing many of the notes. Decanted an imp to work from. IN THE IMP: Metallic. Desert. And also slightly fizzy which I guess was the sarsaparilla. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: This is so unusual and yet weirdly familiar at the same time. Sand, salt, tang, ironworks. I honestly cannot identify a single note of the many listed. DRYDOWN: It's interesting, though still indescribable. It definitely evokes heat, like red-hot metal, and the "Fire" makes a lot of sense. It's nice but it's not something I can see reaching for in my box of goodies and so will go into the swap box (yeah, yeah, soon to be a major motion picture or at least a lengthy addition to my sales/swap thread ... just waiting till it's done and I'm only moving onto the Gs now). OVERALL: Nice, interesting, unusual and complex but just not for me. On a scale of 1-5 a solid 3.