EdenIris

Lilith goes purple on me. It's the grapes.

I'd often read of the dreaded plastic smell but had never encountered it. Until now. Imp: Vanilla? No, rice pudding. Wet: Yick! Plastic! Drying: Now I'm getting plum, but more of a candy plum than a natural fruit scent. It's not bad, really, but not exactly how I'd like to smell. Also, I think the nutmeg is giving me a headache. Later: Nutty rice with something soft that is probably the sandalwood and vanilla mingling. Again, not bad, but I'm not in love. Headache still lingering. So it seems that Lovers in a Ricefield and I are chemically incompatible, which means that someone on the swap board will score my imp.

This? Is sunshine in a bottle (well, an imp, to be more precise). Just gorgeous. In imp: Amber Wet: Something fresh and green. Drying: So that's what orange blossom smells like. I like it. The amber is warm and surrounds the green of the orange blossom in a way that shows off both notes without either of them fighting for dominance. This doesn't smell of vanilla on me, but maybe it's grounding the other notes. Later: This is still warm amber with a lovely spike of freshness. Verdict: Going on the bottle list.

Wow, this is ... heady. In imp: smoky Wet: big, fat jungle flowers Drying: still big floral A bit later, the incense and, I suppose, copal, come out. Later still, the plumeria distinguishes itself from the other flowers, very clean and fresh, to complement the smoke. This is a very pretty scent, but I'm not sure it's me. I agree with the above that this would definitely pull you out of a bad mood. I'll keep the imp around for such occasions, or for when I wish I was in Mexico.

This is the first white musk blend that I have been able to wear. I think the heavier elements keep it from turning to frat boy cologne. In imp: light musk Wet: dusty patchouli Drying: This is lovely, all patchouli and poppy with the tiniest breath of flowery musk behind it. Later: It went through an odd phase of smelling like neutral air, like absolutely nothing, as if the components were canceling one another out (maybe that's the chill of the evening star). Now it's a gentle, herbal musk, very close to the skin. Occasionally I'll get a whiff and smile. This isn't masculine on me. Very mild and unassuming, would probably be excellent in hot weather.

Is this really only pansy? It seems much more complex and changing than a single note. Bright (but not strong) flowers in the bottle and wet, drying down to what, for me, is the perfect floral: a little sweet, a little creamy, not cloying or soapy. Beautiful. Throughout the day it changed subtly, always new and interesting. Long wear for a floral. This is not an OMG, cannot stop sniffing self scent, but a gorgeous, wear anywhere, daytime perfume. I could definitely use a bottle of this.

Wet, this smelled exactly like the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park in early spring: green and wet and woodsy, with a light breath of blossoms. On drydown, it turned...perfumey, is the best way I can describe it. As others have said above, it has a commercial fragrance feel to it, a bit sharp and sneeze-inducing. Disappointing. I may turn this imp into liquid soap unless I can find a lucky swapper in search of some.

In imp: Strong floral. Wet: Very strong, bitter vetiver. Like sniffing a freshly cut plant stem. Drying: Still lots of vetiver. It took a while for the poppy to come out, but when it did, it was not shy. The vetiver was still very present, like a tall green pole the flowers are winding around. Not getting any honeysuckle, but it may be overwhelmed. This is a big, decadent floral on me. Not cloying, and not sweet (or rather the sweet is balanced perfectly with the green), but I would hesitate to wear it around a lot of people in an enclosed place. This is an outdoor party scent, or a lounging around on sexy vacation scent.

This was a frimp from the lab, or I never would have tried it because jasmine and my skin do not get along. Put it on, went, "urgh, jasmine!" and stuffed it in the swap bag. A few hours later I was huffing my own cleavage because I smelled delicious. This scent is more than the sum of its parts: I love myrrh and rose, and I like the smell of growing jasmine, but can never find an oil to replicate that scent, and somehow Nyx makes them all get along and become something new. Not too sweet, not too floral. I probably don't need a bottle of this, but I retrieved the imp from the swap bag and will wear it until it's gone. You just never know until you try....

Oh, I definitely get comfort, beauty, and joy from this one, but it took a few hours to get there. In imp: Fruity. Wet: Heady floral. While applying I smelled something...rotten, like compost, but it disappeared immediately. Drydown: Mostly floral, not getting any amber or patchouli. Rose and gardenia get along with me, so I blame the gladiola for the cloying, hothouse floral. After a few hours, it develops into something very nice. I used to have a patchouli candle that was too strong when burned, but I liked to catch a whiff of the cold wax as I walked by. Iambe reminds me of that: a gentle, well-behaved patchouli. I think I may put this one in the Land of Forgotten Imps for awhile to see if a little age might deepen the patchouli and amber and hush up that yappy gladiola. If so, this could be a nice addition to the bottle collection, a patchouli that's wearable for daytime.

In imp: sandalwood, mostly. Wet: confusing, but good. Floral, woody, fruity. Drydown: velvety peach. At first I thought it was apricot, probably the rosewood or sandalwood having a say. Later, the vanilla smooths everything out and I get true peach. Very nice. Not a lot of rosewood, but that's usual for me. A lovely daytime scent, comforting and playful; it sort of creeps up on you. Mild throw. I get almost no floral. ETA: This gets better and better as the day goes on. The vanilla is not really present, so it doesn't come across as a foody scent. This goes on the bottle list. 4/5 ADDED Oct. 23: I keep forgetting how gorgeously perfect this scent is. The osmanthus keeps the peach from being overly sweet and cloying during drydown. The woods give the fruit depth, and, when the peach and osmanthus back down, there's mellow rosewood and sandalwood and a waft of vanilla to make the whole thing more feminine, graceful. This is a scent to wear out anywhere: work, a first date. It is sweet without being girlish or foody, and the underlying woods give it sophistication. My imp is a year old, by the way, and appears to be getting better all the time.

Rose Red 2008 Wet: Green, sharp. This is an incredibly fruity, almost apple-y rose on the dry-down. It is exactly like burying your nose in a dewy, freshly opened bloom. I had the opportunity to test this the day after The Rose. The former is like wild roses on the vine, whereas Rose Red is more luscious, hot house sweetness with a tart core. I am wearing it in a scent locket because my skin snarfs rose in minutes, but even in the brief time it stayed on my skin, it was delicious, simple yet sophisticated. So glad I have a bottle of this.

In the bottle: Bourbon Wet: Molasses Drying: Brown sugar with the florals and berries gradually seeping in. Oh, here comes the mahogany. I don't detect musk so much. but I think it's making the florals a bit...brighter, if that makes sense. Finishes as a gentle, but not sticky-sweet, strawberry. This smells delicious. The sugar retreats to the background, but it's definitely present. Not a lot of throw once it dries, but lovely and complex. Bought a bottle on a whim, and I'm so glad I did.

In the wet and dry down phases I did not like this. It was all Gardenia Attacks! But then the gardenia backed off and allowed the iris and chamomile to come out, and the amber and (possibly -- I don't know much about it) agarwood smoothed it out. Didn't get much frankincense at all on my skin. This might be a good candidate for the scent locket. It doesn't evoke the sculpture for me so much, nor is it a very churchy scent (if churches smelled like this, I might start going to mass....) Overall, it's a beautiful fragrance, by far the most feminine BPAL I've tried. Not an everyday thing for me, but great for special occasions; as someone mentioned in one of the first reviews, it would be a lovely wedding day scent. I bought a mostly full bottle in a swap unsniffed, and I don't regret it.

I should like this one; the notes are appealing, but for some reason Jezebel just doesn't work on me. Wet, this is very sharp. As it dries down, I get the honey and orange blossom, with some sandalwood lurking in the background. Over time, it seems like the sandal and the rose are fighting instead of blending. Honey loves my skin -- it stays around for 24 hours sometimes, but sadly, I don't think I love it. I was planning on using up the imp, but I'm in an imp-box-cleaning mood, so I believe I will pass it on.

Wet: Sharp, spicy herbal. Drydown: This has serious throw on me. Must remember to use less next time. At this stage it's reminding me very much of Lancome's Tresor, one of the very few commercial scents that don't give me a headache. I just looked it up and they don't seem to have any notes in common, go figure. Later: Calmed down somewhat and is predominantly amber-myrrh-musk with a fruity-green overtone. Very sweet and lovely. Not getting the nutmeg or orange, but they may be there undercover, acting on the amber and myrrh. The fig combines with the other notes, making them better and more enticing, but not really standing out. Verdict: Almost all amber and myrrh blends work on me, so this was not a big surprise. I may very well want a bottle. ETA: Still smells beautiful nine hours later.

Wet and in the imp: Musk. Drydown: Almost nothing. A very faint skin musk when I put my nose right up to it. A bit later it's turning to...mint? The hell? Not a sharp mint, but more of a soft, sweet scent like wintergreen. Nature of chaos, I suppose. An hour later, here come the amber and sandalwood. Very sensual, not a lot of throw, but that's what I want in a musky scent. I like this a lot, but I'm definitely not getting the same strong, feral scent that others have reported. May need to try it at a different point in my cycle to see if different hormones amp it up. Keeping the imp; it will have to impress me more before I buy a bottle.