The_Merf

In the imp: Foody? Eh? Am I being misled by Knave of Hearts? No, I don't think I am--there is a sweet, sweet food note here. I don't think it's the honeysuckle; I have plenty of honeysuckle blends and none of them smell like this--is this the amber and the passion flower? Wet: Good God, this is really sweet going on the skin...it's like lickable sugar candy! Very pink, as others have said (though I'm not getting anything remotely peppery from this blend). Drydown and wear: I really think that the floral I'm picking up on is the passion flower (I say this because it does smell a bit like my passion flower tea). Passion flower can almost have a sourness to it, and that's what actually emerges on the drydown, so this scent does a really interesting journey from super sweet to a bit of a sour floral with the sweetness at the edge. I like the passion flower note, but the sweetness is really cloying, so I think I'm going to have to swap the imp.

In the imp: There are a lot of notes here, but the rose and jasmine easily stand out. I also detect some of the carnation (in fact, the floral base in this, reminds me, sort of, of the base in Gypsy Queen) Wet: This is really strong jasmine overwhelming other notes in the wet stage. Drydown and wear: This appears to be a scent that will follow in the line of Florence and Venice. All three strike me as these beautiful 'red gold' gilded scents, really majestic, varied and complex...but all three either disappear on me or reduce to one note on my skin. This perfume basically reduces to jasmine. During the latest stages of the drydown, I pick up on some citrusy/fruity smelling notes, but not much else. By the time those other notes are noticeable, the perfume itself is too light on my skin.

In the imp: Woah, foody-ness. I get the Lab's buttery/foody note here almost exclusively. There's maybe a slight hint of blackcurrant. Wet: This is nowhere near as strong as Grog or Red Lantern (thank God), but it is definitely a buttery type of pastry. I'm still not getting even a hint of the berry. Drydown and wear: I find this one of the most wearable foody scents (along with Eat Me), as the buttery crust does eventually balance out with the rose note, which does not emerge on my skin until I've had the perfume on for some time. Alas, in the second stage of the drydown, the buttery/caramel note starts to go stale on my skin, as it is wont to do. I'm going to have to swap this one.

In the imp: Holy cow, that's a strong floral scent. I'm not really familiar with any of the florals listed, so it's hard for me to provide specifics, but this is very strong in the imp. Wet: I'm getting a bit--just a bit--of the same watery floral quality that I get from Danube. This one is a bit creamier though. I know that there's no night jasmine in this, but I do think that the oil has a bit of that quality. Drydown and wear: I enjoy this one far more than I thought I would. Most "night florals" end up being either too light or too sharp on my skin, but this perfume's florals, which tone down considerably after the wet stage, have a cool creaminess to them that I really like. This is a really lovely scent, and also has good strength and staying power.

In the imp: An interesting combination of musk, a note that reminds me of "volcanic" and the wet greens. The wetness is particularly strong. Wet: At first the wet greens with floral is strong, but then the musk and the "volcanic" note become stronger. This has actually turned out better than I thought it would; I was worried about the wet green notes. Drydown and wear: This actually has a bit of a resinous quality on my skin and there is just the slightest hint of floral...I really enjoy this and will hold the imp.

In the imp: Greenish floral. Wet: Greenish tint with a nice lighter flowers--they aren't dandelions and daisies, but that's what they make me think about... Drydown and wear: It gets slightly more floral and citrusy as it dries down (with the grassy aspect vanishing), but it doesn't morph too much on my skin. It's a pretty light scent, and it has good staying power for a light floral, but it's not quite right for me. I think I'm going to swap this one.

In the imp: A very red combination of patchouli and musk. This reminds me of other scents like Loviatar and Fenris Wolf. Wet: Patchouli and musk--very much like Fenris Wolf. I wish I could pick up on some of the ylang-ylang. Drydown and wear: This actually reminds me of Urd on the dd, as something fruity emerges. I like red scents, but I have so many of them that I don't think I need another bottle.

In the imp: This is very creamy and I'm not picking up on any rose at all. This strikes me as all lilies. Wet: Yes, this is very lily-like and creamy. Drydown and wear: This basically smells like a slightly creamier version of Asphodel, as the same classical floral note emerges in this blend as well. I prefer the crisper floral of Asphodel--just a little bit--to this one, which is very pretty. Because of that, I think I'll swap the imp.

In the imp: Coconut, musk and the slightest bit of incense. This smells like an absolutely fantastic twist on incense scents! Wet: The coconut is the leading note and is very fresh and beachy. I do hope that some of the darker notes come out. Drydown and wear: Man, this scent is fan-freakin'-tastic! One of my real favorites recently. The incense and the coconut mix beautifully and there is a touch of orris as well to provide a nice dustiness. There's a sensuality and a humanity to this scent because of the coconut. Whereas some of the resin scents can seem a bit vast and distance, this one was really made to be worn by a person.

In the imp: Yep, this smells like an iced version of my pomegranate tea. Good times. There's a bit of a sugariness to this as well. Wet: Damn it to hell, I can already tell that this scent isn't going to have any staying power on me. Wet it is fruity, but deep, just like it should be, and that sugariness is actually quite strong. Right now it almost smells a bit like powdered drink mix. Drydown and wear: I am extremely happy to report that the sugary/drink mix smell gives way to a lovely deep fruit and that this scent has more staying power on me than I thought it would. I'm absolutely going to hold onto the imp; it does a very good job--especially in the drydown--of staying true to the fruity scent.

In the imp: Woah rose and lilies and just the slightest touch of light night jasmine. Very strong floral, very girly-feminine. Wet: Really watery and light--I had to put a lot of this on just to get enough of a whiff to test. Drydown and wear: There is a slight soapiness here (probably the white rose, which tends to do that), but other than that, I can barely smell this on me; it just soaks up into my skin. Off to swap.

Dried roses, rose leaf, Spanish moss, oakmoss and deep brown earth. In the imp: Dirt notes and a very, very odd smelling sweet note. It's even sharper than the sharpest roses, and there's something a bit stomach turning about it for me. I'm worried, as I really anticipated trying this scent. Wet: This smells like roses preserved somehow--somehow artificial. I don't pick up on the dirt notes at all anymore. Drydown and wear: This stays pretty much the same as it dries down...this one must just act funky with my skin, as I can't imagine it is supposed to smell this way, looking at the notes. It's very strange, since dirt notes usually amp on my skin.

In the imp: Very fruity--almost a bit like a fruit-based wine/wine cooler or a juice! Wet: The pear dies down on my skin very quickly and gives way to a rose--this rose smells "pink" in that it smells like a cross between the deep red rose and the sharper white roses. Drydown and wear: As this scent dries, it becomes a stronger rose, but it is a rose with something in the background (one of those--annoying if you're trying to review a scent, nice in practice--situations where you know there's something there, but can't positively identify it. I'd guess it was the pear since that was strong in the wet stage. The combination makes for a really lovely smelling rose perfume--one of my favorite "lighter" roses that I've tried with BPAL. There is a classical edge to this that seems fitting, considering this is Sleeping Beauty's perfume. I'll hold on to this imp.

In the imp: A light and 'summer sheets' mixture of sandalwood, gardenia, lavender, violet and orris. I don't pick up on as much lavender as most people; what I tend to smell is the violet. Wet: The violet is even more prominent here, and the orris (which my skin amps) is also noticeable. I'm still really not picking up on the lavender or the sandalwood. Drydown and wear: This really is a violet, orris and gardenia blend on me. It is very light, though not as airy as it comes off as in the imp (this is not quite in the Dirty family, I'd say). It's very pretty, but I generally like deeper violets, and I think I'm going to put this one up for swap.

In the vial: Amber along with something rather cool--perhaps the patchouli, perhaps the spices...I can't tell. Wet: This is the strangest amber that I've ever smelled in that it's cooperating with the other notes. At first it is mixing with the hyssop, and then the spices. I don't really smell the patchouli at all. Drydown and wear: As the scent dries, the amber starts to do its more traditional powdering...this scent really does not do a lot on my skin, probably because my skin does amp amber. I really wish I could tell whether or not the hyssop or spices are the second-most prominent note, but there is something else working--almost at odds--with the warmth of the amber. There is an interesting fractured quality to the scent, despite the fact that only one note is really prominent.

In the imp: This is certainly as strong as Hemlock, and the berries are in the background. Wet: These are some of the strongest "berries" that I've smelled in a BPAL blend, and they are able to hold their own against the distinctive pine scent. Drydown and wear: While you can still smell the berries on drydown, they start to behave oddly on my skin. Instead of smelling juicy and fresh, they smell like they've been out slightly too long...it's an interesting combination with the pine (which also decreases in intensity quite quickly--this scent doesn't have the staying power that I'd assume it would have).

In the vial: This comes off as mostly lemon to me. Wet: While there's definitely some lemon here, as others have pointed out, there are many other notes as well. However, in the wet stage, it is difficult for me to pick them out. Drydown and wear: OK, I agree with the people who pick some myrrh in this blend, as I am getting the powder that I associate w/myrrh, not necessarily amber (however, there may be amber in here as well). Perhaps some honeysuckle? I could also see the vanilla. This is a really interesting scent that grew on me during its drydown. It does goes faint pretty quickly, but it is a nice skin scent, near to you, like the sun when you are outside. It does seem like a glow that is coming from within...very interesting.

In the vial: very sharp and metallic, but I'm not surprised given the mint and cypress Wet: Wow, this is really sharp--the three harsh notes of cypress, mint and lavender are all strong. This starts off very soapy on me. Drydown and wear: The soapiness actually shifts into orange blossom (a note that I hate, but that my skin amps) and the orange becomes one of the more dominant notes, though I can still smell the cypress in the background.

In the imp: A very powdery myrrh...maybe some frankincense? Wet: Did I get slipped some Kether by mistake? Seriously, the resemblance between this and The Scent of the Holy Cinnamon Roll are very, very similar. There's a chillier note in this blend, as others have noted. Drydown and wear: It took me a few minutes, but I figured out what this smells like--Big Red Cinnamon gum in the pack...cinnamon and sugar. Very, very interesting interpretation of the card (I was expecting the oil to play off the card's traditional association with Taurus). Because this is so similar to Kether, which I have a 5mL of, I don't know if I'll get a bottle, but I will have to play around with this imp!

In the imp: This is what people mean when they talk about a juicy floral. I assume this is the influence of the linden, as most "white flowers" are more sharp, at least to my nose. Wet: A nearly fruity floral, with just a trace of herbs behind it. Drydown and wear: This reminds me so much of Dirty--it's a slightly more floral, more "upbeat" version. The white florals do come out as it dries down, making it more of a traditional floral perfume, but it remains very light and pretty. I'm surprisingly fond of this.

In the vial: Very earthy, nice clean patchouli smell. Upturned soil, with the slightest edge of pine. Wet: This becomes piney very quick, but it is not a cool pine like Black Forest or Noctnitsa. It very much clears the head. Drydown and wear: This is basically a combination of pine and earth, with an edge toward the warmth of earth. It's a scent that really seems to capture the moments of transition between fall and winter. At times, I do get a "Vicks" whiff from it (so maybe there's something menthol as well).

In the imp: A grassy note with something else that I can't quite mark out. Wet: This is very cologney (some sort of herb at work here). From a distance I am also getting the "bathroom cleaner" effect, though it is not too sharp. Drydown and wear: This remains very chemically cologney, and I don't get any of the natural grass note or the hay note that others have gotten. A shame, as I love those smells. I can see where this would take that more natural turn on others, as it is really almost there on my skin, but something about my skin chemistry keeps this very chemical smelling.

In the imp: I can pick out both listed notes. Wet: On my skin this blend initially leans toward more vetiver than myrrh. Drydown and wear: Myrrh is always a strong note on my skin, and sure enough, the blend eventually has the sweetness and powdery scent of nearly straight myrrh. The vetiver really does vanish pretty quickly, though it is on the "outside" of the blend. As many have said, this scent does an excellent job of representing its concept.

In the imp: all merlot/wine note...maybe some floral Wet: A huge blast of wine. Drydown and wear: This is a very interesting scent here...there is something here that I can't exactly call out that makes this blend very interesting. I want to say that it is perhaps some combination of the leather and violet. The leather and the merlot are very interesting together and very heady/perfumey (in a good way). At the end, this is merlot and violet. I quite like this--it's not quite as boozy as Lilith.

In the imp: I don't know exactly what laurel smells like, but there is a very herbal/woody note here (I don't know if it is just the listed wood note). There is also a lot of pepper in this blend. Wet: This blend is almost exclusively pepper on me with a bit of resin/woody scent in the background. Drydown and wear: The very strong pepper plays itself out after about 20 minutes, and while there is still a kick when you smell the blend, it's nothing like it was wet. This one is actually quite a morpher, as the floral notes are more prominent in the drydown, particularly the lily.