theshapeshifter

In the imp: Thick and heady.

 

Initial application: WINE. So much so that I'm glad I road-tested this first on a weekend, because for the first couple of minutes I literally smell like I've had a glass of red wine dumped over my head. It's a lovely, amazingly accurate scent, but given that I've just recently quit drinking, it was slightly unsettling.

 

Drydown: Fortunately, after perhaps five minutes, the initial onslaught of wine calms into a more accessible note, and I start to get the other elements of the blend. I can just barely pick out the florals as backing notes to the juicy wine, but they're not strong enough to pick out individual notes - or at least, these aren't florals I'm that familiar with on their own. The musk is warming up the blend, and giving it an unmistakably sexual tone, but it's not so strong as to turn it outrightly animalistic. The leather is gorgeous in this - a very different leather from, say, Dead Man's Hand. This is BLACK leather for sure, and well-used.

 

Definitely an intriguing scent - I'll look forward to wearing this for a night out!

Oh, I SO want to like these peach and apricot scents, but like Katharina, Fae was not to be. All Beth's other fruit notes work divinely on me, but the peach here seems to hate my skin - it turned sour and kind of fake-smelling. And something else in the blend was giving me a distinct anis/licorice kind of aroma, which is just a no-go for me.

 

So, alas, Fae didn't make it to the drydown before getting washed off. Hopefully, it will find a more welcome home elsewhere.

Oh dear. I'm not sure if it's the carnation or the rose, or what, but Alice started out lovely and creamy and sweet, but then turned into kind of a sour baby powder.

 

Oh well, one for the swaps.

In the imp: Slightly sweet woods.

Initial application: Cool yellow woods and bark, greenery and a clean airy scent. Definitely getting the Viking/Scandinavian vibe.

Drydown: The loganberry starts to come into play later, just when I'd forgotten there were meant to be berries in this blend. It's much more of a background note than in any of the other berry-containing BPALs I've tried - not like eating berries, but like picking them from a small hidden bush on the edge of a young deciduous forest.

It's not quite as 'me' as some others I've tried, but it's a lovely scent.

Oh! I hope this comes back this year.

 

In the imp: Rich cherries and spice.

 

Wet on skin: I can see exactly what people mean about Samhain with a cherry base. It's got that same richness as Samhain (like the buttery-rich note in Gluttony), but here I smell cherries, and something like grain, but sweet. It's very warm.

 

Drydown: Staying quite similar in the drydown, although the cherry isn't as predominant now. This is a wonderful scent for the first harvest - sun-warmed berries, golden grain, a bit of a grassy note, and lovely syrupy spices - a little cinnamon, and then clove, I think.

 

It's a very sun-gold, abundant scent. I wish I had more than an imp's worth!

Wow. Now I see what the hype is all about!

 

Wet: Crisp smoke and fir notes, with a hint of sweetness.

 

Drydown: The outdoorsy/woodsy notes are getting perfectly balanced with spicy, autumn food scents - crisp apple, rich pumpkin and spices.

 

This is so gorgeous... I can't stop sniffing myself!

 

PLEASE, bring it back this fall!!

In the imp: Sun-warmed grass, and something dark and resinous underneath.

 

Initial application: The apple blossom - well, more of a straight-up apple note, really - hits straight away and dominates for the first couple of minutes.

 

Drydown: At first, it's deceptively bright and youthful-smelling, with the apple blossom and a floral note in the lead. But as it dries, it edges into a darker, yet still welcoming scent. I can't quite put my finger on it... I'm getting the moss, and clover, and what I assume to be the rue and hawthorn, in a kind of sun-baked meadow smell, but there's a dark undercurrent. Rather like being in a lovely field that's the site of a long-past, but bloody and still well-remembered battle.

 

Actually, THAT'S what it's reminding me of... it's not bang-on, because there's no aquatic note to this, but it's evoking the memory of visiting Culloden. Battle, death and regeneration - this really IS very apropos for The Morrigan.

 

I don't want to paint it as a really dark, heavy scent, though, because it's not. It's extremely alluring, and a 'comfortable' scent, in an odd way. Not the strongest - I've had it on for about four hours and I could use a touchup about now - but I like this a LOT.

In the imp: Grapefruit and herbs.

 

Initial application: GRAPEFRUIT!!

 

After ten minutes: Grapefruit, getting darkened by the powdery musk. I can get just a hint of the chamomile and lavender in the background.

 

After half an hour: Disappearing already, leaving just the grin behind? Well, it's not disappearing, really, but the grapefruit is fading, leaving a mild, slightly fruity musk in the background. I'm a bit surprised by how faint it is.. I think I'd better take my imp along to work for reapplication!

In the imp: Definitely a 'murky' scent, but I can't quite place anything.

 

Initial application: Dark, cold, scary still water, and... Granny Smith apple? There's just a tangy whiff that's evocative of a really, really tart green apple.

 

After a few minutes: Still getting the apple. In fact, I stuck my wrist under hubby's nose, and he did a sniff test with the green apple soda he was drinking, and agreed I wasn't crazy. Almost like bobbing for apples, actually!

 

Drydown: The murkiness is taking over now, and the tangy note is changing a bit. Now I can kind of see what everyone was talking about with the grapefruit, although it's not a sweet, juicy grapefruit on me, more like the rind and pith left behind. But the predominant note is the murkiness. It's getting to be less like a dark cold pool, and a bit more swampy. Vetivert, maybe? It's reminding me of a softer, less floral Highwayman now.

 

It's a fascinating scent, one that makes me keep sniffing my wrist and hair every couple of minutes. It's outdoorsy and mysterious; I like it a lot.

This is one of those scents that makes me sit back and say, "How DOES Beth do it?"

 

It changes very little from imp to application to drydown, and it's a perfect encapsulation of a fresh damp spring day. I'm not really getting the peony, but the tulips, water and grass are dead-on. It's a very happy, clear scent that's great for situations where you don't want to smell overpowering.

 

That's its only drawback, as well, though - like most light/fresh scents, it doesn't have a huge amount of staying power on me. I'm wishing I'd brought my imp along to work so I could refresh!

So happy to finally try this!

 

Of course, my review isn't going to do much except reinforce what's already been said - this is a scent that delivers exactly what its description suggests: a perfectly encapsulated ride over the ocean. Water, mist, salt spray... it reminds me of being in Scotland and taking the Calmac ferry to the Hebrides.

 

It was very strong for the first couple of minutes on application, leading me to put on perhaps a bit less than I otherwise would've, but it calms down quite quickly, and like most ozoney scents I've tried, this will warrant a few touchups during the day. But it truly, truly is the perfect ocean scent that I've been jonesing for.

 

And can't wait to try it on the boy, too!

SQUEE. I'm so glad to finally have it in my possession!

 

In the bottle: Sweet and juicy.

 

Initial application: I smell kiwi first, and something a bit sugary, almost bubblegum.

 

Drydown: It's like a fruit parade... they come out one after another, peeking out - the pineapple, mango, the kiwi is back. I don't see to get too much of the pomegranate, except I guess that it just deepens and reinforces the sweetness. There's a definite tartness to it too, almost like sour candies. I'm not getting too much of the peony, but the jasmine is winding in and out in the background, and the pepper adds to the sharpness, so that it doesn't just slide into candy or jammy-ness.

 

Hooray for brains!

In the imp: Intense and slightly acrid. I put off trying this for a while because I was a bit nervous of it.

 

Wet on skin: It's sharp and intense, but thankfully not so acrid or disturbing on. It's actually lovely, and much more accessible than the scary description would suggest. A smoky, hot campfire with some evergreen branches thrown on, with a waft of vague incense-like resin in the background.

 

Drydown: I didn't get to wear Djinn too long, because I wound up doing some yardwork and needed a shower straight afterwards, but it mellowed out beautifully in the drydown. This is the smoke/fire smell that goes with the idea of fire being the great cleanser.

 

It turns out I'm a smoke-scent junkie. I'd been apprehensive that Djinn would be disturbing (rather like The Tower), but it's not at all. This is one I'll really enjoy, and I think I may buy a bottle in a month or two, so that it'll come in time for Fall.

 

Also: While I was outside wearing Djinn, the scent from my neighbour's lilacs occasionally wafted over. Lilac and smoke might sound like an odd combo, but I was in heaven...

Hmm. I was dying to try this, since I'm a great lover of frangipani and jasmine.

 

In the imp: Heady floral, but I'm not picking out a particular note.

 

Wet: Sweet, pretty floral, but the frangipani isn't as predominant as I'd hoped. Particularly since this is the only BPAL that uses it, I'd hoped it would be strong. It's a bit sweet, giving me occasional wafts of something like Sweetarts or Pez.

 

Drydown: It must be the tuberose that my skin is amping; there's a sort of round, green floral taking centre stage here. (I say the tuberose because I don't know that scent, and it's definitely not rose, jasmine or frangipani that I'm smelling) It's gone slightly, not-unpleasantly powdery in the drydown. The longer it's on, the more the jasmine is starting to become noticeable, but not predominant.

 

Overall, this is very pretty, but not what I'd been hoping for. I'll probably use up the imp rather than trading it off, but I don't think I'd buy a bottle.

In the imp: Heavy, dark... I can't quite put my finger on it.

 

Initial application: Incense, with an overlay of sharp, nose-tingling woodsmoke.

 

After half an hour: The narcissus and opium are starting to come out, while the myrrh is turning a little powdery... but not in a baby-powder way AT ALL. I believe someone above mentioned this as being powdery in the sense of a really expensive, womanly, sensual dusting powder - that's it exactly. And the smokiness has turned gentle and wispy - the frequent mentions of blown-out candles are bang on.

 

I adore this. It's dark and ominous, yet entirely classic and womanly. This makes me think of getting ready for a big night out... taking my time choosing just the right underthings, putting on a sexy black velvet dress, lacing up a pair of high boots. A bottle of this has just jumped to the head of my 'need' list.

I had high hopes for the apricot in Katharina, but alas, 'twas not to be. Something about the combination of the apricot with the white musk gave me a strange tropical, almost 'pina colada' scent on my skin. And alas, pina colada is a scent with which I am not on speaking terms.

 

I had to wash it off straight away, but fortunately I already have a welcoming home lined up for the imp.

Wet, and straight through the drydown, Strength was expansive, grassy and earthy... without actually smelling like 'earth'. It somehow managed to personify the feeling of standing firmly rooted, drawing Earth energy up through the soles of your feet. A wonderful embodiment of the Strength card... and proved to be a great oil to wear through my busiest workday of the year!

I'll need to give this a more proper try when I'm ready to do Tarot work, but I gave this a brief try this morning, and wow... acrid, harsh, hot, and disturbing. It certainly embodies The Tower, but I had to wash it off almost straight away. It was simply too jarring.

Wow! This was a lovely lagniappe from the Lab, and something I might not have tried.

 

In the imp: Heady floral, pretty but didn't seem very 'me'.

 

Initial application: Honey! Sweet, and yet something spicy is there too. Almost peppery.

 

Drydown: I would've expected this to be more pretty and prissy, but this is a very womanly, sexy scent. I didn't really know the scent of lilies before, but after trying Prague this morning and Tiger Lily tonight, I think I'm a convert. They seem to render out as heady and spicy on me, floral without screaming "omg I'm a flower!". And the honey gives a lovely mellow roundness to the scent. It almost makes me want to purr.

 

Wonderful. It's a perfect scent for feeling relaxed-sexy. What a pleasant surprise!

In the imp: Floral, not very strong.

 

Initial application: I thought at first that this was going to fade away to nothing - vaguely floral, but couldn't smell it much at all.

 

Drydown: After about 10 minutes, it started to warm up on my skin and turned fresh and lovely. Damp, sweet spring flowers, but with a refreshing 'bite', almost peppery somehow. Despite my earlier worries, its staying power has proven quite good; it's been about five hours now, and I'm still getting pleasant wafts of it despite not having put a huge amount on.

 

This is a great scent for the workplace, I think: interesting enough to be enjoyable to wear, but not overpowering, and not so offbeat as to bother anyone. A very 'clean' scent.

My review is going to be very similar to Penance's. I wouldn't have ordered Jailbait, as I'm not a fan of bubblegum, but I received it as a generous gift and was curious after finding that it smelled much more of the orange and cherry lollipops in the imp. Bubblegum=ick, but candy=fabulous, in my book at least.

 

However... immediately on touching my skin, I smelled like I was trapped in the Bajooka Joe factory. So much so that I settled for just a couple of imp-wand swipes across my wrists, when normally I'm quite a slatherer even on a test run. Still, I remained optimistic, hoping that the other notes would come out in the drydown.

 

Well, it's been on for an hour now, and although it's faded a fair bit, if I sniff my wrist it's still nothing but bubblegum. There MIGHT be just a tiny hint of cinnamon lurking somewhere way, way down under there, but this is pretty much all bubblegum, all the time.

 

I have newly enabled one of my friends to BPAL and as soon as she read the Jailbait description, she immediately requested to take it off my hands if I didn't like it... so at least it's going to a good home!

As others have noted, Nanshe stayed very true from imp to skin. A bright, herbal lemon - lemongrass, or maybe bergamot, or some of both? - with a whisper of lavender in the background. It's a fabulously clean, energizing scent, so much so that I initially worried I'd have trouble dropping off to sleep with it on.

 

However, that fear proved unfounded. I slept wonderfully, and though I didn't have any particularly interesting dreams, I definitely had greater clarity during them, and in remembering them in the morning. I'm going to give Nanshe a couple more tries, and if the results are consistent, I'll definitely need a big bottle!

 

Edited (May 29) to add: Okay, Nanshe is DEFINITELY a must-have. It helped me remember a whackload of detail about a dream last night that was so funny, it literally woke me up laughing.

In the imp: Very heavy and langourous, almost incensey, with a hint of orange.

 

Wet on skin: Creamsicle! The orange and vanilla just jump out and take over.

 

After half an hour: The narcissus joins the party, making sure that this is an Evil Creamsicle scent, not a wholesome juicy one. At first whiff, it actually reminded me of patchouli, but it started to become more floral.

 

Drydown: Although the narcissus is definitely NOT patchouli-like now, Hunger is reminding me a lot of Ravenous; I'll have to try them on successive days and see which I like better. The drydown is VERY similar, with alternating wafts of heady sexiness and a powdery orange, almost baby-aspirin note.

 

Not sure about staying power... it's been on about four hours now, and I can't really smell it much any more - but every time I think it's disappeared, I'll get a random waft of it.

 

Definitely like it, but Ravenous might have a slight edge for me.

In the bottle: A riot of flowers.

 

Wet: Tulip and fresh wet grass hits my nose first, with something underneath, not quite incense, but something resinous and occult-shop-ish. A few other people have mentioned maybe smelling High John Essence, but I'm not familiar with that note on its own, so I'm not sure if that's maybe it.

 

Drydown: This is incredibly well-blended, and smells just like a warm, wet spring evening. I'm getting tulips, and a bit of lotus, and possibly carnation, and other floral notes I can't put my finger on, as well as a strong note of crushed grass and freshly-cut greenery. In the background, there's a bit of musk or something, warming it all up and giving it a sexy undertone to ground all the freshness.

 

A perfect encapsulation of the sabbat!

Water of Notre Dame went on as a clean, kind of herbal-aquatic scent, and not as strong as others have mentioned. However, after about an hour, some kind of note comes out that I can't quite identify... it's not coconut, but it somehow seems related to it, in that it smells the same kind of 'bad' to me that coconut does.

 

Alas, I wasn't really able to tell if the blend would give its desired calming effect, since I found this mystery note strangely disturbing.