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Indigo78

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Everything posted by Indigo78

  1. Indigo78

    Western Diamondback

    My first Bpal was Snake Oil, & I was a little put off by the sharpness of the spice notes. A month later, I'm still aging the bottle & hoping for the best. In the meantime, along slinks an aged bottle of Western Diamondback~ The imp smells like a masterfully prepared caramelesque... something. The grasses linger in the background, but lend not hint as to what's coming. Wet on my skin this is deceivingly faint at first. After five minutes a hint of SO's spiciness appears, but never in the blatantly unfurled way I experienced with SO. Like other reviewers, the Skin note didn't jump out right away - but for me, that morph is the sexiest aspect of this blend. A keeper. Completely. ETA: Wore this to bed. When I woke up (six hours or so later) the Leather note had become subdued and almost ... dusty? Strange morph, and characteristically true to the description.
  2. Indigo78

    Ostara

    I get bright, sweet petals from the bottle. The Orange and Daffodil are at the forefront, with a sticky sweetness lying just beneath. Wet on the skin Violet barges in, and I almost get sad, since lately I am starting to suspect that my skin turns Violet acrid sometimes. The Violet fades rapidly, and within five minutes the Strawberry Leaf and Cream each become prominent top notes. They are held in place by Rose Attar, Frankincense and Benzoin. The Honey Cakes rest delicately in the midst of all of this - it is a veritable olfactory parade of YuM. So, it's love. Wish this weren't an LE. I have a bottle, but it is sure to disappear quickly. I'm off in search of a close match and/or stray backups!
  3. Indigo78

    Privilege

    Voila - so this is the vapid waft of "I'm special" that has assaulted my nose countless times on campus! I get lots of floral in the imp. This does smell expensive, but in the way that says "I am expensive, therefore I am.." *shrugs* whatever. No denying the external beauty of it, that's for sure. Wait, I know - it's a little like Estee Lauder's "Pleasures". It is also burning the skin on the inside of my elbow a little, and I wonder if this isn't a glimpse of "fire crotch"? Pretty good throw during the dry down, which is actually lengthier than I thought it would be on my skin. Frivolity and baseless self-worth definitely come to mind. I got this one out of curiosity on an Ebay win. Not a disappointment, & without regard to who it represents - - - it is pretty enough to keep.
  4. Indigo78

    Zombi

    Must have 5mL. Opening the imp this a strong, shadow-laden breath of crumbling roses and upturned soil. Interest piqued, I dab. Interest held, I go ahead and slather. Yes, it is that beautiful. Once on my skin there is little morph, although the roses smell warmed and fragrant now, more so than in the imp. Everything mingles - very well blended. I think this blend could even be used to bring some of Beth's lighter florals down to Earth, so to speak. Olfactory ecstacy is mine this weekend, Zombi shot straight into my top three. Get it.
  5. Indigo78

    Queen Mab

    Straight from the imp to my nose this is softly floral, a tad dark, and sweet. Wet on the skin, a blast of orchid which, as it warms, becomes drizzled in honey. The scent is not sweet, delicate, or immature at all. It's just a very clean, sexy, all-purpose scent. Perhaps a little commercial-smelling for my own taste, but beautiful nevertheless. Slightly above-average throw, average wear length.
  6. Indigo78

    Black Lotus

    A whiff of the imp had my hopes sky-high for this scent. Bright Lotus jumps out first, and I'm in love. Lately I've had a thing for the girly-girl ones that are touched with incense notes, and this one's first impression definitely places it in that category. Wet. Not the bittery stuff! Something might be going on with my chemistry and/or nosse right now - at first contact with my skin Myrrh smells like ass on me. And it's not good ass. The dry down lets the bitter scent fade, and it's replaced with a languid candy-like floral and smoke. There's a prowling quality to it that makes me think of a slinky Mau cat in a night-blooming garden. Not too long of a wear length, considerable throw.
  7. Indigo78

    Hymn

    A paean to true holiness, spiritual purity, and sacred enlightenment. Based on an incense blend sacred to the Virgin Mary: perfect rose absolute and Palestinian Lily of the Valley with olibanum, labdanum, frankincense and myrrh. This is pretty...erm.."televangelist" in the imp, at least for me. I didn't believe a word Hymn said when I caught an epic smack of smell, right in the nose. Argh. Much too much, and I will not put my "hands on the screen"! On the skin the incenses lead the way, crowding out Rose & Lily almost entirely. After twenty minutes I *think* I catch a whiff, but no. I would have loved to get more. I'm reminded strongly of a 60's/70's fragrance that my mother wore called Heaven Scent. This one is better after thirty minutes or so, but not quite bottle worthy. Maybe I'll enable Mom with the imp (?)
  8. Indigo78

    Death Cap

    In the imp this is sweet - I really want to say creamy in the same wat that coconut is. Beneath that creaminess lurks the darker note - maybe Orris? It smells clean - odd how Dust and Earth notes can do that. Once the skin warms and mingles with my skin, the dusty scent rises and proclaims itself head hauncho for awhile. The initial coconut does disappear, replaced by sparkling, teasing Vanilla and her Bean. Something's edible/drinkable, here... Whatever it is I want some! If it is making me want to consume something I can't even identify, Death Cap encapsulates the Lab's description quite well. Not too much throw, Average wear length.
  9. Indigo78

    Séance

    From the imp this evokes a graceful matron gowned in expensive finery. A great beauty in her own time, the roses on her table mingle with her own natural essence - and for her, this is not the off-putting "body chemistry" of age. It is decades of being the much-relied-upon centerpiece of a small dynasty. The smell isn't an "old lady", where the ability to recognize cloying scents or chronic overuse of the spritzer are so characteristic. Instead, it's the fragrance of high-polish, attentively cared for wood, plump little tea roses, and graden wind lazily pressing against freshly-laundered drapes. The wet stage is all roses, withthe tiniest hint of a "clean" note that reminds me of Murphy's Oil Soap - the wood cleaner. The breath of this is highly nostalgic, although I am sad to report it is going slightly talc-y as time passes. I can manage this sort of powderiness, however. It is thick and solid, and almsst - - creamy...Perhaps this is the Hazel? The drydown is somewhat powdery, although it does so in a way that is distinctly different from the baby powder note I know and despise. This is a beautiful, sad fragrance I will wear when I feel unassuming, wise, latently powerful and classy to the nth degree. Average throw, short-average wear length.
  10. Indigo78

    Bitter Moon

    In the imp, it is herbal, medicinal, astringent and throat clinging. Thorny, with so much going on that it is difficult to predict whether they will glisten on my skin all at once, or go weird. On the skin wet, the Blackberries are allllllll over the place. One reviewer mentioned Dewberry, and I wholeheartedly agree with that perception based on experience. This stage reminds me of a body spray someone gave me when I was 16. Since I saw the giver regularly, I felt somehow obligated to wear it frequently. Nevermind that I secretly believed the spray smelled like glorified B.O.. That note is definitely there, to my nose (and I AM a firm believer in very thorough, very frequent showers!). The dry down is a bit more promising, but it just isn't "me". Never Vanilla, never anything silky or inviting enough to overcome the abrasive undertone this has. I don't know if it's Lavender (the usual suspect) or the Dewberry phantom odour. Either way, this is regrettably destined for a more loving home.
  11. Indigo78

    R'lyeh

    In the imp I get grapefruit a day or two past its prime. Not crisp, but still zesty. There's also a darkness underneath that I can't identify. On the skin wet, a sour note emerges that never really leaves. I get the aquatic notes, but they are all wrong on my skin. On me, this is murky, stagnant water with hints of citrus. Beneath it's surface lurk malevolent bottomfeeders, as they search for sunken slices of over-ripe grapefruit to feast upon. Weird? Yeah. A little off? Indeed. But that is exactly what R'yleh is to my nose. Weird & off. This one is off to a more loving home.
  12. Indigo78

    Hollywood Babylon

    In the imp - yeah, this is SO cherry NyQuil. Cherry flavoring is my not-so-favorite, we'll say. This smells just like it. JUST like it. On my skin, this moves from smeared sticky red lollipop (y'know - the kind banks give away to little kids in the drive-thru) to a gradually more incensey, smoky scent. Even though this is mellowing the bitterness I got from Cherry, it's still right there up front. Now Strawberries, nondescript incense. Better, but still - - there's that bitterness that is the mark of all things fake-Cherry, to my nose. ETA: Morph-a-riffic ~ After twenty minutes, the bitterness goes away leaving gorgeous wafts of vanilla and extinguished strawberry candle smoke. The cherry and my skin are no longer at war - thank goodness. The calm of the Vanilla and strawberry scent are still here, and this is a good place for things to stay. I will probably swap, though, on account of this oil not being quite "me".
  13. Indigo78

    Kiyohime Changes From a Serpent

    Wet in the imp (well, testable sniffy frimp) this is clean and and kind of dusky - I can definitely smell the plum most strongly, but I'm loving the moss notes lying just beneath. Excited about this one, since aquatics generally don't like my skin - it seems to be off the beaten path for this type of scent. Wet on the skin the ozone/aquatic note really amps, but this is balanced by the plums and moss. Moss is a favorite note for me, rich and lush on my skin. No exception in this blend. That is why, as far as aquatics usualy go for me, Kiyohime is one I am happy to have had the chance to try. ETA: The longer this is on, the longer it reminds me of salty, night ocean air. I think a tiny bit goes a long way. Because of this one, I'm off to hunt for other scents containing similar notes - - sans the "ozone" effect.
  14. Indigo78

    Calliope

    In the imp: Bright, tart - potently lemony. Geez... But I like Lemon, so we'll see.. On the skin this erupt into Pledge with undercurrents of other stuff: In order, this stuff would be Bergamot and Thyme The drydown is quick and increasingly herbal. There's a fifteen minute phase where this is sooooo good...perfectly balanced and gorgeous. After that the fade is rapid. Since this is DC I won't seek a bottle, but will hold onot the imp for when I want some sunshine~
  15. On a plastic toothpick: Rosewood and something almost like machine oil, beautifully blended. Now its up to my skin to work the magic. Wet, on the skin: Wood, mechanical oil, shiny glass. I visualize an old bank - you know, the mason-built ones with high celiengs that have been around since 18whatever. High-gloss, distant...a little cold. Frankly, something smells like money... Dry Down: DRASTICALLY different from the wet stage. Vanilla, Teak and Tobacco emerge and stay true until the eventual fade, which is about six hours on my skin. Top ten material, and I am utterly in love with this one. ETA: A must try on your guy - - *swwwwwwwooooooooon* then *rowr*. Yes. In that order.
  16. Indigo78

    The King of Hearts

    Wet, this is ripe, juicy black cherries in a gathering basket. Mmmm. The King of Hearts was kind of a softy in the story, right...? The Queen ran the roost, chopping off heads, etc., while he just agreed with everything. I don't get that soft note from this oil - at least not immediately. I get a sense of "high royalty" as elegant rosewood rises through the cherries. This phase is sooo nice. During the drydown, Lavender comes through to predictably powderize all of the other notes. Boo to Lavender and my skin's sordid relationship - I can't help but agree that as a linen spray, this would rock. Although it is not well matched to my skin, I'll use the imp to try my hand at a little DIY.
  17. Indigo78

    The Black Tower

    In the imp this is berries and greenery. Like a freshly opened bottle of unaged wine. On the skin wet it goes to wine spilled on newish metal, very boozy and sweet. Something reminds me of anise and linoleum. I can smell the grasses and sweetness as time passes, and this ultimately hints at asphalt? Or latex paint remover? The dry down smells like a roofer at happy hour on my skin. I can't wear Black Tower, but can see the attraction. Will be swapping.
  18. Indigo78

    The Deep Ones

    this was a great frimp, wildly different than anything I would select on my own. I don't know exactly what is meant by aquatic, having been landlocked for most of my life. Our natural aquatics here tend to be more of the sandpit/irrigation ilk... Nevertheless I'll try to do this blend justice, based on my knows and my nose In the imp I get sharp, bright grapefruit and aquamarine. Shocking and vibrant, both of these notes. I know better than to put on more than a teensy dab... Wet on the skin it changes little, with the citrus becoming more pronounced and the salt and brine lurking somewhere back there. The scent reminds me of something commercial in the fragrance realm, a male cologne I can't pin right now. Drying down I get fabric softener - specifically, its the blue-green "aromatherapeutic" kind that seems to be so popular right now. This really isn't a scent I would do much with, although I can see it working well on a clean cut, 20 something male. Swapping.
  19. Indigo78

    Strangler Fig

    This is not one I'd have chosen. For one thing, I don't think of myself as a fruit-smelling person. Figs remind me of prunes, and prunes remind me of raisins, which I LOATHE. The name alone would have deterred me from even reading more about this scent. Point? Taken. Lesson? Learned. In the imp this smells of sweet, rich, sugary fruit, soft black soil, and cedar. On my skin wet, Strangler Fig morphs immediately into a salivatingly delicious scent. Srsly: Mouth is watering. Beneath this sweet richness is a sinister quality, the pepper note. Another few minutes and this is beginning to smell over ripe - like old fruit. It's been ten minutes, and I'm not sure that the notes are mingling the way they should on my skin. The drydown is very creamy and incensey, and the wood notes are still there as well. I understand why others are saying "Coconut". I like this enough to keep my imp, and maybe for more. Can't put my thumb up or down...not just yet.
  20. Indigo78

    Veil

    Imp'd this is very Orris, heavy - nostalgic and mystrious because of the Sandalwood. I am beginning to think Orris must have been prominent in the expensive perfumes and powders of a not-so-distant century. Evocative. Because of the heavy Orris presence, Veil calls up an image of scented love letters that are brittle and crumbling with age, written by like-scented hands long since turned to bone. Wet on the skin - - WOAH Violet! Not sure about this one. Violet is a comanding note that always wants to steal the show on my skin. *please subside???* After about ten minues, she does. I only got whiffs of Lavender about three minutes after applying during the initial drydown (fabulous, since Lavender hates me). It was sort of a face-off between Violet and Lavander, when they suddenly both took a hike. Lilac remains and mingles nicely with Sandalwood for awhile, but Lavender and Violet wont be completely forgotten (DAMMIT). I am still getting whiffs. Ultimately this ends up powdery and slightly green on me, and is probably swap-destined. There's always the chance that a second sniff could change my mind, but not for now...
  21. Indigo78

    London

    In the imp this smells of tea roses and salt. Yes, salt. There is something blatantly sharp and quasi playdough about it, and as soon as it is on my skin I detect that even more. Five minutes of wear - I smell leather, but it isn't the buckskin leather I am used to. This is more like new car leather, replete with treatment chemicals. On my skin, the rose note in this blend is nice enough, and the weirdness of the leather becomes a bit more "traditional" smelling - like well worn kid gloves. Not quite for me, this one...I like the roses, but not enough to deal with the weird things my skin chemistry does to it overall. Will try again in a few weeks, just to see if I'm having an off nose day.
  22. Indigo78

    Ogun

    In the imp this clocked me upside the sniffer with ALL of the elements it contains at once. The melon and chile sit right alongside dark tobacco, with a heavy splash of gin soaking everything. In the imp, this smells a mess, and I am hoping for a super-duper morph. The first five minutes kick out a TON of tobacco and gin on me. Suddenly, the warmth of my skin kicks this into mega-sexy land. Y-U-M. Ogun turns into a sweet piece of melon drizzled with fresh chile. The tobacco is spicy and warm - no signs of its ashtray-ish warning in the imp. Everything is so well blended that no one note suffocates the others. This is a symphonic, hypnotic, beautiful scent. This is a total keeper, straight up my alley. Though I don't think I would wear it regularly, a bottle will definitely be in my collection.
  23. Indigo78

    Dragon's Blood

    I waited and waited - halfway into my imp testing initiation (out of 18 imps, this was about the seventh, I think). Anyway, I stared at the firey red liquid in the imp with hesitation. Unable to remember what the description said, I silently prayed that this wasn't cinnamon. The first whiff from the imp squelched my worries. Exotic dust is what this reminded me of right away. Like a chest full of forgotten nineties artifacts from my teenage years. There is something distinctly damp and earth bound about Dragons Blood. On my skin it rapidly morphed into a dry, vaguely spicy scent. Sad pants. If it would have remained just as it was fresh from the imp, I'd be thrilled and devoted to DB. Alas, the search continues...
  24. Indigo78

    Alice

    After popping open the imp, there is creamy almond and fruit - I think of petit fours with rich buttercream frosting and fluffy strawberry filling. This amps immediately on the skin, with the fruitiness spiking and becoming more tart - no longer creamy strawberry, this is morphing into cherry-lemon preserves. There is a rind-like scent which keeps reminding me of something bitter. The scent itself is not, but the right elements are there to create a bitter "phantom scent" to my nose. Is that the milk? I don't know much about milk notes, and this is the first one I have tried which has it. The creamy note I noticed right away seems to have morphed and blended with the lemon to create something...weird. Not too surprising - add some lemon juice to some cream and see what happens! Alice's drydown goes VERY floral on me. I am getting strong rose-scented talc. Almost baby powder but not quite. Alice is not a bad, but my skin and nose just don't mesh well with her.
  25. Indigo78

    Coyote

    In the imp Coyote is sweet and green, with warmth just behind them. Wet on my skin the doeskin note just SINGS. Gorgeous. The drydown ended up giving heavier and heavier wafts of amber, resulting in a scent which was almost incensy, but not in the smoky way. The dust and dirt are suffocated by the amber on my skin, but it is still a beautiful scent. I want more!
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