kerickson

In the vial: Very cool, soothingly sugary floral at first sniff. I like it and feel that it is very promising. On me (dry): Applied to wrists. Still sugary sweet and fresh as I apply it. As soon as it dries down, the floral blend strengthens. Well... it doesn't just strengthen, it explodes. I can definitely smell jasmine in there and it reminds me of Sacred Whore of Babylon... which I did not like. Jasmine seems to overpower whatever blend it's in. I can still smell the magnolia and orchid in there, but faintly. We'll see if the jasmine overtakes everything in a little while. And umm... I don't know who might agree, but I actually, although they are breathtakingly gorgeous... orchids smell like butt to me. Also, where are the amber and rose notes? I don't detect them at all amongst the jasmine, magnolia, and orchids. After a while: The floral remains pleasant but this scent doesn't last very long on me. It soon fades to just about nothing. However I do like it when it becomes more delicate after about an hour. Verdict: 6/10. Overall a very enticing and pleasant scent, but I'm not a fan of the orchid notes and I'm kind of bummed that more of the amber and rose didn't show up on me. I am very impressed that the jasmine didn't overpower everything, and for once I enjoyed it.

In the vial: Ohh - NOT good. Very sharp, and to me it is actually similar to the smell of opening a jar of pickled jalapenos. It smells like vinegar. Very odd. On me (dry): Applied to wrists. Very powdery floral, firm and sweet. Roses and orchids. It is very nice! Strikingly different from how it smells in the vial. It's girly, it's feminine, and quite pleasant and uplifting. I feel awakened and alert now. I can't stop smelling my wrists, hahaha. Although light and floral, there is a heavy musk to it as well as a certain bitterness. However, this is by no means a bad thing in this case. After a while: After approximately 2 hours, the scent is increasingly powdery. I'm picking up hints of what I want to say is jasmine, but not overwhelming jasmine... it's a perfect balance of powder and jasmine that calms and relaxes. It is gentle, sweet, fresh, and still altogether feminine and wonderful. Verdict: 8/10. Smells very weird to begin with, but quickly redeems itself. Another determining factor is I think I'm in a mood today that makes me more tolerant of this type of smell. I'm feeling girly and happy However, even on an "off" day I'd probably give it no less than a 7. Will definitely add this to my next order of 5 ml's.

In the vial: Very strong, and not "sexy" at all really like I have expected it to be. It's got a sharp bite and I can detect the myrrh and ylang ylang in it. On me (dry): Applied to wrists. Bleh. I don't really like how this is turning out. It's very "woodsy", reminds me of the smell of pine trees. On fire maybe. There are musky undertones... and there is something very "potpourri" about this scent. I don't find it at all sexy right now. It makes me think of walking into a hippie's house. We'll see how it turns out after a couple of hours on my skin. It's very strong and irritating. After a while: A couple hours later, it has worn off to a very beautiful, soft, Christmas-like scent. It's warm and spicy... and I like it MUCH better now than I did when first applying it. I find this scent calming, but not quite intoxicating or sensual like the name suggests it should be. It's more cinnamon that anything now, and I keep picking up that initial whiff of pine as well. Verdict: 7/10. Not bad after the scent settles on me. It'd score higher if it weren't so aggravating at the initial application. And again - not what I would describe as "Lust"... if I could give it a name it would be something to the effect of "Peace" or perhaps even "Mistletoe" I'm just reminded of the holidays when I wear this.

In the vial: Strong, potent aquatic smell. Smells like bar soap x 10. It makes me think "blue". On me (dry): Applied to wrists. Very fresh, clean, still soapy. A little too strong and potent for me. After a while: The potency fades after about an hour - this is the shortest time a BPAL perfume has lasted on me. After an hour I can still smell it if I put my nose right against my wrist. Still smells very soapy, like I've just gotten out of the shower. Also reminds me of fabric softener sheets. Verdict: 4/10. I got this as a random sample with my Samhain '08, and it definitely is not a scent I would have picked out myself. I'm not a fan of the "aquatic" scents and it's a bit too sharp and potent for my nose. Also, I'm not impressed with how it just smells like Irish Spring after a while lol. This is overall a very plain scent, and a little more masculine than I expected. I might get my husband to try it out, I think I'd like it a lot better on him than on me. Would make a wonderful laundry detergent... lol.

In the vial: Strong, spicy, and sexy... and it reminds me of walking into an incense shop. On me (dry): Applied to wrists and hair. It is still very strong and heavy. Still makes me think of incense. There is a hint of cinnamon in there and I can smell a lot of jasmine. It's musky. After a while: This smell remains strong on me for about 3/3.5 hours. I applied it to my wrists and in my hair, and whenever I wave my hands in front of my face I get a draft of the scent. After it fades away, the jasmine still remains heavy. Hints of vanilla sneak through. All I can really say is musky jasmine, musky jasmine, musky jasmine!! After about 4 hours or so, the smell only drifts to just above the application area. It's completely gone out of my hair. Verdict: 6/10. It's nice, but not me. I feel like if I were a 45-year-old cougar, I'd wear this. It is sensual and sexy, but it feels too distinctive and too mature for someone like me. The jasmine is definitely overpowering at times.

With my recent order of 5ml Samhain '08, I was given an imp of Saint-German. This isn't showing up when I type it into the BPAL website search engine. Is this a discontinued scent or something? Just curious. Would like to know more about it... I'll do a couple searches on the forum, too. Update (about 5 mins. later) Wow... well, I've answered my own question upon the realization that I was spelling it wrong. It's actually "Saint-Germain".*shifty eyes*

In the vial: Sharp, spicy, a bit different from what I expected... but still very pleasant. On me (dry): Applied to wrists, hair, and neck. Better on my wrist than it is in the bottle. Deep, warm, smokey, seductive. I can smell apple cider, cinnamon, pumpkin pie, nutmeg, and clove buds. It's very sweet... again, initially taking me back to thoughts of apple cider. After a while: This scent stays strong on me for about 2 hours. After that it begins to fade away, but not all that much. It gets lighter and cozier with time, and remains satisfactory. In the end I am left with a very light sugary scent on my skin, only noticeable by people who get close to me (hugs, etc). Yesterday I applied some mid-day and then at night when I settled down with my husband, he said I smelled nice. His nose was right against my wrist though lol. I feel calm, relaxed, just glowing the scent of halloween. I wish there was a body mist for this, something I might try creating later. Verdict: I love it, 9/10. It'd be a 10/10 if it lasted longer. I am VERY glad I made this my first bottle purchase, especially since not being totally satisfied with the 6 or so imps I've tried so far. This was taking a risk, but I do love autumn smells, and I was definitely rewarded.