The_Merf

The darkening amber of faith’s sunset, deepened by the dark fruits of Proserpine. In the imp: You know, amber is one of those notes that I've convinced myself I really like. However, most of the amber scents I've tried have been consigned to B-list status. I do like the smell of this one in the vial, and I can clearly detect the fruits. Wet: You know, this is pretty good, and I'll be damned if it doesn't match the notes description to a tee. I'm still pretty bad at picking out individual types of fruits, but they seem rather exotic and sun-kissed (which is probably an effect of the amber). Drydown and wear: This stays pretty true to the wet stage, though there is a problem with fading (I think my skin must soak amber up pretty effectively, because this happes with a lot of the amber scents I've tried). Not that I go to the beach often (ever), but this strikes me as a very tropical beach scent: whiffs of naturally growing fruit mingle with the smell of warm skin that still has some sunscreen left, but is dominated by sand and flowers.

In the imp: Mmmm...evocative. (I also think my nose is getting better.) These are flowers in newly turned dirt that got poured on (by one of those characteristic here/not here Southern thunderstorms) and are now sitting in the sun. Wet: Yee haw, moss and magnolias! Drydown and wear: I'm kinda surprised by this--it's all floral. There is a bourbon edge to things, but this remains quite floral. I like this...not as much as I love love love New Orleans, but it goes in that same category of "down home blends."

In the imp: The opium note from Languor comes in loud and clear, but there's also a hint of greenery--the idea that this is a flower--that isn't present in other opium scents I've tried (and I've tried a lot of 'em). Wet: Wow, I'm going to have to try my other opium scents again, because I'm having a hard time distinguishing them in my head right now. This scent is what it says it is: opium. Drydown and wear: This stays true to the opium note with an edge of green. I wish this would smoke out on me a little bit more, but I like its strength (I've had problems with throw on scents like Darkness and Languor). I'll have to wear all those scents and compare them with each other to figure out where to go next.

In the imp: Woo-hoo this is a purple scent. It's quite evocative of the popular Arthurian tradition. I can imagine this on a beautiful, powerful woman with black hair and purple eyes. Wet: Wow--this one knocks you back at first. I'm not exactly sure what is powerful, but again, it's very purple and very floral. I'm not catching much of the incense or anything "spicy" or deep at the moment. Drydown and wear: Just as quick as she knocks you out, Morgause vanishes into my skin. However, the incense wanders back out, and there is a scent of what I could only call twilight (the night bloms, I imagine) that accompanies it. Again, very evocative of the popular Arthuian tradition...I feel like I should scent a fantasy novel with tihs or something. This ends up as a combination of violets and incense, and is really quite lovely.

In the imp: Orchids, baby! I have a foot scrub with that has orchid extracts, and while this isn't quite the same smell (the oil is lighter). Wet: Just lovely--this represents the deep and husky qualities of orchids. However, there is a heather-y ness to this as well--this is what I wanted Glasgow and Bewitched to smell like! Drydown and wear: Stays true and full. I have a complicated relationship with orchids (they are a recurring motif in my dreams) and I have sort of adopted the black orchid as my standard (and yet have I tried Queen Mab yet? Of course not!), so I had high hopes for this scent. They are met. I will clutch the imp and wait on some of the other orchid scents I have on the way to decide if I want a bottle.

In the imp: This is quite apt--I can smell both the dragon's blood and the amber resin. Wet: This becomes very metallic on me; the slightly sharp turn of the dragon's blood makes me think of what Dragon's Hide (leather and dragon's blood) would have been without warming notes. Given that amber is a warm note, I'm surprised by this particlar reaction. Drydown and wear: This just disappeared after approximately 15 minutes. Simply vanished...if the test spot on my arm wasn't red (this oil is like Dragon's Milk in that it is a bit viscous and takes some time to sink in) I don't think I would have been able to find it. What I can detect is very faint dragon's blood. I'm afraid this one is off to swaps.

Wow! A Somnus frimp from the Lab. This is teh awesome! In the imp: Dude, that's sharp like a needle, yet intriguing. Wet: This is all lavender on me. I have an eye pillow that is lightly scented with lavender and this reminds me of it. Drydown and wear: This remains very strong lavender and very sharp. Sadly, it is irritating my nose to smell it, which is a shame, as some of my favorite oils have lavender in them (like Mercury). This is so sad--I wanted to be able to hold onto this, but it looks like I will have to swap it away.

In the imp: Oh dear God I'm going to have an insta-headache. I received this as a generous frimp (I'm blaming the bottle of Wilde I ordered for this), and chuckled, because it really is the last GC blend I would order of my own volition. However, another blend on that informal list was Dirty, and I really liked that, so I'm going to have to give this a go. Yes...I'll give this a go when I can actually bear to put it on my skin. I have to psych myself up: "Come on self, you tried Grog, you didn't flinch from Ogun and you laughed in the face of scents like Djinn and Brimstone. You can do it! You can do it!" Wet: I want my mommy! Drydown and wear: Son of a gun, there's the slight pain in the head already. I'm going to have to take this off with nail polish remover. White musk is just the bane of my existence, which is a shame, because the lemon (which I like) tries its best here, but is overwhelmed, because the white musk gets stronger and stronger as this one dries. While I thank the Labbies as always for their generosity, I'm a-gonna have to swap this one (of course, it appears as though there will be no shortage of takers).

In the imp: Given the color, I was not surprised to smell good old dragon's blood. Wet: When I first apply this, I can briefly smell the oily base that I pick up in many of the Voodoo Blends, but that goes away quickly. Drydown and wear: This is a very light scent, as other have mentioned. You would need to reapply. I get straight dragon's blood, and nothing else from the blend. I'll certainly keep the imp around, and I'm sure I'll have reason to put it to the test soon enough!

In the imp: Beautiful golden amber. Wet: Wow--I'm really surprised at how strong the spices are in this blend. It's almost producing a warm "chai" effect on my skin. Very lovely. Drydown and wear: This stays very true throughout its entire cycle. It fits the description perfectly--golden amber, spiced, with a regal gait and bearing. This is a scent I could see myself wearing while at work. I will certainly keep the imp and think about getting a bottle.

In the imp: Pine, pine, pine. I like the pine in Geek, but it is really strong here, and there's no cedar for balance. Wet: The sharp pine continues. Drydown and wear: Now I smell the cypress, but this is mostly pine, with black musk very much in the background. I must say that this scent does an amazing job of fitting its name and description; I think that I would have come up with something like "black forest" if I were asked to sniff this blend without knowing what it was. There is a cold creep to this scent--the black forest in winter--that is very compelling. However, it stays too sharp throughout its tenure for my skin, so even though I think it's an amazing blend in its own right, I'm going to have to swap it.

In the imp: Sweet greens, with a hint of berry. It strikes me as a lighter version of Bewitched. Wet: Yes, this is a lighter version of Bewitched, and it also has the same sort of "misty" quality that I found in both Dublin and Leanan Sidhe. There is very little change here from the wet stage. Drydown and wear: I so desperately want to love one of the Scotch-Irish scents, but the ones I've tried to date are all so light and fade on me right away. They're beautiful and very wispy--they do match up with and evoke images of "the wee burn" on a rainy day, but they just disappear so quickly. *sob* I'm afraid this one will have to go off to swaps.

In the imp: Aaah! Very sharp, bitter chocolate (it smells like Lindt bitter chocolate to me) and that vanilla note that always strikes me as this side of stale. The combination is almost nutty, and I can't smell the sandalwood. Wet: Wow--very strong clash between vanilla and chocolate. Drydown and wear: After reading the reviews of this scent, the only reason I kept it on my wishlist was the sandalwood. <Red Stripe guy>Hooray Sandalwood!</Red Stripe guy> As the scent dries, the sandalwood becomes more prominent and blends beautifully with the cocoa scent. The end result is buttery (though this is fading fast on me) and would work real well either in the dead of winter or on certain summer days (when it's warm, but not too warm) where you want to enjoy the heat (with appropriate sunscreen protection, natch). I will definitely keep the imp.

In the imp: Hello red musk, my old friend/I've come to smell with you again... Wet: My skin must amplify red musk even more than it does black musk, because red musk is almost all that I can smell here. Now, I like red musk, but I already have two bottles of scents that feature it. I really wish I could detect the fig or blackcurrant. Drydown and wear: OK, as this dries the dragon's blood is coming out, in its usual "throbbing floral" state, not the cooler state of Dragon Moon. Someone else mentioned Scherezade in their review, and I can certainly detect a similarity, though I do not believe this scent is as complex for someone whose skin chemistry (like mine) revels in dragon's blood. I'll put this in my B-list group, because it does have a sweetness that my other red musk scents don't have, but this only reminds me that I need to go through those scents and start ranking some favorites!

This bottle was received fresh from the Lab in 2006 In the bottle: I'm surprised--this is MUCH lighter than I thought it was going to be. I get smoke, which is good--always good--but everything else is in the background. I know there are other elements, but nothing is screaming at me. Wet: OMGBBQ!!!!! Beautiful smokiness upon hitting skin. It's like a more feminine Herr Drosselmeyer. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <clears through, regains composure> Now I smell the wax of the candles--this is candles all the way when it is wet. Drydown and wear: Oh, why did I only get one bottle? I could bathe in this. It is divine, wonderful, fantastic, etc., etc. Mmmm...it is the type of scent that clings lightly to everything and thus seems to be an integral part of everything, despite being very light, as others have mentioned. The candle wax takes on a more distinctly floral character as the scent dries. The initial strong smokiness fades (such a shame), but what remains is lovely. I'm not getting any of the citrus that I expected to find in this blend, but that is OK, because I love what is here.

Ah, now this is a funereal oil In the imp: Mmm...patchouli and myrrh--the uniting of religion and earth. I don't know orris (this is the first orris blend I've tried), but nothing unfamiliar is jumping out at me. Wet: I love tried and true notes in new combinations. You're almost 100% positive you'll be happy, but there's always an element of surprise. This is the patchouli/incense stage of The Caterpillar (which I tested on the same arm) without any of the floral intervention. The result is elegant. Drydown and wear: This dries into sweetened earth. That's really the best way I can describe it. There is nothing else suggestive of life like fruits or florals to "get in the way." This blend just proves how strong the myrrh is with me--it does not abate, even when the patchouli fades a bit. I likes it--although this wasn't an automatic decision, I did put this on my A-list.

Few surprises are as nice as a frimp off your wishlist--thank you Beth and Labbies! In the imp: Ah yes, this one is as complex as I thought it would be, given all the notes. On the very first sniff I caught the vetiver, as this had the same sense of burrowed earth that I found in Lenore. However, on other passes through, I caught the incense and the patchouli. Wet: The earthy scent drops out and at first I smell a combination of incense and patchouli. There is a floral edge to it and it smells a little bit like jasmine, not the iris. My first thought is that this might finally come close to the "Geek replacement scent" I've been searching for. Drydown and wear: This sucker wiggles like a caterpillar when it comes to morphing--you really have to keep track of it. This doesn't have the natural grounded that Geek gets from the cedar and pine, but the incense/patchouli combination is still interesting on my skin. It makes its first morph on my skin when the jasmine starts to overpower the patchouli and mix with the incense--this ends up balancing back to a combination of patchouli, incense and jasmine. Given all those other notes, I wish some more of them would come back to play--especially the vetiver, as I love its earthen groundedness. This is becoming increasingly floral, and while jasmine strikes first, as it were, I can also sense the carnation and iris. In conclusion, this is a very interesting scent, and it has many notes that are usually strong on my skin (which probably explains all the morphing). I will definitely keep this around, though it does not strike me as an immediate "must get bottle" scent.

In the imp: Uh-oh...it's clear. Historically, this does not bode well. On first sniff, it is very clean and sharp. Wet: You know, I must admit that is not nearly as bad as I guessed it would be. There's a slight edge of the usual staleness I associate with white musk and honey on my skin at first, but like others have said, this comes off as very floral. I also see where people are coming up with the laundry association. Drydown and wear: There's not a lot of change here, though the floral does acquire a more tropical edge. This is also a lot stronger than I thought it would be--I'm trying it at the same time as Yerevan and it is the one I smell first. I really, really can't believe I'm writing this (I received this as a frimp, in case y'all didn't guess already), but I think like this. Seriously, from the descriptions offered by the site, Dirty was in the "bottom five I would purchase of my own free will," but now I'm probably going to keep the imp. As always, I can do naught but tip my hat to Beth.

In the imp: Yep--I can smell the apricot. If I close my eyes and try very hard, I can also detect a creamier back note which is probably the iris or the pale musks. Wet: Same balance that I detected in the imp. I wish I had my March Hare on hand so I could compare, since so many people seem to detect a similarity, but I'm pretty sure that this has less kick (since MH has clove). Drydown and wear: There's not a lot of change here for me, although the strength of the apricot seems to depend on the sniff. I wish I was good enough to identify exactly which note was hanging around in the background. I'm also happy that this hasn't gone wonky on me, since light and pale musks are generally kisses of death. However, if there's one thing that I've learned during my tenure with BPAL, it is that I really like apricot and peach scents. Now I just have to decide which ones I want! I'm very appreciative of receiving this as a frimp. Because of the listed pale musks, I would not have purchased this for myself in a million years, and it is lovely. At the very least, I will keep the imp.

First off, may I just say that I LOVE the label on this bottle. This also has the distinction of being the first Lunacy I've ever tried. In the bottle: This smells very clean--I can detect the tea and the sandalwood, but very little dragon's blood. I'm actually a little apprehensive now...for some reason, "clean" scents have some sort of note that gets in trouble on my skin. I can also detect the cherry. This is another one of those nice blends that alters slightly with each sniff. Wet: You know, I had never understood why people called dragon's blood a floral--in the Ars Draconis blends and other DB blends I have, I would never describe it as floral on my skin (I think that may be why I love DB so much--it is hard for me to put a finger on it). It is floral here, however, and it combines very nicely with the tea. I'm surprised that the sandalwood isn't quite as prominent, as it is usually a strong note on my skin, and I smelled it in the bottle. Dry-down and wear: There is a very quiet dignity about this scent, and it actually gives me the same sort of feeling I get when I look at Asian art (though I may be bringing my "this is an Asian mood" ideas into things). As it dries, the sandalwood starts to become a little stronger, but it isn't obnoxious at all. The dragon's blood is on the edges of this scent, and it is really quite a unique effect. I wish this was a little stronger...it is fading out a bit on my skin (but I am by a fan because my A/C isn't working properly, so...). When I first sniffed this, I thought, "Uh oh," but this is really a very lovely oil.

I'll give another vote to Urd.

In the bottle: Oh Saturn, planet that sits atop my chart and looks down on absolutely everything, how are you? I can't realy identify any notes, all I know is that this has all of Saturn's weight and gravity. Wet: Wow, this is strong. For a moment, I was almost overwhelmed by it, and thought that I would have to only wear it on very special occassions (I don't really do 'rituals,' else I would have used the phrase "ritual oil.") or use it to scent certain important things. Drydown and wear: As my battles with Saturnian issues go, so went my relationship with the oil as it dried down. At first, I was ready to back down, but then I asserted myself and made the oil work with me. And work it does! I won't wear it often, because it is a statement-maker, but when I do wear it, it will be for the most important moments. I love this oil--it is an amazing accomplishment, and in a strange way, one of my favorites.

In the imp: I get an herbal, minty smell from this. Wet: It's a little oily on my skin, as are all the Voodoo Blends. However, the herbs seem to balance it out. Drydown and wear: I do feel more playful when I wear it, and I smirk when I think about the oil. I'll have to wear it a few more times "out and about," but we'll see what happens!

In the imp: Ah, this is another classic masculine type, and as a bottle of Wilde is winging its way to me as we speak, I am excited about this oil. Wet: Does this have musk? *checks* Not listed, but I'm getting a bit of the musk reaction. I also smell the patchouli (my skin must amp the stuff). I'm not getting a lot of the leather or the bergamot that so many others smell. Drydown and wear: Well, after 100+ scents, I've done it. I've found a BPAL that I think is too masculine. The patchouli interacts with the other notes in such a way that it just screams "MAN!" This is certainly an oil worthy to bear the name of such an infamous lover!

In the imp: This smells almost exactly like a berry bush. I can really pick up on the blackberries, which are some of my favorite fruits. Wet: This stays true to the imp--I smell like fresh berries. Drydown and wear: This whole perfume brings one particular film image to mind. In Disney's Sleeping Beauty[/b], there is a scene where Briar Rose takes a woven basket and goes through the woods. That is what I think about when I wear this scent. It would go immediately to the A-list, but sadly it does not have a lot of throw on my skin.