darkling

I received this as a freebie with my early August order. In the bottle, Obeah smelled dark and pungent. As soon as it touched my wrist, all I could smell was thick patchouli. I hate patchouli I waited a couple of seconds to see if the scent would morph or any other notes would arise. Nope. Just patchouli. I had to run to the bathroom and wash it off.

starrykitten, you make me laugh I recommend Bordello if you are looking for a cotton candy scent. On me, Bordello alternates between pure, sweet cotton candy and a high-class saloon serving plum-based alcohol.

Unfortunately, this smelled purely of anise in the bottle and on my skin. I had to run to the bathroom and wash it off! Even the aroma of black licorice in the store makes me ill, so this is not a scent for me.

Wet: A tang of ozone and electricity like a lightning-strike. Dry: A bizarre, light tinge of fruit-bearing flowers and metal. The best way I can describe this scent is as a synthetic flower. Not artifical, but a flower with a metallic stem growing out of the city pavement.

Unfortunately, the only note in this scent that seeped into my skin was the incense that smelled just like a weaker version of Cathedral. While I adore Cathedral, Old Kathmandu remained as a washed out version of this resin scent

In the bottle: sweet and fruity but not very strong Wet: artificial cherry-flavored horror Beginning to dry: an exquisite mix of deep, luscious cherries and rich woods Dry: powdery vanilla that has lost all trace of fruit or wood I was incredibly disappointed that this scent did not maintain the cherry-wood smell that was delightful.

I am the proud and baffled owner of fragrant fractal LXXI. In the bottle: Lime. Pure lime. I am instantly disappointed as it smells like the same lime I bought months ago for my oil burner at the craft store. Wet: More lime. Sweet but ordinary lime. It's a good thing that lime is one of my favorite flavors. Lime lollipops = yummy. 20 minutes: The lime has become sugary sweet like a lime glaze or a lime meringue. A half hour: Suddenly, the lime is spicy. Wait, floral lime. Finally: This scent is a spicy floral lime. It reminds me a bit of Havisham with a lime twist and a spoonful of sugar. I am not adept at identifying particular scents unles they are blatantly obvious so I will add to this post as I wave my chaotic lime in front of my friends' noses.

In the vial, this smells like sickly-sweet strawberrries. Wet on my wrist, I get the scent of bubbly champagne. I can not imagine how Beth so accurately captured the smell of champagne in a perfume. It is exquisite. After a half hour or so the strawberry element becomes more noticable and it no longer has the tang of artificiality that was present in the imp. Bon Vivant lingers throughout the day with the perfect mixture of strawberry sweetness and champagne effervescence.

This was a freebie that I received from the lab in my last order. On my skin it smelled like patchouli mixed with baby powder. It was so strong that it was distracting. Even after I tried to wash it off, the faint scent lingered for many hours. I am not a fan of patchouli and this may have impacted my dislike for the scent but I did not get any of the spicy and orange notes that others have described.

I was dubious at first when the fruits in Titania smelled completely artifical which is common with fruity oils and my body chemistry. Upon dry-down, Titania became the essence of chilled fruit. The pear and peach remained strong with an undertone of grape and iced flowers. The scent faded quickly and would need reapplication every few hours.

Wow! Hellfire smells exactly like its description. On my wrist, it is a dark whorl of tobacco, musk, and smoke. I felt completely wrong wearing this to work;) This scent is also amazing because it continues to go strong after a good twleve hours of wear. It is very masculine and rich. I am not sure if it suits my tastes for daily wear but I will definitely try it a few more times before I decide.

In the bottle and wet- The sharp tang of grapefruit. Dry- The grapefruit has disappeared and is replaced with a soapy odor that reminds me of bath beads. A few hours later- It morphed into a light, powdery scent of undefined fruit. The smell is so faint that I have to stick my nose on my wrist to catch it. This will definitely be added to my swap pile.

In the bottle- The smell of sweet fruit with an edge of the pickle that others have been detecting. Wet and dry-The scent of Masabakes is a black plum just before it is about to rot. It is juicy and luscious with an edge of decay. While it did fade over time, I could still sniff it on my wrists at the end of an 8 hour day.

In the bottle, this scent smelled almost exactly like Eclipse with the same overpowering almond. On my wrist, the almonds continued to be the overpowering note. In contrast with Eclipse, these were dark almonds rather than sunlit almonds. After a few minutes an unfortunate Play Doh scent began to appear beneath the almond. So far, this clay-like smell has accompanied every imp that I have tried that containes honey (with the exception of Old Athens). While the Queen of Sheba is a pleasant scent, it can't compare to the exquisite Eclipse.

While I am not a fan of floral scents, I tend to enjoy the BPAL perfumes that include rose. Unfortunately, Harlot was all rose on me while wet and dry. I could not detect a hint of cinnamon. Anyone who loves the scent of roses and has a similar body chemistry to me would adore this fragrance. It is also exceptionally long-lasting. Even after 12 hours of wear, my wrists still smell of roses.

I was dubious about trying this scent because orange is the only fruit that I do not enjoy eating or smelling. When wet, Carnal smells distinctly of mandarin orange. It smells juicy and ripe with no hint of citrus. On dry down, it smells a bit sweeter. I imagine a tangerine lollipop with just enough natural flavors to keep it from tasting (or smelling) artificial. I don't perceive any hint of fig but it may be what keeps the scent from being overly sweet. The down side is that it only stays strong for about an hour. After that point, I need to directly sniff my wrists if I want to catch the scent.

Wolf's Heart smells warm and comforting. It brings to mind a feeling of safety and being protected by a devoted friend. Whether it is the fragrance or the placebo effect, I feel stronger and more capable of making it through the day when I wear this scent.

Jester immediately had the overpowering scent of a second-rate candle. The fruit notes were very strong and smelled sweet and artificial rather than natural, distinct scents. It dried down quickly while still maintaining the quality of artifical fruit and was completely lost in a couple of hours. My partner reported that Jester smells like bubble gum on me so this imp will definitely go on my next swap list.

Kuang Shi was a harsh, white scent on my skin while wet. On drydown, it remained harsh with an edge of grapefruit and I never caught a whiff of mango. The scent faded almost completely in about three hours. It creates an atmosphere of cruelty and bluntness that doesn't fit well with my personality or my career.

When wet, the Cheshire Cat smelled almost entirely like lavender. It was strong and pervasive to the point where I almost washed off the scent. After a few minutes, the lavender mingled with the chamomile creating a drowsy, bedttime atmosphere. The other scents, particularly the grapefruit, never manifested themselves strongly but they added to the richness of the overall perfume. I don't know if I would ever wear this during the day but it is a great scent for sleeping and I had some interesting dreams.

I will keep my fingers crossed that at least one of my favorite scents becomes a soap. I vote for Chimera, Eclipse, Ophelia, Old Madrid, Bordello, Carnal, and/or March Hare. Yum;)

When wet, Rakshasa smelled extremely spicy and exotic. It is the only scent I have tried that "pounced" on me. Usually, I do not like the smell of patchouli but it blended wonderfully with the jasmine and rose that left each note indistinguishable. On the negative side, the drops applied to my neck irritated my skin and made it very red. Fortunately, it faded throughout the day. After 13 hours of wear, it smells very faintly like patchouli and the other notes have disappeared

In the bottle, it smelled rather bland with a hint of sweetness. Unfortunately, on my skin, all it smelled like was Play-Doh.

In the bottle, Bordello smelled like dark, ripe plums. On my skin, the scent fluctuates between black currant cotton candy with an edge of spiciness and the dusky decadence of a saloon full of cowboys drunk on wine and amaretto. This is an amazing fragrance in terms of the layers of scent that shine through over the hours. It seems to have staying power as well . . . four hours and counting.

I usually do not like florals but Ophelia has become one of my favorite BPAL scents. It is exquisitely light with a hint of water and greenery. It smells exactly like delicate flowers drowning in a clear forest pool. I love this scent even more because it brings to mind the painting that John Waterhouse created based upon the character of Ophelia. It is one of my favorite pieces of artwork.