JazzieCazzie

Received as a frimp from the Lab. IN THE IMP: Very interesting and complex. I definitely get some cola, which I didn't expect, and also an undefinable note that is slightly metallic. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of one arm. WET: Evergreen and cola! I think I have figured out that, along with oppoponax, there is a certain musk (still not sure which one) which also goes cola on me. I love cola notes. DRYDOWN: I am getting SOME of the myrrh here but none of the mullein, which is a good thing because while I love to DRINK booze, it is not a good note for me in any form. Also not getting the vetiver stink. OVERALL: This one was a surprisingly good blend for me and not one I ever would have ordered on my own. I think it makes a fabulous Yule scent. In the end, though, it's not one I'd wear when I have so many others to choose from ... an ever-so-slight cloying drydown and just a little too manly for me. On a scale of 1-5 I give it about a 3.8 but it still goes into the swap box.

IN THE IMP: Super medicinal (that is a adjective that, for me, is a positive, not a negative) and very complex. I get mostly patchouli. I thought, on first sniff, I got a whiff of oppoponax -- something cola-like -- but that might be the benzoin or the musk. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm (note that will be relevant at end -- I double-test drove this with Tricksy on the other arm) WET: Very wow. Sweetness and cola and patchouli. Then the cocoa amps very quickly and it smells like The Devil's Coke Float ... an absolutely divinely amazing scent. INITIAL DRY DOWN: A very woody and medicinal cocoa without any of the stinky funk I sometimes get from myrrh. I love this SO much ... until ... LATER DRYDOWN: Sadly, this goes wrong on me at the end and since the final drydown is the one that sticks around for awhile, I am bereft. Though I usually like "smoky," thinking of it like incense or woodsmoke, this gets VERY salty-smoky on me with a very strong late kick of patchouli. The parts I loved (the cocoa, the sweetness, the medicinal parts) get lost and overwhelmed by the smokiness. Oddly enough, the drydown from Callidora is almost identical to the drydown of the Tricksy on my other arm. When I sniff about an hour post-application, the two are hard to tell apart. OVERALL: If only, if only, if only, I could bottle the wet scent of Coke Float and keep it forever ... maybe as a bath oil? ... I'd be a happy camper. But sadly, Callidora ends up not working for me for the duration. On a scale of 1-5, about a 3.

I am a yooooooge lavender fan so will weigh in here on the blends that are available as GCs ... I would opt for Temple of Dreams, Baku or Somnus from the Somnium line or Dove's Heart from the Conjure Bag section of Bewitching Brews (I am pretty sure there is a separate section for that on the new site). Personally? Not a fan of TKO at all ... it's too much sweetness/vanilla (if you're a fan of Lush products, it's a lot like Twilight -- NOT the BPAL Twilight), and -- again, just for me -- neither Nanshe (citrus, dishwater) or Oneroi (bubble-gum) worked for me among the other Somnium scents. If you can find it in swap or for sale on the forum, since it has been temporarily DC'd from the Panacea line, I'd also look at Quietude. Nummmmmm.

I'll throw out my two favorite GCs, neither of which have floral and which might fit your likes ... Shub-Niggurath (this seems to be a love or hate scent ... I LOVE LOVE LOVE ... spicy yummy foody warm ginger but not quite as sweety-sweety as the gingerbread scents ... I think it's schmexy). Scherezade ... middle-eastern saffrony spices and sexy.

Ditto on Gelt ... I thought for some reason it had been every other year since its initial release but it seems to have been each of the last two years so I have my fingers crossed for a Gelt 2013 after finally trying an imp of it in a swap! Delicious!!!

I don't really understand how I could have missed this the first time through. I love Diabolus. And I love most of these notes. And I wouldn't have known my issues with rose yet ... but instead I DID miss it and am, as such, grateful to the Lab for the Etsy offering. IN THE IMP: Deep, dark and sultry. It's like being in a wonderful bar where you have a comfy booth to yourself, no one to bother you, an attentive bartender who will make sure no one bothers you but refill your dark glass of dark liquid when needed. DABBED NICELY on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Ahhhhhh. Yesssss. I could sit here for awhile perfectly happily. Think quietly and mull over that drink. Or two. A place to meditate on the day, watch people, think about what's head the rest of the night. The scent is one that transports you wherever you want to go. DRYDOWN: I am sexy. I am subtle. I smell deep and delicious. I smell serious. OVERALL: This is something I don't just want. This is something I need. And I am SO glad I have a 5 ML. On a scale of 1-5, a 5. And I will keep it in my purse once I;m working outside the house to have a place to go and see what really happens in people's minds LOL.

IN THE IMP: Creamy, salty and aquatic Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm WET: Hmmmm. Kind of a lemon cookie. No, actually, it is like biscuits with a tangy lemon creamy curd. DRYDOWN: I can sort of sniff the crumbs crumbling. I think it will stat more of a biscuity scent than a fruity one but it's nice and light and a very interesting change. OVERALL: I would definitely keep this. A nice scent to wear when, maybe going to an outdoor patio to eat a light fun lunch with friends. It's got the yummy scent that piques your appetite without overwhelming it. ON a scale of 1-5, a 3.6

I was torn between buying this and the AF 25 off Etsy and I flipped a coin (with the thought that I would eventually by the other as well down the road, and I will). And I am having as hard a time as everyone trying to ID the notes. IN THE IMP: I just can't ID it at all. But it's somehow candy-ish. Not sweet floral but candy. Not cloying. Dabbed on wrist and in crook fo arm. WET: VERY floral. It's the type of floral I think of as "hothouse," the lush gorgeous flowers, and yet it's not that over-the-top cloying sweetness I get from, say, tuberose or even jasmine sometimes. I am sure there are flowers I should be recognizing. I don't think it's gardenia but confess that ran through my mind. Wisteria, perhaps? Frangipani? Not plumeria because that makes me queasy and orchid makes me vomit. This, in fact, is quite delicious. It reminds me a little of New Orleans (the scent and the city). Just sweet/candy flowers. DRYDOWN: It settles into subtle. The sweetness remains with bits of flowers. At the end of the night, in the crook my arm, dare I say it even smells a little like Chanel or something equally sexy and perfect for someone to be nibbling your arm with more in mind. I also, on the very final drydown, DO get a bit of smoky incense or some light resin. It would not surprise me if there was amber in here. Just a bit. OVERALL: This is mysterious and maddening and absolutely something I want to wear more and figure it out. And I also want to get 25. I'd love to know what the whole AF line was to start with!!!!!!!!! On a scale of 1-5, a 4.2

Intrigued by the notes and their combination here, despite the fact that lemongrass is often a note of doom for me, I still really wanted to try it. Not to buy a bottle but to get an imp and play it from there. Was able to pick one up in a swap. Happy day! IN THE IMP: Sadly, the first and foremost note for me was, you guessed it, lemongrass. But happily, it was quote nice. Very springlike. And I got virtually none of the other notes on that sniff. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Once applied, I get more of the lavender (though not enough to even remotely classify this as a lavender blend for me) and the balsam, as well as other resins. Virtually NO honey which is interesting, since that tends to often be a note that amps on my big-time. Once the blend settles into my skin and is still wet, I'd call it a wonderfully herbal floral with a slight sweetness. DRYDOWN: This has minimal throw and doesn't last very long but for me. Overall, I'd say the notes and vibe I mentioned at the end of the wet stage is still there on drydown, just MUCH fainter. OVERALL: It would be a great spring scent, or a lovely blend for someone who might be a BPAL newbie that you want to turn onto the precious but is more of a conservative flower/green/spring outdoors lover. And I find it fades so quickly that it would give its wearer options. It's very, very nice. I don't think I'd buy more of it but I think I'd keep this imp and wear it sometimes. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.4

Bought a bottle off the Lab's Etsy site (which I love so much) ... I knew it could go one of two ways on me. I hoped for oppoponax and incense or even just cedar, but worried about that "night air" note ... IN THE IMP: Pine, yes, but night air for sure. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Really all night air and pine. I do get a little cedar but not enough to offset the ozone of the air. No oppoponax or incense for me when wet. It's not bad but it's not what I would have preferred. DRYDOWN: Still no oppo. I do get a little bit of smoky incense along with the other notes on drydown. It's a very clean scent, about two steps short of cleanser. OVERALL: I don't NOT like it. But I can't see reaching for it among other blends. It's not quite piney-evergreen enough to be pine, and it's definitely not cedar enough to be cedar. On a scale of 1-5, a 3 but into the swap pile it goes, imp and bottle both.

Got this as an imp in a swap off my wishlist. IN THE IMP: More resins, labdanum and benzoin. Minimal if any leather which is fine with me. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: This reminds me a crazy amount of another BPAL scent which I can't place, but want to say Hellfire -- even though on paper the notes don't seem similar. I am pretty sure it's the labdanum that is creating this unusual note for me since I have SO many blends with frankincense, myrrh, benzoin, etc. But anyway, I seem to be getting all of the notes EXCEPT leather ... and since leather was my one note that I am not a big fan of, while wet, this really works for me. DRYDOWN: Unfortunately, as it sometimes does, the myrrh goes REALLY funky on me ... even on my wrist, not just in the crook of my arm ... which makes it a reluctant swap-pile imp. OVERALL: I like this SO much when wet, it's a shame that when it dries down I get bad myrrh instead of good myrrh. On a scale of 1-5, about a 4 when wet but a 3 overall.

My first real car, one that I loved and adored before it was totaled in a pileup on the FDR in NYC, was a color called "cinnabar," so that alone would have drawn my attention (and yes, looking at the Wikipedia photo of a cinnabar ore, it's the EXACT color of Spunky). The presence of lavender and sandalwood certainly added to that so I was ecstatic to be able to get some of this in a swap. IN THE IMP: Unusual. Really unique. The sandalwood is predominant to my nose, which -- though I love sandalwood -- is not usually the case for me (it tends to make its presence known later). Sharp and metallic but not in a bad way. Very slightly lavender (again, a surprise, since lavender tends to be very noticeable for me). And yes, VERY silvery. Dab on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: The lavender immediately comes out to play as soon as this hits my skin. The rest of the notes combine to make a sparkly, lovely, sweet-but-not-icky-sweet cloud of gorgeous. The sandalwood is NOT really noticeable on my wrist but very happily makes its presence known in the crook of my arm, which tends to amp different notes. DRYDOWN: Divine. Really divine. For me, it's lovely and light yet somehow sophisticated, complicated and unusual and yet really accessible. I think this would be a HUGE seller commercially (not that BPAL would ever go that route, just that it is a scent I would think would work really beautifully on many people, something that would make others ask "WHAT ARE YOU WEARING, YOU SMELL WONDERFUL" without being offensive to those who don't like smellies.) On a scale of 1-5, a 4.8

Had this on my wishlist based on notes and curiosity and received an imp in a wonderful swap. I apologize in advance for a very confuzzled review. It is a very complex blend on me and hard to define. IN THE IMP: Balsam and pepper are predominant. I get cleaning fluid but not in the standard unpleasant way ... for example, I hate lemony cleaning fluid but quite like piney cleaning fluid. It's just that strong pine and industrial feel that makes me think that. Dabbed admittedly lightly on my wrist and in the crook of my arm. WET: The honey, which usually amps big time on me, does amp but more quietly and subtly, making it sweet but not really honey-like. The musk makes it a little ... stuffy? I'm getting more images and evocations than specific notes. It's got a "coat closet" smell for me, like wet wool. A little damp and mossy. Earthen. But it's not strong enough to be unpleasant or in-your-face. It's quite subtle and, as such, quite intriguing. DRYDOWN: The honey does come more to the forefront when it dries (but, again, is more a sweetness than a honey and without the notes I might even have thought there was a touch of chocolate or cocoa in here). But it's more like an ornament on a Christmas tree of the other notes than a main player. I also smell something cooking (the pepper, of course). OVERALL: This is more an array of images and memories for me than a scent I'd wear. It's not unpleasant by any means, it's just not for me. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.

Sage, clove, dandelion, balm of gilead, fig, and chamomile. Not really sure why this was never on my radar. But during my intensive search of every scent pre-swap list/wishlist formation, I was very intrigued. Received an imp from a wonderful swapper/friend ... Preface here. I knew this could go either way. On paper, technically, I like or love every note. But I also have discovered that while I ADORE the scent of dandelion, it has a tendency to amp SO much on me that it blocks out everything else and overwhelms me. And I love chamomile in soaps and body washes but it sometimes goes too "creamy" on me, to the point of cloying. So this was a gamble but one I wanted to take because clove and fig are two of my favorite notes and not as prevalent in the BPAL oeuvre as some others. IN THE IMP: Green and figgy and spicy and very evocative of a scent from my teens that I can't put my finger on. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: I can't quite wrap my nose around what I'm smelling at the beginning, in terms of identifying notes. There is that tiny bit of creamy soap of the chamomile, the over-amping of the dandelion and the foody not-what-I-think-of-as-perfume of the sage. Yet none of them are dealbreakers in this case. The fig and clove are not predominant at first but they're there, lurking. ... While wet, I fear this will be a non-keeper. It's kind of "perfumey." DRYDOWN: And my patience pays off. This dries down to sheer figgy clove loveliness. It is very complex and unusual but in the end all of the notes come together with that deep spicy "flove" the main note. It's sexy and sensuous and even kind of dark, despite the brightness associated with dandelions and chamomile. It's so beautifully balanced. OVERALL: I really love this and am glad I waited out the drydown (not that the wet scent was bad at all). I am interested to check out how much this varied from the original (with no disrespect to the reboot of the zodiacs, I would say my two all-time favorite "series" were the 2004 celestials -- I lump the zodiacs and planets together -- and the Tarots, all of which are almost impossible to find anywhere so I always hold out hope that some day the Lab will release all of them and I can scoop up about 10 blends that are all huge favorites). On a scale of 1-5, a 4.

Not sure why I never bought this, because I love chocolate and amber. Probably because I have Bliss, Velvet and Tezcapitloca and figured that filled my needs. But I do see it come up periodically on swaps and decided that, in case it was re-released this year, it would make a great Chanukah gift (for myself and others). Acquired an imp in a swap (thanks, FL!) IN THE IMP: Just pure "bliss," BPAL reference intended. Lovely lovely sweet chocolate. NOT getting specific amber in the sniff. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: More pure chocolate. I LOVE BPAL chocolate. The second note is still very faint. I wouldn't have ID'd it as amber if I didn't have notes in front of me. This reminds me more of, say, Velvet or Tezcap than Bliss. DRYDOWN: Amber amps. I swoon. I must have more of this. The drydown lasts and is subtle and wonderful. That perfect blend of hot chocolate and resiny goodness. OVERALL: MUST get more. Hoping it will come out again in Yule update though I'm not optimistic, seeing as how it appears it comes out every other year? Will stalk for bottles. Want the name on it. Must send to my now-grownup daughter instead of the tradition of giving her a little net baggie of gold-foil chocolate coins. Or, at least, WITH the coins On a scale of 1-5, yeah, a 5.

My Enyalios story. I'd never heard of it, missed this entire release I guess. ... Saw the notes while searching every single review to compile an ultimate wishlist and thought "There is not one single note in this that I don't love" but rarely saw it on a sale/swap list ... Awesome forumite with whom I swapped sent me a sniffie ... I fell in love ... And then the LAB put up a bottle on eBay and it was mine! Huzzah! IN THE IMP: Spicy, tangy, and definitely what Ravyn said, "can of Coke." And "can of Coke" happens to be one of my very favorite BPAL types. Maybe I should start a thread in the recommendations section for "Coca Cola" scents! I want them all! Also, this was very syrupy. Because, at the time, I was testing from a sniffie, I couldn't slather (I would have, based on notes and test sniff). Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Divinely resiny, absolutely Coca Cola-ish, also quite herbal (the thyme, I'm sure), plus the perfect degree of patchouli. The cocoa (a very not-as-sweet cocoa, as opposed to, say, the chocolate in Bliss or Gelt or Velvet) is much more prominent upon application and while it's not SWEET SWEET, its sweetness does add immensely to the overall blend and keeps it from being potentially too masculine or feral. DRYDOWN: It's really the perfect blend of frankincense-patchouli-cocoa. Absolutely fantastic. OVERALL: Maybe a top 10 scent. Damned close. SOOOO thrilled to have gotten the 5 ML from the Lab and now can slather. On a scale of 1-5, a 5.

Received an imp of this off my wishlist in a swap. IN THE IMP: Lovely and unusual. Incensey, peppery, medicinal and then the sweetness of the cocoa comes up last. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Okay. Don't laugh. Pizza. And headshop. And chocolate. Chocolate headshop pizza. I know it must be the pepper that makes me feel like I'm standing at the counter at Mimi's waiting for a slice plain. Oh, and I apparently got an added "medicinal" topping for an extra $1.00. And the thing is, this may sound gross? But it's all kinds of awesome. DRYDOWN: The cocoa and medicinal qualities are much more prevalent the more it dries. My arm smells like a sweet chocolatey headshop. The pepper is pretty much gone. The DB is not really identifiable for me but I think it adds to the sweetness. It's a super nice drydown. OVERALL: I love this. I really do. It keeps me on my toes. Huffable. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.7

Acquired an imp of this off my wish list in a lovely swap. Hoped that the Dragon's Blood and amber would offset the rest of the notes. IN THE IMP: Mostly fruit. No DB. No amber. But, that said, not a dealbreaker (yet) and for me, with these fruit and floral notes, it could have been. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Oddly, rather than flat-out fruitiness, I am getting a strong wine note. It's not horrible right away but booze and wine tend to be notes of doom on me (not in me). No DB. But yes, amber. Boozy amber. DRYDOWN: The DB never appears. The amber disappears. And I am left with boozy fruity florals. Blerg. OVERALL: This is not as bad on me as some of the boozy fruity florals that have been washoffs. But it is definitely not something I'd ever choose to wear again. On a scale of 1-5, a 2.

I'm not sure how I missed the description on this way back when because I know I would have bought it for sure. Instead, it landed on my wish list and I was able to pick up an imp of it. IN THE IMP: Soooooooooooo interesting. Cinnamon massively dominant, but I get the cloves and then the vanilla as well. No trace of pine to my nose. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Nummy nummy cinnamon sugar cookies!!! Really SUPER STRONG on the cinnamon, so I would warn away anyone who is not a cinnamon lover (I am a cinnamon lover). I also get the vanilla but it's sugar cookie vanilla, not Playdoh or plastic vanilla. The cloves are VERY faint for me and I never get the pine at all. To me it's pretty much all cinnamon and sugar. DRYDOWN: It morphs very little on the drydown. But that's good, for me. I have been trying to find a real "cinnamon sugar cookie" scent and most of the ones that are described as such don't QUITE work with my body chemistry. This does. I get none of the creaminess, none of the citrus, none of the pine mentioned by others. Just cinnamon. And cookie. OVERALL: I absolutely love this. I will absolutely be on the lookout for more. It would be a GREAT Yule scent. I smell delicious. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.6

Received this imp as an added on item in a swap while we worked on evening things out ... I had it on my wishlist based on the reviews here, which made me wonder if it might be like my beloved Strength (which, to me, is the epitome of the florist's shop with stems cut on the floor). IN THE IMP: VERY strong on the dandelions and clover side. Green, fresh, kind of like Glasgow without the berries for me. Dabbed what I thought was conservatively on my wrist and in the crook of my arm. WET: VERY dandelion. What I thought/hoped the Wild Dandelion single note would be but wasn't. Outdoorsy, green, dandelion stems and clover. DRYDOWN: I confess I never really got there. While I really, truly like the scent A LOT it was WAAYYYYYY too strong on me. I didn't think I applied that much but the throw was so powerful it was distracting and I admit I washed it off. OVERALL: I think this would make a fantastic body wash or shampoo scent but for me it was just TOO much as a perfume. I test-drove Virgo 2007 yesterday and it was very similar but lighter and not as powerful. A little goes a long way, at least indoors. On a scale of 1-5, I give it a 3.7 or so but will remember to apply VERY sparingly in the future. And maybe only, like, on the backs of my knees or something.

For some strange reason I had this on my wish list ... pretty high, in fact. I think it had been late at night and when I made note of the notes I left some out. So, like, I had lavender and benzoin but left out the mint and sweetgrass and rice wine and mahogany. And Asian fruit. IN THE IMP: Crisp and clean with a slight fruity/minty note. Dabbed on one wrist and in my arm. WET: Very springy and outdoorsy with floral that seems to get stronger bit by bit. DRYDOWN: ... and bit by bit by bit by bit until it has taken over as a hugely floral and minty and old-lady perfumey cloud around me. Just very very unpleasantly cloying and old lady on me. OVERALL: This is so not for me. And the worst part was I had to go for a mammogram with no time to shower and I was very apologetic to the lovely technician because I didn't want her to think I always smelled like a stinky old lady with powdery perfume when I came there. But I think she forgave me. Oh well. Win some, lose some. On a scale of 1-5, a 1.

Red currant, Moroccan musk, sage, and frankincense. Has anyone ever seen the TV commercials with this couple in a car that goes to visit friends and the wife says to the husband "I didn't even know these houses were HERE?" That's how I feel about Coxscomb and, I guess, the amazing BPTP scent collection here. I didn't even know these scents were HERE. But in a recent swap, my swap partner, who knew my taste, frimped me with a sniffie of this and ... WIERHKJBGKJBKJBFJASBJABSJBFKGJAGARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGH. Luckily, amazingly, I found another lovely forumite who happened to have a 5 ML for sale and I am soooooooooo happy. IN THE BOTTLE: Frankincense is the dominant note for me and musk and more OMG. Dabbed pretty damned lavishly, having a 5 ML and all, on wrist and in crook of arm. And, okay, in cleavage. And behind ears. And at back of my neck. WET: Last listed but first noted. The frankincense is SUPER ampy on me which is great because that is absolutely one of my favoritest and bestest notes. And it's a super strong frankincense on me. But the musk deepens and, for lack of a better word, sexifies the sanctity of the frankincense on me. And, luckily, the currant kind of hides off in a corner somewhere. DRYDOWN: This is just sooooooooooooooo amazing on me. When it dries down, it develops a slightly more outdoorsy and ever-so-slight creamy note which I do think is the sage. OVERALL: How did I never hear about this? This is a Top 10 scent for sure for me. I am madly in love with it. On a scale of 1-5, do you even need to ask? A 5 for sure. Now if I could just get it in bath oil and all the other BPTP goodies.

White mint, purple musk, violet, lilac, ylang ylang, lavender moss, and sandalwood. With all the people who mention how much they love Violet Ray (not to mention how massively I was just outbid for a 5ML bottle on eBay!) I was surprised to have to dig this deep into the coffers to pull up the thread for a review of the lovely imp I received in a swap! Despite the fact that I had a feeling it would be hard to get more if I loved it, the combination of notes was too much for me to not take a chance and put it on my wish list! IN THE IMP: Candied flowers yet, despite the use of the word "candied," not cloyingly sweet. Makes a great first impression! Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Candied violets, yes, but also so much more. My precious notes of lilac and ylang ylang, two BIG favorites, as well as the sandalwood doing its usual job of keeping the blend balanced. I am not getting any mint and that's a good thing -- much as I LOVE mint in real life as a flavor and the scent of the leaf, it tends to be a note of doom for me in BPAL blends. Not sure why. DRYDOWN: This is just spectacular. SO unique and different. Floral and purple and woodsy and resin/incensey and wonderful. It stays very true upon drydown to the wet scent. The perfect marriage, to my nose, of every note listed except the mint. OVERALL: This is wonderful and I would definitely love to track down more, though I realize that may be tough on my budget. Fortunately, to me, it is reminiscent enough of my two first-ever BPAL blends, Veil and Twilight, both still available in GC, that I don't feel quite as bereft. I am curious, though, what component caused its early demise. Still, while so many of my favorite blends tend to have many others that are similar (not surprising, since when you have favorite note combos, you'll be faithful to them), there are not many blends like this ... which is too bad since Beth is a genius with violet and ylang ylang. I would think this would be really appealing to a huge audience so I have to assume there was SOMETHING no longer available. I'd love for a reboot. On a scale of 1-5. a 4.8.

I feel like I lucked into this in the oddest of ways. Was in discussion with a wonderful forumite who had inquired about one of my bottles. As we discussed what I had that she was interested in -- two bottles and an imp -- and what she had that I was interested in -- one bottle and an imp -- she invited me to look over her swap/sale list to see if there was anything I might like that could even out the swap. There was nothing on my wish list but I really wanted to swap with her so I looked up some different blends' notes ... and since I was also looking for a final birthday goodie for my daughter, a Virgo, I decided to take the plunge on this 5 ML which I don't think I'd ever noticed before. I figured if I liked it, I'd just send her an imp and see what she thought. And if I didn't, I'd send her the whole bottle LOL. She got an imp. IN THE IMP: Unbelievably and unexpectedly green and woodsy. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm WET: Absolutely lovely. I know most people have likened it to veggie gardens but on me, for some reason, it evokes one of my favorite rare BPAL specialities -- the "walking into a florist's shop when there are freshly cut stems all over the floor" (not unlike my beloved Strength). Not so much floral as the green part of the flowers. DRYDOWN: Very light and barely there. Like many of the "greens" blends, this does not have a lot of legs on me. But it is light and lovely and, in fact, the slightest bit like my precious original Herbal Essence shampoo. OVERALL: I love love love this and will just have to slather it instead of dab it in the future. Waiting to here what Dana thinks of hers. If she likes it I'm gonna have to decant her another imp or two. And I do think this will appeal to her, knowing her tastes. On a scale of 1-5, a definitely 4.7 or so. Maybe more.

Received an imp of this from my wish list in a lovely swap ... the list of notes intrigued me SO much, so many "yes" notes for me, coupled with the incense mentioned in the reviews. But be forewarned ... this is a really tough review to write. For some reason, though I am familiar with nearly all of the notes pretty intimately, I found this one of the most difficult blends to separate and identify the notes. IN THE IMP: Very VERY unusual, fascinating, unique ... I cannot actually identify a single note from this sniff but I DO get the incense comps. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: This is so odd. I am not getting ANY of the lavender which usually comes out on me. I'm getting an odd mix of "old lady" notes (powdery) and "guy" notes (cologne) and yet I still really like it. Smoky, dark, seductive and also slightly sweet. Some floral but not a flowery-floral. More a toilet water floral. DRYDOWN: A very strong, powdery, incensey-resiny blend. OVERALL: This has TONS of throw and be forewarned, a little goes a VERY long way. On a scale of 1-5, about a 3.5