JazzieCazzie

BOTTLE: Strong cedar with a soft vanilla twist. WET: The same as in the bottle. I generally love Beth's cedar blends. This one is somehow woody and girly at the same time. DRYDOWN: Very strong with a PlayDoh throw. Both husband and daughter ask simultaneously what I'm wearing (they rarely do) as we're leaving the house to go to dinner ... and not really in a "wow we love that scent!" way ... Sadly, the drydown goes just too cloying on me. Not a keeper, alas. On a scale of 1-5, I'd give it somewhere between a 2 and a 3. REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED APRIL 2013: So as I'm working my way through all of my BPALs from A-Z, I come to Tombstone. Interestingly enough, despite my previous review, I actually have two imps of this ... one I ordered from the Lab earlier this year based on notes (and before I re-read my old reviews) and one I received from a forumite as lagniappe in a swap/purchase. Because my plan was to try EVERY scent in my collection, I gave this another go ... IN THE IMP: The Wild West name is so appropriate. This is sharp and woody with a sweet tinge and very very hot. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: While I really couldn't put my finger on the vanilla (the culprit in the earlier PlayDoh incident) it amps upon application. I TOTALLY get the "PlayDoh" association but it's not superstrong and it's more the cedar-vanilla, I think. It doesn't suck. I don't feel the need to wash it off. I'm not sure it's something I'd wear again but it's really interesting. DRYDOWN: This has a lot of legs and the drydown is definitely that sweet wood. But much much much later ... finally ... I keep getting this "this scent is SOOOOOOOOO familiar" feeling and I finally realize that it is dead on pipe tobacco. OVERALL: I like this and respect the artistry in it. It's very appropriate for the name. I think it's a masculine scent in that guys could wear it but it's not so "fougere"-like that it couldn't be gender neutral. After consideration, though, it's just not something I'll wear so both imps will go onto the swap list but with a higher grade than first time around. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.

While this was yummy yum yum when wet, with all sorts of spicy and ineffable promise, on drydown it went wonky, salty and old-lady powdery ... ON a scale of 1-5 I give it a meh 3 and put it in the swap pile.

On my second go-round with this it went immediately on my MUST HAVE MORE list ... BOTTLE: Sharp and smoky WET: Mysterious, band-aids and coca-cola, mesmerizing. Medicinal but in a good way. It is so hypnotic and amazing. DRYDOWN: Terrific throw all day. On a scale of 1-5, this is officially a 5. REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED MARCH 2013 as I work my way through ALL of my scents, A-Z, to figure out what I need and what I can swap. This is from an older imp (not sure of date, I have two, both from Lab). IN THE IMP: Fizzy spicy soda with a kick. Not placing the smoke in the imp this time. Applied to wrist, crook of arm and cleavage (always a favorite place if I know I like the scent in advance). WET: I can see the "band-aids and coca cola" reference from my first go-round though being a little more familiar with notes now it's probably more like root beer. As soon as I apply it, there is an immediate sweetness which I didn't note in the imp, and am guessing that's the myrrh. It actually reminds me a lot of Kathmandu when wet, which I test-drove again last night. A similar middle-eastern or Indian complex blend, heady and grounding at the same time. After about a minute or so, I start getting a floral throw -- from the poppy, I assume. DRYDOWN: I love all the different "tastes" of this ... sweet, spicy, salty. There's something a little unusual about it (the salty part, kind of a foody Indian cooking smell) but it is still very very nummy. OVERALL: While this is not something I would wear every day, I really love it and think it is a FANTASTIC "dab a little bit on before you go to a party with really cool people, because they will find you fascinating and exotic and want to know why you smell so good!" scent. On a scale of 1-5, really close to a 5. Maybe a 4.8.

BOTTLE: Stuffy, like a study that hasn't been aired out in awhile. WET: Incense and something else, slightly fruity. DRYDOWN: This is a great scent to wear to work ... it's a calming combination of incense and wood, very grounding. On a scale of 1-5, a solid 4. REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED MAY 2013: Bought another imp of this in a recent haul because apparently I have never met a frankincense and cedar blend I didn't like. IN THE IMP: Pure cedar and frankincense. Dabbed pretty generously on my wrist and in the crook of my arm. I've been on the DL, haven't eaten solid food in 10 days, and I could use some good grounding. WET: As expected/hoped, this is another blend in the family of Cathedral, Penitence, etc. which is just divine, no pun intended. There is something once on my skin that is ever-so-slightly different than the blends that are strictly "church" blends, though ... something slightly pungent, a bit fruity. Am guessing it's either the galangel or High John since I'm not sure what either of those are. It makes the blend more complex but no less delicious. DRYDOWN: There is a slightly burnt scent on the drydown, as if the incense had been lit and just blown out. OVERALL: All in all. this is another wonderful complex resiny-goodness scent that is just my style. Can't have enough of them and I thank Beth again for being such a master of them! On a scale of 1-5, a 4.8

BOTTLE: Floral floral floral. Jasmine and honeysuckle bam on the nose. WET: I'm not sure it reminds me of New Orleans, but it's a great floral. Slightly smoky, very lush, hot and exotic. This would be a great vacation scent to wear with a cute silk sundress and a fresh flower behind my ear. DRYDOWN: A little goes a long way. Definitely not an everyday scent. On a scale of 1-5 I give it a solid 4 for special occasions.

I bought two bottles of this because I thought I would SO love it, and bought one bottle each of Pink Moon and Beltane ... who would have expected I'd love the latter two but be totally meh on this one??? In the bottle, it is a somehow familiar purpley scent, not quite grape but fruity and syrupy. Rich and oozy. Wet: It's not bad, not a washoff by any means, but not what I'd hoped for and definitely not something I would wear. I got no sense whatsoever of the woods or the smoke of the incense, just a sweet darkness. On a scale of 1-5 I give it an OK 3.

Grapefruit, red currant, dark musk, Roman chamomile, delphinium, and lavender. In the bottle I get more of an iced tea scent than grapefruit. How strange. It's nice enough, light and citrusy but a little too sweet for me on drydown. Like Baobhan, it dries down to high quality soap on me. I will offer it to my daughter, who is addicted to Baobhan Sith and all things grapefruit, otherwise into the swap bin. On a scale of 1-5, I give it a solid 3.

I'll preface this by saying that I am always on the lookout for this because it is my 14-year-old daughter's absolutely favorite perfume in the world. It is her first "signature scent" ... I test drove it again however for my own review purposes ... luckily I am not as in love with it so we're not fighting over the imps LOL ... I do love it in the bottle, a fresh pulpy slightly acidic grapefruit. Not at all like my beloved sweet Pink Grapefruit single note at all, but a zingy eye-opening kind of citrus. However as it dries down, the tea (always a bad note for me) and the apple blossom rise and make it slightly soapy and sweet on me. Not the way lily does, but more like a high-priced fancy soap ... I'm not sure if my daughter slathers it or not, but I always notice it on her when she walks by and it's kind of sweet and lotiony, more apple blossom than grapefruit. On a scale of 1-5, I give it a 3 and she gives it, of course, a 5.

<div class="bpal" style="background-color:transparent; border: 1px dotted #000033; color: #000099; padding: 5px; width: 90%; align:center;margin:0 auto 0 auto"><i>Spell-soaked herbs and flowers, cold iron, broom twigs, bundles of moss and patchouli root, and moth dust.<!-- bpal scent end --></i></div> This is one of the few scents which I really do not like in the bottle but I love when it's on ... In the bottle, to me, it's almost too sickly sweet and fruity, almost fake-fruity smelling. Yet once it's on, it goes right to Dole pineapple chunks in a can, deliciously sweet and juicy. On drydown, it adds in a sweet sugary scent that makes me describe it as pineapple upside-down cake. It lingers all day with just the right amount of throw, a sweet, fruity and light scent ... If this is released I would definitely buy a big bottle ... On a scale of 1-5, a very high 4. REVISITED AND REVIEWED THE RELEASED VERSION FEBRUARY 2013: Purchased an imp of this during my recent impapalooza buy from the Lab, even though I knew that the officially-released version was different (to some degree, didn't know how much) from the long-ago prototype which I had so surprisingly adored. IN THE IMP: It definitely lives up to its description with its intriguing and unique combination of herbs and woods. Dabbed onto one wrist and crook (I'm trying to make some headway so I have moved onto trying two scents at once, one on each arm). WET: Some sweetness seeps through but overall it quickly morphs into a slightly acerbic cologne. DRYDOWN: It's on the herbal side for sure and gone gone gone is the lovely pineapple-upside-down-cake scent which had me longing for its official release for years. OVERALL: Just not for me. Not bad but nothing special ... too much perfume. Score: A 2.5 on a scale of 1-5 and into the swap box. I AM curious, though, whether the original Baba Yaga blend was ever released by the Lab under a different name or, even, anything similar to it? I'm not a fruity-scent lover but this one was divine!

I totally adore this and am sorry I only got one bottle of this and Pink Moon, while buying two Hexennachts which ended up really not working for me at all ... Maybe posters here are right about the jasmine being the dominant note, but for some reason I keep thinking hyacinth or possibly lilac ... This is a very lush floral, a purple floral or maybe a white one, as opposed to, say, Tarot: Strength which to me was a green floral. On a scale of 1-5, I would give it very close to a 5.

You know, I'm still not quite sure why/how the Excolo scents were culled from their original categories in the permanent catalogue but I have to say I think this is my favorite category now ... so many of my favorites put in here ... In the bottle I just adore this ... golden buttery Florida florals, memories of my childhood. This is one of my absolutely favorite BPAL florals ... an ecstatic scent that evokes bright yellow cheer, a fun spring scent ... On a scale of 1-5 I give it a very high 4.

In the bottle, I smell clean fresh cedar. I absolutely love the wet smell of this. It's woodsy, ever-so-slightly spicy and bright ... it is somehow peaceful and sunny at the same time. Grounding and uplifting simultaneously. On drydown there is just the slightest lemony tang to it but a sweet lemon, not a sour citrusy one ... I have upgraded my initial ranking of this (4) to a 5. UPDATED REVIEW FEBRUARY 2013: From an OLD imp that was nearly empty ... as I am assiduously going through ALL of my BPAL and revisiting ... IMP SNIFF: Reminding me why I love this and why I am kicking myself for not buying a 5 ML when I should have/could have ... has that ineffable "linen/medicine closet" smell that I've never been able to quite identify but which reminds me of my childhood, in a good way. I THINK it may be amber? In this mix, it is very light and golden and also somehow fresh ... (I wonder if that is the "Band-Aid" smell that some people refer to? I could definitely make that connection.) Wet application: Very, very light gold ... has a slightly spicy scent, I want to say sharp but in a very very GOOD way. Maybe a touch of lavender to my nose? Drydown: Subtle and lovely and couldn't stop sniffing myself. If the Lab were to ever bring this baby back I think I'd buy a few bottles. Clearly, it ages well since this imp has to be several years old. UPSHOT: This time around I got NONE of the citrus that I sniffed first time. Not sure if it's aged out, my skin chemistry has changed, or I simply didn't have the "note vocabulary" or experience to ID notes correctly. The good news, though, is I put out a DISO for this on the forum and a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful forumite promptly swapped me her bottle of it! A definite 5.

I am torn between this and Dragon's Bone as my favorites from this line ... adding both as big bottle purchases down the line (the fall, perhaps???) ... There must have been something in my childhood that had the Dragon's Blood scent in it because how else can I explain that ineffable pure pleasure this scent gives me, that feeling of comfort and warmth? I love the slightly salty, outdoorsy drydown that is the perfect offset to the sweetness of the DB. On a scale of 1-5, this is definitely a 5. REVISITED AND REREVIEWED MARCH 2013: Being quite the Dragon's Blood fan, I decided to be Daring and Bold and, today, amidst my current "try every imp and bottle I have," actually test-drove FOUR different DB imps. Surprisingly, Dragon's Hide turned out to be my least favorite of the quartet and the only one that landed in the swap box (it may simply have not aged well since I think it's the same imp from the original review in June 2005). IMP: Very little Dragon's Blood, but rather a very perfumey scent. Dabbed on left crook of arm. WET: This hit me like a smack in the face, before I'd even bent my head to sniff it. The leather popped out right away combined with a perfumey scent that bore very little resemblance to Dragon's Blood (the only one of the quartet that had morphed in this manner). It smells like old perfumey leather -- like a stuffy hair salon, the combination of hairspray and used faux leather swivel chairs. DRY: Sadly has the most legs of any of the four but those legs are cheap department store perfume on me. OVERALL: This is the lone dragon that didn't age well for this damsel. Obviously, in my case, the leather offset the DB. SCORE: On a scale of 1-5, this has decreased from a fresh 5 to an old 1.

I don't get any musk from this at all ... I get straight out spicy floral Dragon's Blood, like a big tube of orange Bain De Soleil No. 4. To me this smells a lot like Wrath (I haven't checked but I am guessing in retrospect Wrath MUST have Dragon's Blood in it), without the "red hots." I love Dragon's Blood but have found that my favorite blends are the ones where it is cut with something dry and incense, like Bone and Hide ... This is just too too for me ... on a scale of 1-5, I give it a high 3.

I love Dragon's Blood and I love lilac, but somehow the two combined together, while a delicious scent in and of itself, was just too floral and strong and potent for me to wear as a regular perfume ... I think for that reason I will stick with my two favorites, Dragon's Bone and Dragon's Hide, because the smoky incense of those cuts the floral just enough to make a perfect blend. On a scale of 1-5, I would love this as a candle, or room scent, but as a perfume I give it about a high 3.

BOTTLE: Very floral. Probably too much rose for me ... yet also really nice. WET: Soapy (makes me think there is lily in here) and sweet. I think this would be the perfect scent to give a young girl who is just starting to wear perfume. It's a nice Sunday summer smell. DRYDOWN: It just stays a little too strong too long for me, making me slightly queasy and I didn't apply very much ... so into the swap bin it goes. But I can see this being a very popular scent with people who love light white floral. On a scale of 1-5 I would give it a high 3, very nice, just not quite right for me. REVISITED FEBRUARY 2013: Imp ordered from lab February 2013 as a re-order ... intrigued by the notes and thought I'd give it a post-menopausal try LOL. In imp: Yes, still very floral, but in a good way, with the jasmine, sandalwood and musk offsetting the rose. Wet application: Having read my previous note, this time I just dabbed a bit on one wrist, sparingly, and rubbed them together. Drydown: This time it goes into the keeper box instead of the swap pile. It's a little more "sophisticated" and "feminine" than my usual everyday go-to favorites (I tend towards the dragon blood, the amber, the pepper, the ginger, the honey, the spice and the stinky hippie scents most of the time) but I think it would be a nice change of pace if I were dressing up for an evening out and wearing makeup. I'd still give it a high 3 but I'm a tough grader.

Bought as an imp based on the notes. Immediately bought a 10 ML!!! Cannot believe I haven't reviewed this here yet ... BOTTLE: There are no words to describe this. I wish there were. They'd be very good words. WET: Sweet and spicy and cocoa, I feel like a cross between a walking chocolate ice cream soda and a batch of slightly scorched 'smores (the best kind). DRYDOWN: Totally sweet cedar and smoke. This is divine. Completely a Top 10 scent for me ... mesmerizing and brilliant. Needless to say on a scale of 1-5 I give this a 5-plus.

Ordered as an imp based on the notes. Sadly, the cap to the imp broke off and leaked and by the time I was able to decant it into another imp I had only about a half imp left ... BOTTLE: Sharp, sweet and spicy all at once. WET: OK, this may sound crazy but it reminds me of what I would imagine the candy cottage in the woods that Hansel and Gretel come across would smell like ... yummy sweet candy but with the dark green pine scent intermingled. DRYDOWN: Slightly fizzy, like cream soda mixed with Band-Aids. On a scale of 1-5, I'd give it a 4 and would probably buy another imp or two down the road ... REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED MARCH 29, 2013: After a hiatus, launched a project to not only revisit and/or review every single BPAL scent in my collection, but also -- since said collection has been dispersed alot over the years -- to reacquire certain scents I'd favorably reviewed and wanted to try again. So an imp of Black Forest was included in a February "impapalooza" purchase from the Lab. IN THE IMP: Green -- the whole spectrum of green from pale fizziness to deep pine. But overall, in the imp, light, fresh and pungent. Applied to wrist and crook of arm. WET: Almost eight years later, either my body chemistry or my nose has morphed enough that upon application it definitely amps the pine. There is still the evocation of soda -- but the sweetness isn't as prominent AT FIRST. I'd call it, maybe Pine Soda? DRYDOWN: NOW I get the sweeeeeeeeeetness. I'm still not sure what note makes it so sweet -- the ambergris, perhaps? The cypress, which tends to be sweet wood on me (not as sweet as cedar but still sweet)? I can see why I would have called it "cream soda and Band-Aids" but a more refined nose palate (combined with being post-menopausal, perhaps) would now describe it more as powder and piney fizz. And it gets sweeter and sweeter the more it dries down, but while that "powder" scent usually nauseates me, the green aspects of the blend offset it enough that it is a really yummy and unusual blend. OVERALL: This is not a scent for every day or every person. But it is definitely a keeper for occasional use. Ironically, though the path to get to the scoring took a few different forks in the road, in the end it came out identical to that I wrote in 2005: On a scale of 1-5, I'd give it a 4 and would probably buy another imp or two down the road ...

Ordered as an imp based on the notes. Happily, also received it as a frimp and as an extra in a swap so I am set for awhile. BOTTLE: First of all, can I say how much I LOVE this color??? In the bottle, it smells, if there is such thing, like juicy grasses. WET: It is so green and sweet and spicy! I can't stop sniffing my wrists. DRYDOWN: I'm not quite sure how Beth does this, but she manages to make this juicy without being fruity. It's kind of mind boggling ... I guess it's like what wheatgrass juice or something would smell like ... it's fascinating and wonderful! On a scale of 1-5, I give it a high 4. I probably wouldn't buy a big bottle but I wouldn't kick it out of bed either

Ordered an imp based on the notes ... immediately ordered a 5 ML which should be forthcoming soon ... This is just amazing, and happily despite the heavy cinnamon, I didn't have any problems with red marks (though even if I had, I would have sucked it up just for the sheer delight of this one). After the initial hit of cinnamon fades a bit it turns to sweet cream soda, maybe a vanilla ice cream soda? Fizzy and delicious ... Very strong throw from this one all day which only makes it even better. I think this would also make a great lotion! On a scale of 1-5, a definite 5. Can't wait to get the big bottle!!! REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED MAY 2013: Purchased a bunch of imps and bottles, some new to me, others ones I no longer had but had liked in the past. This review comes from one of those Lab imps. IN THE IMP: Almonds. Sweet, hot (heated, not spicy-hot) cinnamon-covered almonds, like the ones they sell at the fair. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Yes, I get the cinnamon but I get foody-cinnamon, not spicy cinnamon. And, still, for me the prevalent note is almonds, even though they're not apparently IN this blend. It reminds me a lot of Eclipse and Salome. I am guessing it could be the myrrh and eve the honeysuckle that provides that creamy candylike sweetness. DRYDOWN: This is a blend that, to me, is identical from the first sniff of the imp to the scent when first applied, all the way through every stage of the drydown. Almonds, rolled in sweet hot cinnamon. OVERALL: This is a divine scent but it confuses me, because no matter how much my brain and eyes tell me that it's not an almond blend, that's still what I get. Not that there's anything wrong with that! I am no longer getting a "cream soda" vibe, no fizziness to it, no lightness. Just a strong, sweet, marzipan-almond deliciousness. I think it's really a cold-weather scent, for me. And very nom nom nom. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.2.

Received as an extra from a lovely forumite in a swap ... BOTTLE: This is as far as I got. I didn't even open the imp, because a tiny bit had leaked and got on my fingers right away. APRICOTAPRICOTAPRICOTAPRICOT. Waaaaaaaaaaaaay too much for me. I actually rather like apricot but this was just far too sticky sweet. I couldn't even deal with opening the bottle, no less trying it on. Safe to say I'd give it a 1.

Received as a frimp from the Lab. Lotus is one of my most evil scents but I forge on ... BOTTLE: Scary bad lotus. WET: I just barely dabbed my wrists but already it is way too much lotus for me ... DRYDOWN: I am so proud of myself for not washing this off. It's not horrible but I think I have to live with the fact that scents with lotus will never work for me. On a sale of 1-5 I give it a 2.

Received this as a frimp from the Lab in my last order, went through the whole testing it out and making notes to-do, only to find I'd actually tried it several weeks earlier. So we see the impact it had on me LOL ... BOTTLE: Interesting, strong, masculine. WET: Very spicy and sexy. I love what I THINK must be the tonka note ... DRYDOWN: Just too strong. I didn't put that much on but was getting far too much throw from it all day. I like the scent in and of itself but it's just too much. On a scale of 1-5 I give it a 3. And apparently that's what I gave it last time as well according to my spreadsheet.

Received as a frimp from the Lab ... I had not ordered it on my own because of the almond and neroli, which tends to go bubble gum on me. BOTTLE: The almond scent was so strong it almost made me cough. WET: This reminds me of almond cookies, a specific kind that I can't think of what they're called offhand. MUCH nicer on when wet than in the bottle. And the orange note is surprisingly pleasant. DRYDOWN: Just kind of eh. Not bad, not a washoff, but not really me. On a scale of 1-5, I give it a 3.

Received as a frimp from the Lab ... though I love Dragon's Blood I had never ordered this one because I am not a big aquatic fan ... I didn't make my usual Bottle, Wet and Drydown notes on this one so will just do a summary (which in this case is more of a "summery") ... It's a lovely combination, when wet, of my beloved Dragon's Blood and calm salt water. I think this would make a great beach or vacation scent. I am putting aside my imp to take with me when we go to Bethany in August ... it gets a little too rosy for me on the drydown which would keep me from buying more. On a scale of 1-5, I'd give it about a 3.5