pensive

Count me in with The Raven folks. Do let us know how it works out.

At last, long awaited Medea! Preconceptions: Dark, interesting sounding. Imp sniff: That's got to be the currant. It smells dark purple with a touch of green. Wet: Rich and lovely. Drydown (short-term): My skin just cranked this one up. When a BPAL comes along You must whiff it! Before that imp sits out too long You must whiff it! Drydown (later): Deep berryish. Impression: Any scent that makes me burst into song has got something to it. Cat verdict: Approval. Verdict: It accents me in a very pretty way. Thumbs up, to a bottle with you!

It's a shame, something like this should be lickable, but because its perfume oil you don't want to do that so I didn't. I was tempted. Preconceptions: I'm the type of person who's relationship with Eggnog is "one carton for me, one carton for everyone else." Bottle sniff: YUM. Wet: Sweet, foody. Delicious. Drydown: I feel out of season but otherwise I like it. Color associations: Golden creamy yummy eggnog color. Verdict: Great for the room, a dab for me, but would pick a more holiday neutral scent for crafting - not everyone shares my eggnog love. Keep 'n store to use this holiday season, buy if it comes out again.

A surprise from the lovely Diana. Thanks! Preconceived notions: "The floral for people who don't like florals." "violet" I like violets, as I have tended to put them in my office (pensive + plants = disaster, usually). Might as well give this one a twirl, and never put a random gift imp straight into the swap pile unless I'd already tried it and knew I didn't like it. Imp sniff: Violets as advertised. Wet: Violets as advertised and.. something else. Drydown: Violets gone musky, woodsy, yumsy. Nicely mixed up. Subtle. Nice staying power. Impression: This would be a lovely evening scent with some variation on the "little black outfit". Definitely not for work. Cat Survey Says: While not pushing at the imp tin, she's not fleeing in horror either. In fact, she's sitting here quietly keeping me from cleaning. Verdict: Keeper. I found a floral I actually like! Well, don't mind, I mean, I'm not rushing to my shopping cart and slapping down a 10ml or something. I wouldn't have picked this up on my own accord, but at some point a nice 5ml would be lovely.

Picked this up with Eggnog recently, and since it just arrived, the review! Sniff test: AQUAZONE! Wrist test, wet: Strong. Very strong. Drydown: As far as the air/water thing goes - I'm more for Undertow, Lightning and Neo-Tokyo (an imp of which came with this, ahh yay). The stick-to power is there. All there. I will have to scrub to test Eggnog. (I keep reaching over to whiff at it.) Too much something. Maybe its evergreen? It's not me. Cat's reaction: No-go. She likes my aquatic and air scent kicks fine, but it seemed to be too much for both of us, 'cause she's off in her chair. Verdict: Will swap for another LE or a big bottle of something normal, or a 5ml and an imp or two or.. whatever. I'm not easy, just flexible.

Any suggestions on Storm Moon?

I totally and respectfully disagree with the above poster: this smells nothing like Wrath to me. Imp sniff: A bit sour and odd. Imp sniff after leaving the cap off for a short bit: Oh hm, that isn't bad at all. Wet: Kind of floral Drydown: It definitely gets better as it goes. Impressions: Complicated. Neither light nor dark. Voodoability: I'll wear a very little bit tomorrow, come back and make notations. I'm a raging skeptic, but I have to say the day's going well - Storm Moon and Eggnog arrived (with lovely gifty imps of NeoTokyo and The Raven) The one thing I was worried about did not come to pass. Something cost less than I was expecting, yet perfectly balanced the one thing that cost more than I was expecting. Pizza rolls were on sale at the grocery store, as was cat litter. Either I'm easy to please, or this stuff's got a little something something. Regardless, I present it as information that may help or at best, amuse. Cat verdict: Napping at present. I think the scent woke her up. That's what I call throw, folks. Come here cat, tell me what you think? Well, now. She seems to like it after much sniffing. She's going after my Altoids tin and rubbed my hands a bit (I tested a dab on the back of my hand). Maybe kitty thinks she needs a bit of luck! (Or she could be hungry but she does react to BPAL, so I think its a valid observation.) Verdict: I'm certainly grateful for the imp, anyway. The cat likes it. *Note: This cat completely digs on Imp and Dragon's Blood, so I don't know what this says about her tastes.

Preconcieved notions: I wonder what bamboo smells like? Imp sniff: Green, zingy. Utterly light and beautiful in a air sort of way. I wonder if my skin will just eat this - it is lighter than every other air scent I've got my hands on. It floats. Wet Skin: Oh! Lemon! But not for long. Smells very clean. But it isn't a bad lemon. It's like a lemon you squeeze in iced tea. Drydown: Well the lemon peeked out, said hello, and settled into the background. Smells very green and unique. I can wear this on a hot day - and there are a lot of hot days ahead. Impressions: It goes perfectly with my outfit for work, in a green and khaki way. My futuristic anime chick has green hair though. And I need to watch those anime DVDs a coworker loaned me. Verdict: Would make a great lotion, with a little dab on top for go-power. I want to experiment with this - lotions, sprays.. That makes it a keeper, put on the bottle list. Thank you lokelani!

One of those "well it has dragon's blood in it, okay... and it's a bargain.." whims. Listen to the whims! Imp sniff: Red hot! Cinnamony. Gooooodness. This is a lot spicier than I thought. By the way I came home from work tired - I'm not feeling so tired now! Wrist dab: You had me at hello, Wrath. Sexy, cinnamony still.. oo, there's the dragon's blood. This is not what I think my typical scent is but it's suiting me very well... BPAL is definitely reschooling me on scents. Blatant wrist sniffing, mid review: oh my word.. am I getting better at scents? That might be pepper. Or maybe it's clove. Whatever it is is sticking nicely and it mellows gorgeously so far. Will report back if it does anything funky. Cat's verdict: Might be a bit spicy. She seems to really groove on the Dragon Blood on its own, however. Impression: Warm late spring/early summer evening. Red laced with bright gold. Verdict: Zooooooom, zip. Me likes. Definitely one for going out with fvs the quiet night at home with the cat though!

SPOOKY: the "Hi, I want to gnaw my wrists this is so yummy" fragrance. Send me your tired, your poor, your huddled 5mls of Spooky yearning to be free. Is this a gushing review? Yes it is. Expectations: Pretty high - the description hooked me, the reviews convinced me, and the fact that it was a LE only mildly discouraged me. I got this beauty for a fair and decent price, however, because I am here and now apparently one lucky person. This is also my first bottle! The bottle came wrapped in bubble wrap, taped snugly, and within a cardboard outer shell and bubble envelope. To say that this was well packed would be an understatement. If any of you want/need a recommendation for Thorne, this is a great one right here. The bottle: It is adorable. Because this is Reviews and not B-Therapy, I'll sum up my day as horrible bordering on one of the worst work days I've had in a very, very long time. I also do not feel well. Spooky could not have been better timed. Bottle sniff: mint chocolate ice cream and everything delicious - can something this good smelling be legal? On me, wet: Through a stuffed up nose, I can smell just enough minty goodness. I love mint. Cat's impression: She gave the closed bottle a good sniffdown after I quickly opened it up and let some of it waft around before being brave enough to open it a second time to apply. Seems to meet her approval as well. Drying down: Utterly charming in a Thin Mint cookie way. With an itty bit of coconut/rum. I think. I can't smell so well right now.* Impressions: Great, so I can smell like I work in a girl scout cookie factory and am in charge of the Samoas and Mint batches. As a former scout myself, I know this smell. I love this smell. The rum in the very faint background makes this scent a grown up scout leader at the end of the day sort of scent. Because she had a long Saturday distributing cookies to her troop opening the door, closing the door, making sure the cat is locked up safely while the dads lug cases into the SUV parked out front. But now, she can kick it back with a rum and coke because the kids and parents are all gone, and so are the boxes formerly enveloping the living room. It is green and purple, and brown. *Mind you I practically have to stick my nose on my wrist because I'm so congested, but.. Verdict: Whoever doesn't like Spooky please contact me. I'm taking it in all shapes and sizes.

Vice, aka "HEY. Who put the Chantico in imp format?" Imp sniff: Can I wear this to work? Should I wear this to work? (go lightly!) Smelled yummy. Chocolatey. Wet: Dark chocolate. Drydown: This is going to probably fade fast only because I didn't put much on. Still vaguely cocoa. Impressions: I am a human Brownie. I am now officially hungry. I also have occasions where this scent would be cool and mysterious enough. Work is not quite that occasion Cat impression: Paw of approval. Verdict: Keep the imp, use the imp. Scent to get after the "big loves" are taken care of.

Wicked (tested yesterday) Expectations: Sounds cool. Imp sniff: Roses, yep. Jasmine, a little bit. Not bad. Wet: More jasmine. Drydown: Old fashioned, dusty roses. Impressions: I feel years older w/o all the accumulated wisdom that's supposed to come along. Not totally what I'm after. Cat impression: None, did this right before work, and it had faded by the time I got home. Verdict: Someone else has a home that will love this just above label imp better. Already out the door.

Expectations: None, really, this is another one of the nine-pack. Imp sniff: Greenish, floral But you don't really like florals - my mind said. But it wasn't unpleasant so I swiped some on my wrists/collar to give a shot. Wet: Not too bad, just an itty bit floral. I'm not getting any berries either. Dry: Hmm. I have smelled nothing like this combination before. I better go look this up and start my review. I mean, it's not bad, just on me - sort of iffy in a not really me kind of way. Cat assessment: She wasn't too keen on this one. Assessment: More of an early winter scent. May try again later just to be sure, but probably best in the swap as needed pile.

Hellcat! I really wanted to like this one based on what was in it, but mostly because the name just is way too cool. But, I did not. Imp Sniff: Urgh. Strong. I can't pick out what it is but its vaguely alcoholic. On me: Bitter. Icky. I scrubbed it off. Verdict: To the trade pile you go, Hellcat!

Oh wow! Expectations: None. I'd forgotten the description by the time I opened up the imp. Imp sniff: Fruity delicious and something I cannot place. On skin: Oh YUM. This is playful. Smelled a bit odd on wrists at first, which must have been the Hellcat residue. Drydown: Perfect mix of everything! Long lasting too. Cat verdict: She loves it. She loves me wearing it. Color associations in my mind: This is summery, bright, golden. Sunkissed. Verdict: Sweet and sexy. A keeper!

Expectations: Well it sounds good... Imp sniff: Musky. Manly. On me: Can't say I'd wear this. On the other hand, I'd be happy if any man of mine wore this. Verdict: I need a man to test this on properly. Anyone want to lend me theirs for a weekend?

After my near disaster with Bon Vivant, I was really wondering. Imp sniff: Minty Wet: Still minty. Creme de Menthe on some parts, Woodsy on others. Drydown: Nice. I'm not sure what I smell like though. Lasting on me: Slightly less than Lightning. S'ok. I would rollerball this and graciously apply as needed. Color impression: Dark green. Thoughts: Pond in the middle of a dark forest on a mountain. Very, very calming for me. Verdict: 510ml would be pretty nice.

Expectations: Champagne and Strawberry. I like both those things - what's not to like, really. In the imp: Yummy smelling. Wet: I started sneezing immediately. And then I smelled something sour and bitter. This was not a fresh strawberry. No other tests. I scrubbed it off. May try again in about a week or so but I really imagine this one in the swap pile. Probably just not my thing.

LIGHTNING (A complete review) As I woke up this morning, the pouring rain reminded me I picked a great scent to compliament it for testing. Imp Sniff: Airy. Zingy. Watery. Rain in a bottle. Wet: Whoever said this smelled like a Yankee Candle was only half right. The other half reminds me of my current favorite 'fume "oceanus" by Body Shop. I suspect its a combination of both. Then again I also like Ocean Water/Storm Watch - whenever possible I have those burning in my living room. Color impression: Blue. All the way from navy blue-grey sky down. Other impressions: If it were not raining already, I would still say this is a perfect scent for a Friday. Reminds me a bit of Seattle (mm home). Drydown: Quick, but doesn't seem to be fading as fast as Yeveran did on me. (It makes Yeveran look like it did a drive by on my skin and the first exit off the highway.) Smells very clean. Refreshing. Later in the day: Would put this in a roller for quick dabs towards the end of a long work day. Cat test: She has no current opinion, but considering she's probably used to the other scents I don't feel like dabbing some on just for her to check it out. Will test her on it next time I wear. Initial impresions: Well, good thing I inadverdently ended up with two imps of this! May try layering this with "oceanus" at some point. Wondering if I layered it with a coffee scent if I could replicate my mental Seattle and thus, be where I'm too far from.

Imp: Wow. Power in a bottle. Bit fruity, red. Wet: Snow covered cherry and something else. Few seconds: Mmm. Sweetness. Can't keep my nose off my wrist. Drydown-long term: Long lasting scent on me, sweet, subtle, energetic, a little bit bright - again, got some cherry but not overtly fruity. Color: It's unapologetically red. Cat's reaction: She liked it. How it worked at work: Stayed on me all day hanging out and being subtle, no refreshing needed - and it was a long day. No comments, either, which is generally good. Final verdict: A lot like me, "It's the quiet ones you have to watch out for." Happy scent for my skin. Definitely need a bottle. I'm not so good at picking out notes yet, but that will come with more sniffing I imagine. 5/12 update: Apparently this is a mighty-morphing-scent, because my coworker said it smelled like flowers. He could have been referring to the roses in the office, though.

My first review! In the imp: Again, hello holy apricot! It's like I got dropped head first in a bushel. What I told the #bpal-ers: This scent scares me. I really don't think I can wear this. For science and growing admiration of BPAL, I tested this one very lightly. Wet: If I closed my eyes I'd be standing in an orchard. I'm a southern belle! I'm a southern belle! Few seconds: Well that's not so bad, my skin slurped it up the over powering part like a hot summer day. Awfully light musky, little bit of fruity. Not annoying or cloying at all. Drydown-long term: Yup, dried down real fast. Doesn't have that sticking power on me. Cat's reaction: entirely neutral to "ehh, get your wrist out of my face" Final verdict: Still out, although my first impression was "this would make a nifty lotion or spray". <- confirmed thought after second application, would make a nifty spray, especially in the middle of a 97 (90% humidity) day that is oh too icky common in the summer, proving first impressions are usually pretty right on. Too sweet for a burner. Move to "non essential" category and make note to read up on sprays. The morning scent was as I suspected, gone well before noon, but the imp scent is too intimidating to want to slather. Update, May 18: However, it makes a fantastic body powder, which is where I think most of any imps that come my way of this will go. Powdery in a good way fresh apricotty goodness.