JazzieCazzie

Test-driving a few new scents and this was one of them, purchased as a 5 ML from the wonderful world of the Lab Etsy (oh Labbies, how I adore your Etsys ... if and when I ever land a new job I will SO reward myself with a more few unsniffed and untried new wonders). I was intrigued by the list of notes -- a few major favorites (amber, sandalwood, cinnamon and incense), one that I've never tried as a note but love for its spiciness (marigold), one that can be good or bad on me (vanilla) and one I was clueless on (chrysanthemum). IN THE IMP: A sweet, light, spicy floral and offered abundant possibilities for fresh springy goodness. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: I thought it was my imagination but the first thing I thought when it hit my skin was AQUATIC! AQUATIC? and I double-checked the notes for something like lotus. I confess that while I love few things more than being at the beach, aquatics do NOT like my skin chemistry at all. And I thought I was totally crazy until I read the reviews here to find that LunaLovegood (great name, BTW) had the same reaction (maybe we're skin twins). DRYDOWN: So so sad that this just does not work on me at all. On drydown all I have is aquatic-smelling powder. Maybe it's the mums? I don't know what they're supposed to smell like. Am thinking the powder is the vanilla. But NO amber, NO incense, NO sandalwood and NO marigold. OVERALL: I am sure this would be divine with someone else's body. But for me, it's not a washoff but it's a swapper. On a scale of 1-5, for me it's a 2.

I'm going to bump this because while the boxwood scent I'm looking for is not limited to old cemeteries, I think it's probably too similar a note to start a new thread (and Ivy was kind enough to bring this to my attention in my question re: how to find a thread looking for a specific note). I don't know if old cemetery boxwoods smell the same as fresh in-my-front-yard boxwoods or all the boxwood bushes that seem to line the streets of Old Williamsburg, Va., (the place I really associate with the smell) ... But for years and years I'd smell this and think "Williamsburg! WHAT the heck IS that smell?" and finally passed one (I think it was on Capitol Hill) and asked the owner and voila, had a name for it. Now I have one in front of my house and always love to sniff it when I walk in or out. The deer love it too. To me, it is SUCH a unique scent, one so ineffably springy-summery and green and fresh and yet evocative of the olden days that I was hoping there might be more blends that include it. I was directed to this past Weenie's Heinous Hedge-Maze and have an imp coming my way so I'll get to see if it's close, but am worried that the rosemary (NOT my favorite scent) will overpower it. Beth or Labbies, if you read this and ever respond to a question like this, IS there such thing as a boxwood note or oil? Or is there something similar? I think if you ever decided to add an Old Williamsburg or colonial scent to the Wanderlust line, boxwood should be the predominant note!!!

I know that reviewing for the scent is not what TAL is about but since we do apply it, I figured I'd chime in on this one ... was gifted with a small vial of this by one of the kindest and most wonderful forumites out there (who happened to start this thread), who knew that its purpose was one which I could really use. I have been waiting for the proper time to attempt some sort of mini "ritual" with it but in the meantime, had decanted it to an imp which would fit my homemade BPAL box and in doing so, dropped the teensiest drop on my desk. Not one to waste, I swiped it up with my finger and dabbed on my wrist so here is my review (and maybe my desk will have some good fortune!): IMP: Sharp and woodsy and evokes images of the first day of school, sharpened pencils, clean pleated uniform jumper and freshly washed white blouse (which means elementary school I guess, back when I loved school and was a star student) ... gender neutral. ON WRIST: How can I explain this? Perhaps it's just my imagination working overtime but it smells of high hopes realized ... the smell of success. DRYDOWN: Distinctly cologne but in a pleasant and comforting way. Clean, reassuring. I get no cocoa or cinnamon but the woods and, to a lesser extent, the patchouli are strong. I look forward to using this in a more cerebral and ritual manner soon. ETA: I just had to add this. Very shortly after writing this post I got a phone call from my husband who was between gigs (he's a musician) with a little funny story to share ... he'd gotten a phone call from a guy who does the booking for a semi-regular job he does at a chain of bar-restaurants in the area. He had booked him for an upcoming Friday night (a pretty good money job) but turns out he had inadvertently double-booked him with the guy who USUALLY does that particular club and no longer needed him. However, since he didn't want to tick off my husband, he offered to still pay him in full for the gig and let him take the night off. I don't remember the last time he had a Friday night off ... And yes, he got the phone call at almost the exact time I spilled that teensy drop on my desk LOL. Coincidence, he said. MAYYYYYYYbe.

Purchased in February as part of my "impapalooza" purchase from the Lab based on interesting notes. This is the first time I've tried it, as I work alphabetically through ALL of my imps and bottles as a current project. IN THE IMP: Sharp, masculine, busy. On second kick up comes the seaspray scent and something else that is oddly sweet and bubblegummy. Maybe the myrrh which tends to go sweet and funky on me on drydown but usually not something I pick out in imp or when wet. Dabbed on one wrist. Scares me a little. WET: So complex. Each time I sniff I get something else ... a note, an image, an odd idea. Seaside. Driftwood. Bubble gum. Cologne. A lot of cologne. Dial soap. Food. Juice. More cologne. DRYDOWN: Interestingly enough, I don't get my usual myrrh-powder-funk. But the cologne note, whatever that is, is just wayyyyyyyy too strong and masculine for me. OVERALL: I think this is a great guy scent, what with the seaspray and cologne. It just isn't for me. On a scale of 1-5, about a 2. For me.

Working my way through the alphabet of my BPAL collection, reviewing and re-reviewing everything. I know this is not my first imp of Eden but already can't recall if I've had this awhile or may have been lagniapped with it during one of my recent flurry of swaps/purchases. The imp is about 2/3 full. I know I've tried it before, liked it, didn't review it and didn't like it quite enough to keep it. So here goes again for the first time. IMP: Smells like candy. The coconut and almond definitely are the prevailing scents to me, though it was the fig, honey and sandalwood that attracted my hard-earned dineros when I first ordered it. Dabbed on wrist. WET: Coconut-honey-almond. It smells like the honey-flavored macaroons I just bought for Passover (I know, it's not for a few weeks, don't judge). I may have to find a recipe for macaroons that has honey and fig in it for the homemade batch I am making for family mini-seder. INITIAL DRYDOWN: For some strange reason, this goes TOTALLY wonky on me. Though all five notes generally play pretty nicely with me, with except of coconut (which is problematic for me because it's TOO SWEET), this is salty and a scent or evocation of something that I can't place at first. Then I realize WHY I can't place it, because it's something I wouldn't normally associate with perfume -- I SMELL LIKE THAI SEAFOOD. Maybe it's because I am so not a fan of Thai food that when I'm dragged along somewhere I stay safe and order coconut-milk something or other. The fig is just barely evident -- despite being first note listed, it's completely drowned out by the coconut and almond. LATER DRYDOWN: Huzzah, huzzah. Fig is a latent but powerful note here. Now? Figgy fig fig fig with some mellowing sandalwood and slightly sweetening honey and almond. Bye bye coconut. OVERALL: I don't think I'm going to keep this because, much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE me my BPAL fig, I plan on buying big bottles of Nemesis and Nephilim on next order (or swapping for them), and they fit the bill better for me. Score on scale of 1-5: 3 on final drydown but off to lagniappe box (imp not full enough to offer as full imp in swap but would make lovely extra).

Eclipse is a great example of a scent, on my at least, that patience was a virtue. I know I had an imp (maybe a bottle) of this way back in my early-ish BPAL days (probably took me a little extra time to jump on the bandwagon because I was not brave enough to try almond, but once I got frimped I bought a bottle IIRC). Swapped or sold it at some point and then decided to try again and buy another imp ... not that recently, since label is slightly stained and imp is half-empty, but it's not 8 years old either LOL. So, hitting my Three Es today as part of my scientific "try or re-try and review or revisit every single scent I have" project. IN THE IMP: Almondapalooza but not, like many people have mentioned, BITTER almond. Maybe it's the aging process or maybe the vanilla has aged because to me it's sweet almond, not unlike those yummy "hot nut bags" they sell at the local crafts fair (hey, I think I've been called a "hot nut bag" once or twice myself). Dabbed reasonably generously on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: A sweet and only very slightly spicy almond. I'd say about 85 percent almond-vanilla and 15 percent cinnamon. I am getting ZERO heliotrope or frankincense as far as I can tell ... INITIAL DRYDOWN: This is where it lost me, temporarily at least. It went a little soapy (may have been the heliotrope?) and a little plastic (probably the vanilla). It was pleasant, still, but not as good as it was when wet and in fact I placed it in the swap box (not full enough to swap but enough to add as an extra lagniappe). LATER DRYDOWN: Just went and moved the imp out of the swap box and back into the keeper box. An hour later, the soapiness and plastic are all gone. What remains is a very light and sweet scent, reminds me of marzipan as many others have noted. It's a clean scent (which I think is the cinnamon) and a comforting one ... OVERALL I think this would make a great "signature scent" for a teen who wants something different, something that not all the other girls are wearing -- something sweet and unusual and lovely, not suggestive or sexy but still unique. I often hesitate buying BPAL for people because it's such a personal thing, but this is one of those scents that I think would make a terrific gift, a great soap/bubble bath/perfume package, etc. Overall on a scale of 1-5 I give it a 4. Not something I'd reach for all the time but something that I would absolutely wear out the imp and probably buy or swap for another one on a large purchase.

Working through my entire collection to review or revisit and quadruple-test-drove four Dragon's Blood scents today, this among them. I was gifted with an imp of this a few years ago and was so besotted that I was thrilled to be able to buy a bottle off this very Forum. I am embarrassed to admit I don't recall what lovely boardie was kind enough to sell it to me, but I know she made GORGEOUS cap-labels because this stands out in my box with its beauty. (I also owe a huge debt of thanks to the lovely forumite who gifted me with this imp to start with ... it was a double-gift of this and The Ifrit, which have become among my top two BPAL scents EVAH!) The scent equals the label in its loveliness. IMP: Dragon's Blood, yes, but not that obvious upon first sniff since this is such a complex and complicated blend. I would use the term busy (just look at all those notes!) except that sometimes I think "busy" is a euphemism for something that doesn't work, and this really does! I'd call it rich, complex and green. Dabbed onto my wrist. WET: Just very, very beautiful with a different note coming out upon each sniff. I'm not totally sure I'd recognize the Dragon's Blood for what it is among all of the notes without the list ... while "green" to me in the bottle, when applied it is more golden. Sweet, slightly spicy, mellow. I think the frankincense is the most predominant note for me. Which isn't a bad thing. DRYDOWN: Light and lovely and remains a golden blend out of which I'd have trouble picking the notes but put all together is an absolute winner. OVERALL: Outstanding and lovely. SO glad I was gifted with this and so glad I was able to buy it. On a scale of 1-5, a 5.

Working my way through my imp and bottle collection (sloooooowly but surely) and decided to quadruple-test four of my Dragon's Blood scents today ... this included (along with Dragon's Hide, Dragon's Reverie and Dragon's Moon). I've had this imp for awhile, but not sure how long ... must have been post-2006 or so since I never reviewed it but I know it's not a newcomer to the box. IMP: Strong Dragon's Blood, perhaps the most out of the imp of the four, cut by the sharpness (in a good way) of the sandalwood. Applied to left wrist. WET: Of the four, upon application, remains the most "dragon's bloody" of the quartet but the pencil shavings of the sandalwood keeps it from being TOOOOO sweet and the two play together SO nicely. DRYDOWN: This is such a great combination, as the sandalwood mellows out the DB to the perfect degree and they co-exist peacefully and subtly on my for the rest of the day and evening. OVERALL: What's not to love? Dragon's Blood and THREE sandalwoods? Yummalicious. On a scale of 1-5, another 5.

Opium-laced dreams of flame, plunder, power and fury: dragon’s blood resin, poppy, amber and ylang ylang. I have absolutely NO idea how I missed this amazing scent my first few times through the Ars Draconis list, especially since I discovered somewhere along the line that I absolutely adored BPAL's Dragon's Blood. And that ylang-ylang is one of my absolute favorite floral notes. And that I love love love amber. And poppy. Well, whatever the reason may be, I happily stumbled across it on my first trip to Dark Delicacies and it was one of the three big bottles I bought on that memorable day. During this current "try every single imp and bottle in my collection and either review or revisit it," I quadruple-tested four DB scents, this one among them. It didn't disappoint (FYI the other three were Dragon's Hide, which sadly aged poorly on me since 2005, with the leather outlasting the DB, along with Dragon's Claw -- still divine -- and Dragon Moon 2008, ditto on the divinity list). IMP: Actually, in the imp, this one had the least obvious Dragon's Blood hit on me on first sniff, with the glorious florals overpowering it. Applied in the crook of my right arm. WET: Once on and interacting with the skin and bit of sweat, the DB woke up and roared into wonderful action, combining with those amazing florals and the amber to be, perhaps, my favorite of all of the applications of the day. There was also a little bit of sweet candy hidden behind the lush notes ... overall, just a great sexy scent. DRY: The drydown is long and lovely without being "in your face." I'd say that nine hours later the prevalent notes, subtle though they are, are the DB and the YY. OVERALL: Bravo. Worth waiting for. On a scale of 1-5, a definite 5.

Received as frimp from the Lab with an Etsy purchase of some wonderful oldie-goodies. I would never have chosen this myself but I know I received it as a frimp several years ago. However, I apparently never reviewed it so this is a first-time look. I want to preface this by saying that one of my weirdnesses when it comes to BPAL and scent in general is that while I ADORE lemon-flavored iced tea, I cannot drink hot tea at all mainly because I can't stand the smell. (When I get lovely lagniappes of tea in swaps, I send them to my very grateful daughter who ADORES hot tea so it's win-win). And I find the BPAL tea note almost unfailingly goes that form of wonky on me ... but in the name of being anal-retentive, open-minded and scientific, I am trying and reviewing (or re-reviewing) every imp and bottle that comes my way so here goes. IMP: Fruity, sweet, musky vanilla. Not bad. Dabbed on one wrist while co-testing Dia de los Muertos 2012 on the other one. WET: I know there is no fruit listed in the description but it goes distinctly "Jolly Rancher" on me as soon as it hits my skin. It's actually quite nice ... kind of sugar candy with a fruity kick. And no tea, so that is good. For the next few minutes, I TOTALLY get why this has been one of the most popular scents since its release. But then it dries down and ... DRYDOWN: Boom. Ugh. Tea. Lemon and tea. It just smells bitter and sour on me, as always. OVERALL: I totally understand this scent's popularity but it just is SO not right for me. Swap box on the ASAP. Score on a scale of 1-5: 1.5

REVIEWING THE 2012 VERSION Received as generous lagniappe in a purchase from a lovely forumite. I know I tried an earlier incarnation of this way back when but did not review it so not sure which year. Pretty sure it would have been part of a decant circle since it wasn't in a big bottle and it wasn't something I would normally order. And, obviously, it wasn't something I kept (I do remember liking All Souls from whatever that series was, though). IN THE IMP: Sweet sweet sweet and a little smoke. Dabbed tentatively on one wrist. WET: Sweet, still, and sugary but immediately a strong floral perfumey smell rises like department store perfume for old ladies. There is a hint of fall behind it but whatever floral it is (or more likely florals) are definitely a dealbreaker for me. But I'll try to patient it out for a few minutes for the sake of review science. DRYDOWN: No likey. To me, it is both too busy trying to be all things to all people and yet also too generic. It's a washoff. On to the next. On a scale of 1-5, a 1. Swap box for you, little Dia.

Acquired a bottle of Bony Moon 2009 (I had to look VERRRRRRRRY carefully to read the label because, you know, it sucks to get old) in a purchase from a lovely, lovely forumite. IN THE BOTTLE: While I naturally got the lovely lilt of the sandalwood, my first thought/image was slightly sweet and a bit fruity, which surprised me because I had not double-checked the description but thought it unlikely I would have bought something with fruit (way too risky for my body chemistry). Dabbed pretty generously on one wrist/crook (dual-testing with Anthelion on the other). WET: I realized almost immediately that what I thought was fruity in the bottle was actually the sweet green cedar once it was applied, the one wood that interacts so uniquely with my body. Not bad unique, but unique. The sandalwood amps up immediately (yay sandalwood!) and I smell glorious -- light and lovely but also spicy and golden. DRYDOWN: This is a scent that stays very true to me on drydown from its wet scent (I guess there's no myrrh, LOL). And that's a good thing. The herbs add that degree of ineffable, maybe unplaceable scents but they're all good ones. OVERALL: This is an unusual and slightly unplaceable but very awesome scent which takes a very very honored spot in my box of big bottles, and from which I have already decanted a single imp to take with me when I travel, etc. On a scale of 1-5: Very close to a 5.

RECEIVED as a frimp during an earlier purchase from the Lab and has been sitting in my imp box waiting for -- well, not sure how long. There's a slight stain on the label so I know it's not brand new. It's POSSIBLE I might have ordered it in an earlier impapalooza but it wasn't this last one. The notes are all ones that would appeal to me ... I just can't quite remember its genesis. IN THE IMP: It just smells a little musty and perfumey to me, not my usual first reaction to a combo of resiny/woodsy/incensey notes. Dabbed a little on my left wrist (double-testing Danse Macabre on the other wrist as I work my way alphabetically through my imps and bottles). WET: Sweeter once it hits my skin. Sweet and dark without my being able to really single out any of the notes. Pleasant but not captivating. DRYDOWN: Oh. There's that funky smell. I have yet to figure out for SURE what it is but I think I may have finally narrowed it down to myrrh. (At some point I should probably see if I can find every review where I've singled it out and make sure this is the culprit). I have no word for it but funky. It's not awful, it's just not great, and it's only evident on drydown. Slightly medicinal but ickily sweet. OVERALL: Yeah, this dances off in a two-step with Danse Macabre into the swap box. And I definitely need to read my old reviews again to see if it's myrrh, so I know not to order it anymore. I do love my frankincense though. SCORE: On a scale of 1-5, a low 3.

CCX -- received as a very lovely and generous lagniappe in a swap/purchase with another forumite. I was very happy to receive it because I bought one or two bottles of this at the time of release since I am a huge Penitence fan and neither one worked for me at all. I saw only one review of this version earlier in the thread, from Bastlynn, who noted black tea and oakmoss. IMP: Something very sweet blending with the Penitence. Dabbed on one wrist and the crook of that arm in a dual-scent testing morning. WET: Interestingly enough, the scents smell quite different between my wrist and my arm. In the crook, it is a little metallic and almost tangy but on my wrist it stays true to what I first noticed, a very sweet and pleasant note. At first I was thinking sugared frankincense, but it could definitely be more of a sweet wood. DRYDOWN: The contrast between crook and wrist is even more evident. The drydown in the crook is VERY VERY familiar from other BPAL scents and I'm thinking it could be the myrrh. To MY NOSE and ON MY BODY I don't get ANY tea at all. It's a little funky but not BAD funky. ON my wrist, however, it is absolutely sweet woodsy frankincense and a totally lovely scent. Still no tea. Not sure it's wood but it could be. OVERALL: I absolutely love this. If it were available in a big bottle I'd put it on the list. Instead, I'll save it for a few special occasions and enjoy the gift as it was given. SCORE: On a scale of 1-5 I'll give it a 4.8 -- 5 for my wrist and 4.5 for my crook, rounding up

Crushed violets, red currant, patchouli root, and Spanish moss. Received an imp of this as lovely lagniappe in a purchase from a wonderful forumite. I was very intrigued by the notes. I am a big lover of violet-scented goodies but generally in a more old-fashioned girl way (for example, one of my very favorite things in the world is the box of violet-scented dusting powder you can by in Williamsburg, Va.) IN THE IMP: "Dirty violets," using the term "dirty" in the best possible way ... as in real, dark, moist earth you dig up while gardening. Dabbed onto one wrist and crook of arm while co-testing with Baba Yaga on the other arm (trying to make SOME headway through my collection for reviews and a fully-functional swaplist AND wishlist). WET: Unfortunately, the more masculine (IMHO anyway) "sub-notes" quickly amp up to the surface with my skin chemistry so that while the spicy scent of violets and their friends remain for a little while, it gradually becomes much more men's cologne than feminine perfume. DRYDOWN: It's just not me. Despite the name which makes me thing of girly things (my own inference, I'm sure not implied), it's just a guy thing. Score: On a scale of 1-5, a 3 but not a keeper. OVERALL: I think this would make a wonderful scent for a guy. And if MY guy was even remotely willing to wear cologne I'd keep this and ask him to dab it on. But he hates smellies on himself (sensitive skin, whatever) and while his sense of smell is so minimal that he doesn't mind my constant playing with my BPAL because he doesn't really notice it unless I stick my wrist in his face, he won't wear it either. So someone (or someone's guy) will be the eventual beneficiary.

Dragon's blood. Amber. Two of my absolute favorite BPAL notes. In fact, maybe my two FAVORITE BPAL notes. What's not to like? Nothing. So why on earth had I not figured out I should try this YEARS ago? Instead, it took me until January 2012, when I went out to LA to visit Cazzie Lite (who moved out there after college). Hubby made lunch plans with his high school buddy who now lives in Burbank, and I got him to drop me off at Dark Delicacies so I could just nose-browse the BPAL display for two hours with a little bit of spending cash burning a hole in my pocket. Yes, I sniffed nearly every bottle there -- literally. The only exceptions were scents I'd already tried. And I thought narrowing it down to three scents would be tough until I came across Blood Amber (luckily quite early in the mix, since the GCs are alphabetical and the first ones I hit). I only bought two imps (bought a total of six imps, two each of three scents) but have it on my "big bottle" wishlist for when the day comes that I am gainfully employed again. IMP: Dragon's blood. Amber. Actually, in the imp it was more like dragon's blood, dragon's blood, dragon's blood and amber. Dabbed ... okay slathered ... onto both wrists and crooks of arms. WET: Dragon's blood amps up to big-time floral on me (it's so interesting how it has different effects on different people, for me it's very lushly gardenia ... before I learned to identify it, I would note that blends with DB reminded me of White Shoulders, my first "adult" perfume). But it didn't take long for that golden amber to rise as well, its sharpness providing the perfect balance with the DB. DRY: These two scents are among my favorites because a) neither ever goes wonky on me and they are both, for lack of a better word, "comfort" scents for me. There's something about amber that brings to mind safe times of childhood, the pharmacy across the street, the smells in the closet where we kept the clean linens and medical supplies. God knows why that would be comforting, but it is. It's clean and lovely and I would imagine that if I could have a little cloud of this scent hanging over my head every night I'd never have another nightmare or bout of insomnia, it is just so calming and comforting. OVERALL: This is one of the most perfect -- and to me quintessential -- BPAL scents. An easy 5 on a scale of 1-5 and a big bottle purchase as soon as it's feasible. If I didn't have two imps I'd do it now.

Purchased as part of an impapalooza batch from the Lab in February: IN IMP: Hard to really put my finger on any one of the scents but definitely strongly amber (though I guess because of the combinations of amber it's not my usual "comfort scent" amber) with a spicy floral It's a cold, gray rainy day and this smells so springy that I dabbed on both wrists, crooks of arms and cleavage. WET: The floral amps up so that the "white floral" (the apple blossom, I think) joins the amber to fight for my attention. It's a very full-bodied scent and a great mix of the amber, the floral and the spiciness, though I don't get straight-out carnation (which I am guessing is what's providing that subtle spice). DRY: When it dries, it gets a little perfumey on my wrists which isn't my favorite scent. HOWEVER, when dabbed in my cleavage, it stays moist enough that it maintains the wet smell which I love. OVERALL: I think this is a great spring/summer kind of scent that evokes garden parties and warmth and all the things I would desperately love to be surrounded by. With that in mind, my future plans would probably be to only put this in my cleavage On a scale of 1-5 a very high 3 but not quite a 4. But a keeper high-3.

Received a half-imp of this as a lovely lagniappe in a swap ... and while I am sure I am not adding anything to the thread that hasn't been already mentioned, in the interest of continuing reviewing and revisiting everything in my collection, here goes (I actually had an imp or a bottle of this at one point, when I bought a few of the Snake Pit scents upon original release, but apparently never reviewed any of them): IMP: Deep spicy cocoa Snake Oil. Dabbed a single dark brown stripe on one wrist pulse point and rubbed them together. WET: Snake Oil on its own tends to make me slightly queasy though I actually really like the scent, but the cocoa and the wood in this takes that "too sweet" edge off when wet and is pretty damned divine. DRY: Once it dries down, the Snake Oil takes over and doesn't let go. There has not been a moment that my wrists have not been piping up saying "I'm here! It's me! Snake Oil!" Just a LITTLE too much throw for me, even though it's throw that I like. OVERALL: 3.5 as a perfume. But since it's only a half-imp, rather than putting it in the swap pile I think I'm gonna turn the rest of it into lotion with unscented Aveeno. I suspect it would make a lovely and luxuriant lotion.

Received as frimp from Lab in a recent impapalooza order. Despite the descriptions from reviewers of Dragon's Blood (one of my favorite scents), even though it's not actually listed in the notes (though I guess maybe all "blood" titles are presumed to have DB in them?) as well as honey, which I usually like, I never would have ordered this because it contains not just one but TWO deal-breaking notes for me -- cherries and wine. But in the name of science and anal-retentiveness, I'm going through my entire collection to review and revisit, so Blood Kiss it was. IMP: Strong and actually bitter, almost to the point of being sour. The booziness made me think of sourmash. I dabbed the ever so teeny-tiny bit on my wrist. WET: Actually surprisingly not awful. The honey and vanilla, which I couldn't smell in the imp, immediately came to the forefront on my skin so while it was still boozy, it was sweet booze like liqueur. The cloves also amped which is always a good thing. In fact, I got bold and dabbed a little more on both wrists to get full effect. DRYDOWN: Surprisingly pleasant and complex and spicy and interesting. NOT a washoff. OVERALL: I'd give it a surprising 3 out of 5. If I didn't have such a big collection I might consider even keeping it but honestly, I don't see ever wearing it again given my other options so this will go to the swap pile which will eventually, once closer to being complete, make it onto the site LOL.

A frimp from the Lab with my recent impapalooza order. One I would never have ordered myself because, despite quite liking most if not all of the first few notes listed, the last note mentioned was the dreaded "peach." A deal-breaking note for me, no matter where it comes in the list. But I'm trying everything in my impbox, old, new and ... well, everything. My goal is to have reviewed or -re-reviewd every single BPAL I own. IMP: Yup. There it is, right in my face. The Peach. Over every other note, I get "the fruity." I dab a teensy tinsy bit on my wrist ... WET: As far as peaches go, this isn't horrible. It's closer to fresh peach (which happens to be one of my favorite things to EAT, but I just don't usually like fruit SCENTS if that makes any sense) than prevous BPAL peach notes I've tried (stomach-turning Fae, I'm looking at you) -- though I know they're really popular with people, so it's clearly just something with my chemistry that makes it nauseating. This is kind of soft and pink ... maybe the vanilla and sandalwood offset the peachy-peachy? DRYDOWN: Nah. Just not me. Just a little too girly-fruity-sweet for my tastes. Not horrible. But does reaffirm my feeling that I don't go well with fruit. OVERALL: 1.5 Scampers off to the swap box.

Frimp from the lovely Labbies with recent impapalooza order: IN IMP: Winey winey wine wine wine combined with darkness. Dabbed VERY tentatively on wrists ... because while I adore red wine to drink, it has been one of my "bad notes" in the past ... WET: Storm clouds made of red wine, and old leather. Maybe not my best smell. DRYDOWN: On me, these notes combine to make me smell like the back of an old NYC taxicab late at night, after its carried all sorts of interesting folks at different levels of inebriation and smoke-filled backrooms. I smell like lusty old men. It might make for a good short story, poem or painting, but not a great scent for me. Overall: 1.5 Off to the swappy imp pile with you, Black Tower.

Hmmmm, mystery imp for me. It was in my imp box all clean and fresh which means I got it from the Lab at some point not TOO long ago, but it was not part of my recent February impapalpooza. And since it's in there I may have ordered it (the notes would suggest that) but I never reviewed it and (inexplicably, as you'll see) I kept it. So, yeah. From reasonably fresh Lab Imp: IN IMP: Something fruity and slightly, for lack of a better word, "icy." Sweet. Not what I expected, though certainly the caramel may have contributing to the sweetness (and, I guess, the honey but I can usually recognize that). Dabbed lightly on wrists. WET: Wow. This is not working for me AT ALL and it's deteriorating quickly and surprisingly, I tend to play really well with musk, benzoin and honey but none of those notes seem to be in play here at all. Just an ineffable perfumey sweetness that is making me a little nauseated, not a usual BPAL response for me. DRY: Just department store perfume. Tristesse. Adieu, Bien Loin. You will make someone else a happy imp someday. OVERALL: 1. My third washoff of the day so think I'm gonna stop testing for now. Maybe it's just a bad chem day (though I was also testing the ones that I thought might not work, since I knew I'd be home and could do washoffs if needed). .

Acquired from the Lovely Labbies as a frimp in my recent Impapalooza order (I got 24 imps and they frimped me -- now in verb form -- with several intriguing additions!) IMP: Wow. Really interesting and unusual and complex to my nose. I try to write down the images if I can't get notes (and despite 9 years of BPAL-dom I'm still a notesy novice for the most part). Sweet wood ... definitely quite masculine to me, but not to the degree of some of the "fougeres" where I can't imagine even giving them a skin-based test run (and no booze, luckily). Dabbed gently on my wrists out of caution. Smart move because ... WET: This is REALLY strong on me. Interestingly, though it is sweet to me in the imp, once on my skin it gets quite salty. And now I definitely recognize the tobacco ... it smells like sweet pipe tobacco. And while others have been able to pick out the vanilla very easily, to me I would never have picked out "vanilla" per se, but can see it as "vanilla pipe tobacco." It's very pleasant but probably not me ... but I wanted to wait for drydown to make a decision. DRY: Yup. Powdery pipe tobacco. More powdery and tobacco. It reminds me a little of my late grandmother's bathroom -- no, not in an icky way. She had a few old-school powders and bath oils and this is reminiscent of that. It's not what I'd call my "comfort" scent but yet is ineffably comforting because of those vague sensory memories. OVERALL: I really do like the scent a LOT. I don't really like it on me as a perfume. It's NOT a washoff, I'm more than content to wear it for the rest of the day. I wouldn't wear it again and it will land in my swap pile (which will eventually be big enough, I think, to finally put together a legit swap/sale page but I'm waiting until I've gone through EVERYTHING in my box, both new and old, to have a complete list). I would LOVE this, however, as a candle, tart or scent diffuser. Out of 5, I give it a strong 3. Big like.

A new-to-me scent, surprisingly enough given the listed notes -- I would have thought I'd have ordered it at some point in the past. But apparently not, and this imp was acquired in February 2013 when I ordered a whole boatload of imps, some I wanted to revisit and others I wanted to try for the first time. A few days ago, I did a TINY test on it for the "A-B-C" thread in BPAL Chatter and here was my VERY initial reaction: Outstanding yet subtle and sweet blend of my favorite kind of floral offset by something more mysterious. Come to mama. ... I love the spicy floral of it and it makes me just want to keep sniffing myself. ... I'd say it reminds me ever so slightly of Twilight and Veil, my very first two BPAL purchases, both of which remain favorites though not ones I wear frequently (I try to keep my regular go-to scents on the more subtle and spicy side rather than floral, because I find that people who have scent issues tend to be bothered more by florals than anything else). So this time, for full review purposes, I was a little more generous in application with some differences in initial reaction. IMP: Surprisingly not very floral to me, per se ... more ineffably "other-worldly" and spicy and slightly mysterious. Had I not known the notes, I would have been baffled but thought possibly green/herbal. Applied to wrists and crooks. NOT to cleavage this time. WET: BAM BOOM HELLO HONEYSUCKLE. Not sure if this note amps on me this immediately all the time or just in this mix but ... wow. But not sweet lovely southern honeysuckle which blooms in my back yard in the spring. A strong, syrupy, spicy honeysuckle. Someone earlier in this thread comped it to New Orleans and I would agree. In fact, had I not known better, I would have also suspected there might be some jasmine in here. Yet even with that in-your-face floral, there was a spicy green-ness looming, like a kid in the backseat making itself known. DRY: Very spicy and strong and floral and unusual. I still keep thinking jasmine and not sure why. This IS a keeper for me and it's wonderfully complex, but I wouldn't buy a big bottle of it because it's definitely not for everyone and I have a feeling the people I spend the most time with would not be big fans ... I wouldn't wear this in an office setting or anyplace I was going to meet new people that I wanted to impress. Not a knock on it at all ... just that I can see it being a "love it or hate it" scent. Subtle, it ain't. I'd go 3.5 out of 5, will keep it and dab it on occasionally for that feeling of being debauched and Blanche Dubois-ish.

Working my way through my alphabetical collection of imps and bottles and stunned to see that I never reviewed Ace of Swords (in fact, I can't find any Tarot reviews, which is odd because I am pretty sure that if I didn't get a complete imp collection at the time, I at least had SEVERAL) ... but onwards. This is from an imp I decanted from my own original 10 ML bottle and my only remaining Tarot scent (though I am putting The World on my wish list, recalling that was also a favorite). IMP: Pure lavender but very light and airy. I know it isn't "straight lavender oil" but that's the only note I am getting. Not that that is a bad thing since I am a lavender fanatic. Applied to both wrists, crooks of arms and cleavage (note: I will ONLY do a cleavage application if I KNOW it's a scent I love because I've got a LOT of cleavage and it tends to be the one spot with legs -- no, my boobs do not have legs but the scent always lasts there longer). WET: Even upon application to my skin, I'm not getting anything recognizable other than the lavender. It's a gentle version of it and a light and airy version, so I am sure it's working in wonderful cahoots with something else, but I have no idea what. The suggestion of others that it's white sandalwood makes sense to me since that is a note that I find works wonderfully with me 100% of the time, but generally doesn't "stand out" but rather morph with other notes on my skin. DRY: Completely gone on my wrists. Noticeable but mildly in the crooks of my arms with something that could be very slightly white floral, perhaps? And in cleavage? AMPING up the lavender but with a second comfort scent which I'm guessing must be the sandalwood. OVERALL: I love love love this. I think it would be the perfect lavender blend to give a newbie who doesn't love strong scents but likes lavender that doesn't smell "old ladyish." My daughter, who has tremendously different tastes than I do and is sensitive to strong scents (won't go into a Lush store, etc.) has been having a lot of headache issues and I think I am going to refill my imp to the top and send this along to her in my mommy-made headache first-aid box). Sad that it's discontinued but wonder if it might at some point be re-introduced as part of the Somnus line? Would be a great addition to that. 5 out of 5.