Stumbeline

I just got an imp of this in a swap today, and I can't believe I waited this long. Initially I was really scared to try Snake Oil, because it sounded too heavy for me. Not to mention amber doesn't usually take to my skin and I end up smelling too powdery. I was so wrong. SO WRONG. When I opened the imp it was very spicy smelling, very incense-y, with some creamy vanilla behind it. I got scared again thinking, 'Shit, I love it already...' because I was afraid it wouldn't work on me and at the best I'd be able to use it as a room scent. Wrong again. On me it absolutely blossoms. It's spicy and rich when it's wet, but it melts into my skin and becomes this creamy, decadent, absolutely amazing vanilla scent. It's definitely foody, but I find that the spice tempers it a lot and it's much lighter than I anticipated. And it lasts for hours and hours. I even washed my hands twice and did the dishes and it's still there. I feel like it's a sin that I don't have some more suggestive plans other than household chores! It's repetitive but I feel SO sexy wearing it, that I've already put the imp away for special occasions until I can order a big bottle. This is the first time a scent has really meshed so well with my skin, made me feel so confident and seductive. I seriously can not WAIT to order a 10 ml. EDIT: I just recently recieved a frimp of Snake Oil from the Lab with my Halloween order and compared it to the imp I got in a swap. I'm backing everyone up on Snake Oil's improvement with age. Fresh Snake Oil is a bit sharper on me, almost powdery and perfumey, while the aged imp is rich, creamy, and much more sexual. Not a problem, but I will let the bottle I have coming my way sit for a couple months.

After discovering that I love foody scents, and that Beth's red wine note seems to agree with me completely, Centzon Totochtin has been on my wishlist for a while. I finally got it a few days ago in a swap. At first I almost swooned when I smelled this in the imp. I could smell chocolate and wine and it was everything I wanted it to be. It's definitely a dark chocolate, very bitter smelling. However the oil itself is a lot lighter than I expected. On me, it's a powdery smell that reminds me of my disasters with O and Dana O Shee, both of which I loved at first but turned into sharp powdery plastic smells on me. However there's still the chocolate but it's faint. For the first 15 minutes or so of wearing this I try not to smell myself, because I'll get a migraine. However, after that initial stage this oil is GORGEOUS. The wine and rum come out to play and my body chemistry is adoring them both. I have a feeling this would be a wonderful layering scent, but I have to figure out exactly what I'd like to layer it with.

In the imp this smelled much more herbal than I had expected. Based on reviews I really thought I'd have candy in a bottle. But there was a sweetness that urged me forward, and it's a good thing. On me, it's all sweet raspberries and orange. It's a very juicy, sweet fruit scent that continues to stay true to its initial smell long after it dries. As another plus, it definitely lasts long on me. At the very end it smells similar to a few of the voodoo oils, specifically High John the Conqueror. This leads me to how it makes me feel, which is similar to High John. Whenever I sniff Akuma, I feel very content and warm.

As someone who doesn't really like florals, I was skeptical. However, when Beth puts fruit or wine in a blend I have to try it, even if there are florals involved. This is a very crisp, dry scent on me. It's very well blend and it does give me happy feelings when I smell it. On the drydown it starts to smell a bit too much like plumeria to me, and that's when I say enough. I love the combination of pear and champagne, but when the plumeria comes out it smells like shampoo (which is not bad, shampoo is supposed to smell good! ) and that just reminds me of days spent working in a hair salon when I smelled like hair products 24/7.

I really should know better than to try jasmine scents at this point. Jasmine has decided that my body is it's own personal amp. However I was looking for a true, summer-night honeysuckle smell so I figured I'd give Twilight a try and I got it in a swap. In the imp I love how it smells. It has a sweetness that I don't normally pick out in florals. And although jasmine is horrible on me, I like the way it smells when it's NOT on me. Unfortunately, when I put it on it was nothing but overpowering jasmine. Off to the swap bin.

How have I not reviewed this already?! This is my HG of BPAL so far! I got March Hare in a swap and I practically wear it daily. On me it's a very sharp apricot, very sweet but mellowed out by the clove so it's just a warm, round, pleasant smell. When I first got it it reminded me of a general store in a mountain town I go to every year to get Christmas trees. It had a smoky/spicey/wintery fruit candle smell that I associate with that place and it brings back a rush of good memories every time I wear it. Sniffing it never ceases to bring me out of a bad mood, or perk up a dull day. Both apricot and clove are notes that agree very much with my skin, so March Hare is a wonderful, wonderful blend for me.

Got this in a swap. In the imp it smelled very sharp and sort of gave me a bit of a headache, but on me it mellowed out quite a bit. I smell grasses and pepper predominately. I'm not getting the darkness that some are describing. To me this would seem a very light, summery, dry smell. It's not unpleasant at all, in fact it's one fo the better blended oils I've tried in a long time and it's very very unique. It's just not something I'll wear myself. To me it's not really masculine per se, but I definitely could see this being SEXY on a man. Too bad mine won't wear BPAL.

When I first got this imp in a swap, I loved the smell of it in the imp. However, on me it dried and nothing but tobacco came out. I'm not adverse to tobacco in a blend, but the smell of pure tobacco makes me sick to my stomach. I don't know why, if it was just a bad skin chemistry reaction or what, but now whenever I sniff this poor blend I feel a little nauseous.

A complex, voluptuous scent that captures the robust beauty and of the Italian Renaissance: lemon, red currant, wisteria, red rose petals, heady jasmine, Florentine orris root, waterlily, red sandalwood, violet plum, and violet leaf. I really wanted this to be red currant and lemon on me. The thought of those two together literally makes my mouth water. Unfortunately it was JASMINE (yes! in all caps!) once again. At first it was a juicy, tarted-up rose that I liked a whole lot. But eventually just jasmine. I did like the initial smell enough that I'll retry it before it goes into the swap box, but I was disappointed.

I smell like a bathroom! Very aquatic, and it made me sad for a little while, I'm not sure why. However, after some time it was just a very strong, soapy smell that reminded me of my days working in a hair salon. Not for me, unfortunately.

On first impression it smells very department store-perfumey. All lily of the valley and vanilla. I can smell the sandalwood after 15 minutes or so, and it's fairly strong. This scent lasts a good long while, and I like it. At the very end though, right before it vanishes, it smells a bit old-ladyish. It's very feminine and girly, something I would wear out with my friends. Not a big bottle for me, but I like it enough to use up my imp!

It smells JUST like clean linens. It's beautifully non-perfumey. It smells fabulous on me, very fresh and clean. Like I just stepped out of the shower in the summer. Probably will buy a big bottle of this, and definitely using it on my sheets!

This was a freebie from the Lab, and not one I would have ordered for myself. Turns out I really like it lots. Wet it smells heavily of rose and frankincense, a little musk as well. It smells like a perfume I remember as a kid, but I can't identify it. Drying it's still rose, but tempered by the frankincense and there's the orchid! It smells *GOOD*. Definitely grown-up, something I'd wear out to dinner or when I want to feel sophisticated. Not a big bottle at the moment, but I'll use up the imp! Thanks, Lab!

Mmm fruity! I love pomegranate and I was so delighted at the description of this scent. It's a good blend of pomegranate and rose. The rose is predominate on me when it's wet, and stays in the front even when dry. And then... It disappears. Seriously, within 15 minutes it was gone. I'm going to retry it, but if it's not successful then it's off to try Swank for me.

Strong citrus and lotus at first, very juicy smelling in the imp. On me, it's lime and lotus with tuberose coming to the forefront as it dries. Totaly dry it's mostly jasmine (I've discovered that my body has the power to amplify jasmine beyond belief), and a bit overbearing and soapy. It smells like shampoo a bit, and doesn't last long. Overall, it's not bad and I didn't mind it on me until it hit the jasmine stage. I've decided I'll retry it before deciding to swap away.

Very strong cedar in the imp, and when wet on me. After about 5 minutes the lotus comes through, but it doesn't stay long and eventually I just get a nice, incensey blend of cedar and sandalwood. It reminds me of a forest. I really like the smell of this one, but not sure if it'll be one I'll wear often. It also doesn't last long on me.

In the imp this smelled like mulled grape juice. Not wine, I didn't get a boozy smell at all just straight up spiced grape juice. Wet it began to morph, with the myrrh coming out to the forefront and mellowing out the sweetness, and the actual wine (boozy) started to show. In this stage it starts to remind me of something vaguely... ...then it dries down and BAM! It's Rome! Not the BPAL scent, but the actual city. It reminds me exactly of the smell of my hotel room in Rome, which I think is the wine. It brings back so many wonderful memories and images for me, so I just sit around and sniff my wrists and sigh in nostalgia. I love this scent. A big bottle for sure.

Complete jasmine on me. I really couldn't wear it for very long as it overpowered everything. I love the smell of almonds and I was really hoping to have a nice, soft, deeper almond scent but instead I just get kicked in the face with jasmine. My mother, however, loves it.

In the imp I was blown away by butter, that simple. At first when I put it on, I wasn't really keen so I used it sparingly. It is very strong and foody, which at first struck me as more of a room scent than a scent I'd like to wear. Over the day though, since Jack did last pretty long on me, it mellowed out to a sweet spiced pumpkin that I liked, but not sure if it's for me. So, verdict is that I probably won't be buying a big bottle, but I'm going to try it again in the fall, or use it as a car scent.

This is my first review and I'm happy to say it's a glowing one. On first sniff out of the vial it smelled like cherry-almond Jergins but better. This is a really pleasant scent to me, since my old ceramics teacher used to keep the Jergins around for everyone to use and I enjoyed his teaching and his class so much. After a couple of hours it mellowed out and the grains and honey came into the forefront. Once again a very comforting, warm-morning smell to me. I'll definitely be ordering a 5ml if not a 10ml of this. I've worn it practically every day since a wonderful board member sent me the imp, and it's gotten raves from some of my guy friends after I wore it to a concert. My only complaint is that it doesn't last as long as I'd like, but other than that I couldn't be more pleased. EDIT: Dana O'Shee does some kind of funky thing on me when it's that time of the month. Something with my body chemistry disagrees with it and I get a very sharp, piercing plastic smell when I apply it. I still love it dearly, just need to be conscious of when I wear it or battle off a migraine.