alyelle

In the imp: wet green herbs and some light peony - not a trace of tea! Something lemony, like crushed coriander or lemongrass. Wet: I slathered this because it smells so very light. Definitely lemon, so if there's no actual lemon, I'd be willing to bet on lemongrass being on the herbs, and the faintest hint of warm black tea. Initial drydown: the lemon stays strong for a while, but thankfully it's not the sticky, headache-inducing lemon I have so many problems with (I'm looking at you, Lolita). It's a sharp, fresh lemon than blends marvelously with the tea that's inching its way out to greet me. End of day: a sweet, light tea, very summery; more reminiscent of an iced fruit tea than a hot mug. Overall this is a lovely scent, if somewhat light. It's perfect for bright winter days when you need reminding that spring is on its way, but the softness of it is drowned out in the hotter months of the year. I'm trying to downsize my stash so I won't order a bottle any time soon, but I will be sure to keep an imp at all times! ★: 5/5

In the imp: spicy - sandalwood and ginger at the forefront - with a bare hint of the florals Wet: floral talcum powder It's almost immediately all hyacinth and lily of the valley, though if I sniff hard very close to my wrist, there's traces of ginger and maybe amber Initial drydown: I still think it's terribly floral, I can't smell anything but the hyacinths, lily and plumeria. There's also a high, warm sweetness to it which I usually get with amber scents (Mouse's Long and Sad Tale does something similar). But my girlfriend insists that all she can smell is sandalwood, so perhaps the throw of the floral elements isn't quite as strong as it seems to me. End of day: after a good 4 to 5 hours, the floral notes burn off enough that it's mainly a warm, spicy sandalwood. The throw by the end of the day is very faint, but I don't like the floral stages quite enough to want to lather more on for a stronger final scent. Overall, it's a pretty enough scent, but I don't think it's a *me* scent, and it'll probably go onto my swap list. Stars: ★★★

I'm adding myself to the list of people who would never have bought this from the description. Ever. Though apparently the lab knows better; it assumed I'd like it so much that it sent along two samples with my latest order. In the imp: Sweet florals under an ocean of water. VERY sweet florals. There's nothing even vaguely milky. Wet: Salt. Lemon. Sea-grass. Vanilla. Ozone. Quite a decent throw, and I probably didn't need to put on quite as much as I did. It might look pale and watery, but it's actually a strong little scent. Dry: Citrus and salt for a good hour and then slowly, slowly, the milk starts coming through. It's not a dairy or cream scent, it's earthy coconut milk - very similar to the coconut hit I get from 2012's mushroom & milk Box of Chocolates blend. Overall, it's a far more pleasant experience than I'd been expecting. The common description of 'comforting' is pretty accurate. I want to wear this on a cold, cloudy day, underneath a big wooly jumper. 7/10 and I'll keep at least one of these imps.

2011 version. I originally bought this for my girlfriend, and figured I'd give it a go when she decided she didn't like it. Food scents are a bit hit or miss for me, and this one was sadly more miss than hit. Bottle: Coffee. Dark, black, bitter coffee. Wet: Still coffee, 200% coffee, with a very light - but bright and buttery - pumpkin afterthought. Dry: After three hours or so, it actually does smell like a pumpkin latte. Or pie. It's warm and rich, and full of toffee. And had it stayed like that, I might have been happy, but after a few hours, my skin also decided it was indeed going to react to the cinnamon in this, and came out in its usual red blotches. I feel like people who enjoyed Sugar Moon and Sugar Cookie would like this - the eventual sweetness reminds me very much of both of those scents. It's definitely going in my sales pile or up on ebay. Stars: ★★★

Freebie from the lab that arrived with my Box of Chocolates stuff earlier this year. In the imp: Pure, absolute frankincense. Nothing else. Wet: Frankincense, sweeter rather than its usual spicy incarnation, and a hint of soapiness from the heliotrope. Dry (10 mins): Spicier frankincense now, closer to what I'd normally expect from it, a tangy herbal top note (the angelica?) and a powdery, soft floral scent. There's also a very light undertone of something that smells like the coconut fragrance tanning lotion gives off, which is nice but odd. Dry (2 hrs): More of the same, just less intense. This fades entirely by the 4hr mark, and while it's not an unpleasant fragrance, it's not one I'd pick for me. 2/5, going in the swap pile.

Another freebie from the lab, though I think I'd have eventually picked this one out myself to try. Imp: tea and tobacco, with a splash of mandarin and a hint of cocoa. Wet: very strong mandarin, and still that hint of cocoa. The tea almost vanishes beneath the citrus, and there's not a trace of musk or herbs to be seen. Dry (10 mins): a rich warm blend of tea, cocoa and tonka; basically a winter beverage party. I can almost see the steam rising from the cups and the marshmallows bobbing in the cocoa. The musk slowly makes its way out, and every so often, I'll catch a light top note of mandarin. Still nothing herbaceous. Dry (2-3 hrs): this sure does morph a lot! It's now soft musk, sweet mandarin and tonka, with nothing of the deep chocolate or tea notes left. And STILL no herbs! I've worn this a few times since I first got it (the imp is now about two years old) and I'm always surprised when I do that the blend hasn't changed with age. The only difference to Oct 2010 is that first sniff of the imp is a lot more chocolately. Otherwise it wears exactly the same way. The throw is quite good, and it lasts for a good 6-8 hours without reapplying - 4/5 overall.

Frimp from the lab. I was very hesitant to try this, as anything with even a hint of cinnamon makes my skin rise up in welts. But today was delightfully hot, and the description sounded like just the thing I was looking for. Imp: something sharp and almost cherry-flavoured. If I was guessing blind at ingredients, I'd have guessed a bark - willow or oak. It's similar to the way The Hesperides smells in its bottle. Wet: a fair bit more than "a drop" of cinnamon - this is basically cinnamon sugar on toasted almond bread. I was extremely light with the application and after getting no immediate reaction on my wrists, I dabbed some on the inside of my elbows and behind my ears. (Big mistake there; my ears immediately flared up into an itchy red rash. Not as much of a reaction on the elbows, but I had to wipe it totally off my neck, so if I keep this, I won't be putting it anywhere but my wrists.) Dry: the cinnamon fragrance almost vanishes after about ten minutes. It's replaced with a warm, spicy vanilla, that lingers quite well throughout the day, and eventually becomes a very soft, sweet fragrance. Were it not for the reaction, I'd probably keep this in my collection all the time. Even at its most cinnamon, it's not too foody, and the end result is lovely, especially on a sunny day like this one was. Stars: ★★★ on me; ★★★★ for the blend itself.

I have two imps of Follow Me Boy; this one is from late 2009. Imp: spicy musk Wet: sweet and a little bit powdery, almost exactly the same smell as the Johnsons baby shampoo we used as kids Dry (10 mins): a stronger powdery scent, and something darker underneath it, like sticky, sweatiness after sex. Visually, this scent is dark, humid rooms above a crowded 1900's saloon at the height of summer. Dry (2 hours): baby powder and what I think might be civet, though it smells vaguely like aniseed. Not a winner on me at all, but then, powdery scents never are. While I don't find it unbearable, it's nothing I can ever see myself *wanting* to wear. The younger imp might wear differently, so I'll hang onto it for now, but this one's definitely going in the swap pile. 2/5.

This is one of the Wanderlust scents that calls its namesake to my mind perfectly. In the imp: oil, olives and salt. None of which are listed in the description, but every time I smell it, that's exactly what I get, like the beginnings of a mezze plate. Wet: I can make out the honey if I concentrate, and the sharp, salty 'olive' smell quickly morphs into a very sweet, heady wine. Dry (1 hr): this is definitely going to be a lasting fragrance. It's strong and sweet, with lots of florals but nothing to suggest it's going to go soapy (floral scents often do on me). It's a sharper, clearer sort of floral, given body by the honey-wine blend. Dry (3-4hrs): finally some of the strength backs off - I have to actively sniff for it now. The florals and wine have softened somewhat, the honey is as sweet as ever, and there's a lovely light smokiness starting to emerge. Nice to see you, myrrh! Overall 4/5. It's not a scent that's perfectly me, but it's one I'd consider buying another imp of when this one runs out, and it does what it says on the tin flawlessly.

An older freebie I've tried a few times now, usually in the winter. In the imp: mainly lavender and wisteria, with a hint of some dark, wet greenery. Wet: very floral and very sweet. The wisteria and lavender are struggling to out-do one another, killing off any other scent except for the barest hint of rose. Dry (1-2 hrs): the lavender is still very dominant, and it's starting to give off a smell that suggests it might turn soapy. This is quite common for anything that has rose in it, but I really hope it doesn't. Dry (5-6 hrs): a very light musky floral. The rose, thankfully, never makes it to the surface. Sadly, the sandalwood doesn't either - there might have been a bit more staying power if it had. Most of the oomph dies off around the 3 hour mark. Overall 4/5. I'd have liked the scent to last a bit longer, but it's a beautiful blend nonetheless, and would be perfect for date nights or any occasion where you want to smell sweet and feminine, but not necessarily for a long period of time.

The frimp that taught me to always, always check the ingredients before applying. Imp: a mixture of spice, tiger balm and old wax paper Wet: spices, specifically pepper and cinnamon. It was at this point that I remembered how my skin reacts to cinnamon scents and started hoping against hope for the best. Dry: Alas, the best was not to be. After five minutes, a beautiful blend of honey and musk was starting to work its way to the surface but unfortunately, five minutes was all my skin could stand. There were still welts on my wrists half an hour after washing this off, which is a terrible shame as I think I'd have really loved the end result of the dry down. I've tried it in a burner and a scent locket, but I prefer Autumn Cider in both for my cinnamon fix. As a fragrance blend, it gets 3.5/5, but if we're going on wearability, it's a 1/5.

I need to preface this by saying that bpal rose + my skin is usually a total disaster. I can't count how many times I've tried it and hoped for anything even vaguely like rose, but - leaving aside Blood Rose, which is a world unto its own - it always results in baby powder or soap. Or so I thought. I've worn Rapture several times now, and it's been beautiful every single one of them. Though I have noticed a distinct seasonal difference. Imp: In winter, a sharp citrus blend, almost entirely bergamot and neroli with a musk finish. In summer, pure jasmine, plain and simple. Wet: In winter, a beating around the head of musk and rose, like the sweet cloying scent of an 18th century perfumier. In summer, sweet but refreshing, like a fresh cup of musky earl grey tea. Dry: In winter, the rose and musk amplifies and all citrus notes disappear. And it's strong - even on the occasions I had a head cold I could smell this quite distinctly. In summer, it's the exact opposite: the citrus amps beyond belief and it starts to fade far more quickly. Rapture simply turns seasons on their head. It reminds me of dewy red summer roses when I'm rugged up in scarves, and feels like piping hot cups of tea while it blizzards outside when I'm lying supine in the heat and am too tired to even breathe. It's a most curious sensation. Overall: It has a far better lifespan in the colder months, ~11 hours as compared to the usual 6 in the summer. And remarkably, I've not had a single waft of baby powder. I will now go go back through all my notes for imp trials of the past year and see exactly which rose was included in the blends I can't wear. I'm not sure which of these is the winner, but whichever it is has my lifelong devotion. I'll almost certainly keep a bottle of this in my permanent collection. Stars: ★★★★★

Akuma was a lovely little surprise I got as a frimp. I tried it for the first time about six months ago, on a trip to a vineyard, and loved it. Unfortunately it made its way back to the bottom of my "Stuff to try" box, and I only pulled it out today. The verdict below is a combination of my notes from both wears. Imp: I'm reading the description and trying so hard to smell the fruit, but honestly? All I can smell is murky toilet cleaner. Wet: Dark and gooey, and not really in a pleasant way. After a minute the toilet cleaner scent starts to fade and sweeten. There's also a faintly powdery smell starting to come out. Dry (10 min): The sweetness from the berry has now really come out. There's not a hint of toilet cleaner, or even neroli - this thing is solid raspberry through and through. Dry (2 hrs): Sadly, the throw has died right down - I have to bring my wrists up to my nose to smell this now. It lasted a lot longer on the first wear though, so I may need to slather this one on future wears. Overall: 4/5. I love the drydown stages, but the half an hour it takes to properly warm up on me is not the most pleasant smell I've smelled. And I'd have really loved a bit more longevity.

This was an imp I bought specifically in the hope that I would love it. Persephone's basically my Greek myth totem, how could I go wrong? Alas, it wasn't to be. Imp: A sweet, cloying scent. The pomegranate is at its strongest here; you can barely tell there's rose lurking in the background. Wet: The second this touches my skin, the rose comes rushing up to greet me. Were I the sort of person BPAL rose notes worked on, I imagine the effect would be lovely, because it's tempered the sweetness of the pomegranate down into something far less sickly than it smells in the imp. However, rose and I don't get on - at best it turns soapy on me, at worst, it induces nausea and headache. Sadly, I think this is going to be one of the "at worst" scenarios. Dry: Within an hour all hints of pomegranate have vanished, and all that's left is a very strong, almost single note, rose. I was right about the headaches too. Overall: This is the the second or third time I've attempted to wear Persephone, whether alone or layered, and each time it's failed hard. I long to be one of the people who get a crisp, fresh, "juicy" fragrance, but on my skin, Persephone is much closer to the Turkish Delight scent that amazonqueen and VioletKitten mentioned on page one (and not even a pleasant Turkish Delight at that). I'm now fairly certain that nothing with rose will work on me - unless it's a very, very minimal amount in a blend heavily dominated by incense or earthy scents. Blood Rose is the only notable exception and I still haven't made my mind up that I actually like its morphs. So rating, 1/5. This is definitely going in my gift/swap pile. Luckily I have a very good friend who smells wonderful in bpal's rose. I'm sure she'll appreciate this a whole lot more than I do.

I've come to the conclusion that, while I can't stand the smell of anything with honey in it from the imp/bottle, it will inevitably morph into something beautiful the second it touches my skin. Skuld is another freebie that I sniffed once and threw in a drawer for a few months, with the intention of giving away. Today, at my girlfriend's insistence, I pulled it out and finally tried it. In the imp: a quite awful, sickly smell that almost makes me recoil. I remember having the same experience with Blood Rose and Desire the first time I smelt them too. First on: sweet, summery honey, almost fresh from the hive. I can also make out traces of the musks and they're quite pretty, which is very interesting. Up until now, any of the musk notes I've tried have turned either rancid or powdery on me. Checking back over my sample notes, it seems that all of them have also had rose in them, so perhaps it's the combination my chemistry hates, rather than the musk itself. Dry (10mins): still sweet, still bright, but not overpowering in the slightest. I obviously amp honey - that's all I can smell. Thankfully I amp it in a good way (read: not the way I am lemon), or else I might have regretted the six Apiary scents I just bought... Dry (2hrs): still mainly honey; the must is there, faintly, in the background and has yet to do anything awful. This is now a rich, warm golden scent, a perfect accompaniment to the summer thunderstorm going on outside. Overall: A wonderful blend and, depending on how the newer honeys from the Apiary work on me, one I will probably keep in my collection. The throw is fabulously long lasting, as is the staying power. Easily 4/5.

One of my more recent freebies from the lab, which was nice, as I've had a star next to this for a while as something to try out. In the imp: Dark, bitter orange with overtones of patchouli. If I concentrate, I can make out the ambergris. There's also something sweet, but I don't think it's the carnation - I suspect it's from the broken sample of Vixen that leaked out into the package and all over the labels. First on: That would be the ambergris there. I usually hear it described as earthy, but on me, it's almost buttery, like a thick vanilla cream frosting. That, tempered by the orange and patchouli (both very soft and faint), is creating a sweet, warm and comforting scent. It's whimsical and definitely feminine, like a row of cupcakes at a high tea. I'm almost tempted to put more on, just to keep smelling this. Dry (10mins): The orange has started making its way to the fore again, still dark but no longer bitter. I still get a tea party feel, but no longer as whimsical; combined with the creaminess of the ambergris, this is more adult, like orange and poppy seed cakes and a hot, dark earl grey. Dry (2hrs): A wonderful, creamy blend of juicy oranges and warm patchouli; nary a hint of carnation to be seen. Overall: I really love this. The resulting blend is beautiful and the staying power is fantastic. I could smell it well through dinner and beyond. It would probably have taken me a while to invest in it myself, so I'm pleased the lab frimped me one, because this will definitely be a bottle scent once the imp runs out. It's perfect for those hot summer days when I'm too listless to move and Strangler Fig is too sweet to bear putting on. 5/5, no question.

One of the umpteen freebies I've got waiting to be tried. Today is gloomy, overcast and oppressive for about the eighth day in a row. This sounds bright enough to combat that some, so on it went. In the imp: almost pure lavender, with the slightest touch of herbs and incense underneath. Promising! The name is fairly apt; makes me think of Diagon Alley and old libraries. First on: my skin has a tendency to amp lemon, and it has amped this to high heaven. Thankfully not in the same way that it did with Lolita (that resulted in an instant migraine) - it's softer and cleaner, but it's still pure lemon. I smell like an old fashioned lemonade stand. Not quite what I was hoping for. Where's my frankincense, skin? Dry (10mins): well. Still not frankincense but the rosemary is coming out. Instead of lemonade and popsicles, I now smell like the Greek marinade I put on my lamb. Lemon and rosemary, while delicious on baked goods, is perhaps less so on me. Dry (2hrs): a faint blend of lemon and herbs. Sadly still none of the incense I was hoping for. Overall: this stays very light and reasonably herby until the end (where, I'm happy to say, the lemon is almost entirely gone). The throw isn't strong, but I can still smell it if my wrist is close enough to my body - I get wafts every so often if I'm typing, for instance. I don't know if it's something I'd have ordered from the description - verbena and I were never close friends. Regrettably, it's not something I'll ever buy a bottle of either. Though it's pleasant enough in the final stages, there's just too much lemon in my face for me to really enjoy this. Stars: ★★

I was so looking forward to getting this and when I opened it up and took a sniff, I wasn't disappointed. EVERYTHING I'd hoped for - warm, thick sweet apple cider, with a hint of grain and candy. Sadly, as much as I love it, I am one of the sensitive people whose skin reacts - after a minute of wearing it (in which the apple turned into a very sweet candied fragrance, similar to apple taffy candies I remember from when I was a child), I came out in massive itchy red welts. So off it went, and it took three packs of ice and an antihistamine to calm my skin back down again. Needless to say, I'm bitterly disappointed, because this easily trumps pretty much everything else in terms of how much I love the fragrance. I'll probably turn it into an atomizer instead. Or try it on my hair/clothes as one of the users above mentioned. It's too gorgeous to swap away. ETA: Total winner on a few curls of my hair. I swiped over a very small amount, just in case it worked its way onto my scalp (I don't even want imagine the pain) and it's lovely. It stays more cider-spice as well, without the sticky sweet candied apple I got when I put it on my skin. Couldn't be happier. (It's also fairly delicious in a burner with my candied ginger oil.)

I just got a freebie of this from my Halloweenies order, and I have to say - I simply cannot smell it from the imp. It's awful, like rotting compost and baby sick. But I did some digging and saw that most of the people who've said the same thing actually had better experiences once it was on, so I put on the tiniest swipe and: WET - Roses. Better than the smell I get from the imp, kind of wet and heady, but like all rose scents on me, overpowering. DRY (5 mins) - Much better. The rose backs off a little in the initial drydown, and something darker comes out, which I assume is the dragons blood. It's certainly not the wine. The effect is a warm, amber/incense fragrance, sweetened a little by the roses. DRY (20 mins) - And all those roses are back again. This time with a sticky sweetness. All I can think is thank god it's not the normal baby powder rose I usually end up with. DRY (40 mins) - The roses and incense seem to be having an all out war over whose going to win dominance on my skin. Unlike the other rose fragrances I've tried, this one seems to increase in strength the longer I leave it on; I'm really glad I only put on a teeny bit. If it keeps up, I'll have to wash some off, because it's almost giving me a headache. (And come on amber incense! Go go go.) I'll edit this with the final verdict later. Overall, it's a pleasant enough scent... once it's out of the bottle. For anyone else who does get the awful sickly smell (and how I wish I was one of you who got spiced wine and dark roses), just hold the imp well away from you and give it a go. Hopefully you'll be surprised the way I was.

I really need to type up my reviews more often. Imp: deep musty moss (promising!), a hint of rose First on: alas, instant talcum powder. The moss is barely detectable. There's a vague floral note lurking somewhere but mostly - baby talc. Drydown: After an hour, the powdery smell had settled, but was replaced with an amplified rose/musk combination that kept increasing in strength until I had to wash it off. If I sniffed and really concentrated I could smell a hint of mossy bark, but for the most part, all I got was a headache. This is the perfect reminder of why I rarely wear rose scents. Overall: I love everything about it except how it smells on me. Into the gift/swap pile. Stars: ★★

I just received my sample of this, and adore it. I'll probably end up buying two full size ones so i don't run out anytime soon. In the bottle: my initial thoughts were "My God, this is sweet". So sweet it was nearly overpowering. Very very violet. I recommend not smelling the fragrance from the botte for too long, as it gave me a bit of a headache. Wet: Still quite violety but the sickly sweet part died down as soon as it touched my skin. Dry (after about 10min): It soon combined to a delicate, almost creamy, floral; the vanilla starts to come through the violet nearly immediately after it dries. After 10-15 mins the gardenia came into play as well. Dry (after 5-6hrs): Honestly lovely. By now the violet had died right back to a hint of fragrance, but the vanilla and gardenia were still strong enough to make heads turn and ask me what i was wearing. Having worn violet-based scents before, i was quite surprised - most of them don't have much life after 4 hours. Before bed: I'd had this on for well over 12 hours by this stage, and the final result was just as good as the initial. The fragrances combine to a wonderfully delicate balance, creamy and soft, which made me think of spring and marshmallows. Overall a gorgeous perfume, one that i'd recommend to anyone who likes violet, vanilla or other "romantic-girly" scents.