fairestrocza

In the Imp: Sweet rose Wet on Skin: starts out almost lemony-rose, a bit futzy While Drying: there is definitely a freshness to it; I can smell several different varieties of rose, like walking through a rose garden After a Little While: a bright rose; the realism decreases with early drydown Later: more real roses are back - red rose petal this time Final Thoughts: This one has a strong throw initially, but fades fairly quickly… however, the lingering scent wass still there 12+ hrs later. This was a frimp from the Lab - not a scent I would have picked (not a huge fan of rose) but this one turned out better than I would have expected. I've been pleased with most of the Mad Tea Party scents. Two, Five & Seven earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: Smells like sushi (The Boy and my friend with the super nose both insist that this is not true, but every time I put this on, I get that distinct sushi impression) Wet on Skin: Sushi, watery light floral; The Boy says "Iowa pond marsh" While Drying: slightly perfumey - a familiar scent that I can't quite place - must be the morning glory. (A few reviews mentioned Jasmine, but that usually goes horribly wrong on my skin); somewhat heady, but still feels delicate even though the throw is fairly strong After a Little While: more of the complexity is starting to surface - becoming less floral and more herbal; throw decreases a bit; still something that feels watery; The Boy says woodsy, and he also gets the can't-quite-place-it note Later: I like the morphing - earlier stages aren't bad, but would get annoying after a while; that floral/perfumey quality comes back occasionally - not my favorite part of this blend Final Thoughts: This has some interesting aspects to it, but is probably not something I will wear on a regular basis. The Witch's Garden earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

Terebinth pine, pitch, and clove. In the Imp: Warm, light evergreen scent & sweet resin with a soft, fresh clove Wet on Skin: An initial brief blast of evergreen, then the clove emerges and definitely becomes noticable on the skin. It is a kitcheny clove, not smoky and not In Your Face While Drying: The clove, terebinth pine and pitch blend beautifully, nothing overwhelming any of the aspects; woody plus kitcheny clove After a Little While: The terebinth pine and/or pitch subtly add a bit of freshness and keep the clove from being too heavy; the clove develops a slight sweetness Later: After an hour or so, the clove tones down significantly on the wrists, but is still present in elbows; After a few hours, this heads in a slightly cloying direction; a couple of hours later, the cloying aspect dissipates; scent is much fainter, vaguely woodsy with a sweet overtone (The Boy says: faintly sprucey with an almost-decaying note, maybe a soft wood); 6 hrs later: I'm left with a faint spiciness - nice, but hard to detect. Final Thoughts: I like oils with few notes because they help train my nose - I got this decant on an experimental impulse, but might end up with a bottle. I've done several skin tests trying to make up my mind. I expected a dark, syrupy oil and a powerful, dark aroma - both the oil and the scent are lighter and more delicate than I expected. I like the early stage. Still not sure if that cloying phase negates the bottle-worthiness. This smells good on one of my friends too - might end up splitting a bottle with her. Gacela of the Dark Death earns a 3.5/5 or 4/5 on my skin. (edited to add scent description)

In the Imp: Beets, dirt, and flowers Wet on Skin: lemony While Drying: very lemony After a Little While: base note is definitely dirt; smelling some sort of floral; powerful throw, increasing floral notes Later: mostly bay rum at end Final Thoughts: I like this more in concept that in actuality. I prefer the way it smells on my friend. (Note: the imp I tried was quite old. I may need to try this again with a fresh batch to compare). Jazz Funeral earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: hard for me to pick out individual notes (not super familiar with these) Wet on Skin: spicy, slightly powdery, vaguely flowery (more in the way that DB goes flowery as opposed to actual florals), something almost plasticy under it all While Drying: warm After a Little While: light incensy smell, stays close to the skin; one wrist smells like the lilac drydown of Dragon's Blood Later: eventually get a slightly acrid, sweaty skin sort of smell (less afterglow, more time-for-a-shower) smelled this on M too; doesn't seem to last very long - on one wrist… other wrist kept it longer, and ended up with just the faint vixen wannabe Final Thoughts: tried because reviews said this was similar to snake oil but lighter. Kinda like vixen, but w/o the WOW factor (no vanilla?) La Petite Mort earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: citrus, slightly bitter (combo of grapefruit and orange?) Wet on Skin: bitter citrus, powerful While Drying: bitter citrus, powerful After a Little While: getting a dryer sheet effect - no lightning effect Later: calms down & mellows eventually, still mediocre; later still: back to a muted, bitter cirtus note Final Thoughts: lasts longer than Baobhan Sith, but not as nice a citrus smell Lightning earns a 3/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: creamy coconut Wet on Skin: creamy coconut w/something Fake in the background While Drying: drys almost instantly; fake smell is somewhat similar to the plastic scent I get with some honey blends After a Little While: smells more like my mom than like me, sun-tanny; not getting anything that says 'water'; more & more like mom's sunblock - like the plastic bottle sitting in the sun dripping melted coconut sunblock - makes me feel heavy and languorous Later: The 'fake' smell goes away, it is not a bad scent, just not a very ME scent Final Thoughts: Evokes some memories of spending summers by the pool, but not something I want to use as a personal scent. Obatala earns a 3/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: sweet Wet on Skin: beachball While Drying: honey sweet After a Little While: honey sweet Final Thoughts: Honey is a difficult note on my skin. Not terrible, but not great. Osun earns a 3/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: very lemony, but more the herbal lemony than the fruity lemony Wet on Skin: lemon verbena, maybe some lemongrass While Drying: still heavy on the lemony scent - very nice After a Little While: something softer is coming through - the white musk? Later: almost all the lemon has disappeared and I am left with a very faint light musk - not bad, but not wow Final Thoughts: decent throw, love the wet stages Phobos earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: *perfectly* captures the scent of a red apple smelled through the skin - and nothing else… the poison is well hidden Wet on Skin: now it is the skin plus a stronger note of the fleshy pulp, still pure apple - amazingly realistic While Drying: down to the apple core After a Little While: just a slight touch of something sweet and vaguely floral - no hemlock here, not sure if I am picking up the opium or the oleander - poison is well hidden Later: only the barest hint of scent left Final Thoughts: Perfectly captures the imagery of the name. Poisoned Apple earns a 4/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: spicy Wet on Skin: spicy, almost lemony While Drying: there is rose here, but it is nicely balanced by the sandalwood and patchouli, just adds a bit of sweetness After a Little While: bold but delicate Later: elbows go a bit wonky (I think it is the sandalwood), but still good on wrists Final Thoughts: I am surprised by this one. I thought I would hate it (rose, sandalwood) but it is quite nice - To quote a friend: "it's the patchouli interacting with your hippiness - it makes everything go 'chill man, we're all good.'" Rakshasa earns a 4/5 on my skin. ETA: Tried this again today (Aug 31)... boy has it changed, and not for the better. It is ALL ROSE all the time. A slight sour tinge, and a powdery, soapy scent accompany the ROSE. I could detect no patchouli, and no sandalwood this time around. The imp will be moved from my box of awesome to my box of meh.

In the Imp: Hard to describe Wet on Skin: spicy, maybe a hint woody; A friend says: "coppertone" (and heather) While Drying: a hint of heather, something souring; nice floral from elbows with a green bulb-y note After a Little While: smells different each place I put it; feels like it is barely holding together, while parts want to go sour, acrid, soapy Later: not much staying power Final Thoughts: I can see how this would be nice on other people, but my skin wants to make it explode in several bad directions. Robin Goodfellow earns a 2.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: woody notes, a bit astringent, floral Wet on Skin: different than anything I've tried so far, woody notes with something sweetening/softening them While Drying: Rose becomes noticeable; interesting interplay between juniper & rose; one of the other notes comes in at end of drying phase - not sure which, probably cypress After a Little While: rose, dusty wood, & something almost lemony Later: goes slightly powdery Final Thoughts: Not a bad rose, but still too much for me I think. Not bad, not great. Rome earns a 3/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: incensey Wet on Skin: incensey, with another lighter smell that I lack the experience to identify, but is certainly one of the spices - brightens it a bit While Drying: this one has potential! After a Little While: unfortunately, most of the complexity has disappeared, and I am left with a somewhat basic incensey smell Later: have to get close to smell it at all; M thought it went a bit salty in the elbows, but that could have been the dancing. Much later: keep getting occasional enticing whiffs… this one is leading me along Final Thoughts: definitely not bad, but not as exciting as it looked like it might be initially; good to know the musk works on me; worth trying again to see if I get the same experience; the first application must have been danced off, because I could smell this all night and strong in the morning - started making me cough - allergy? Scherezade earns a 3.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: fresh, green, laundry soap (in a good way), something edible; other reviews mention daffodils and dandelions, and it is almost those, but not quite... cucumber? Melon rind? Wet on Skin: fresh and juicy but etherial and delicate While Drying: The Boy & I both picked up something edible, but he says he is associating it with pizza(?!), and I think it is something raw and green, maybe melony? Crushed vegetation? Parsley? It gives the impression of being floral w/o being _floral_ After a Little While: Feels more like after the rain than during the tempest; …hmmm, yes, daffodills or dandilion stems peeled and curling in a glass of cool water; clean, uplifting Later: Reapplied because it is so light, but it actually does have some throw - just a very delicate scent. The Boy likes it too. It becomes less complex with time & settles down into a more unified scent. someone mentioned 'watermellon rind' - is that what it is? Not quite. Well, maybe. Think of snapping the rind to get at the last bit of good melon Final Thoughts: I ordered this imp based on the name alone. I was happily surprised at how much I like it. References to air and water often go horribly wrong on my skin, but Szepasszony encourages me to keep testing those notes, because sometimes it is well worth it. Szepasszony earns a 4/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: Vanilla? Wet on Skin: I know that smell… what is it? It goes on spicier than it is in the imp. While Drying: Weird, almost chocolatey, but not chocolate After a Little While: vanilla & baby powder - fitting - I tested it on a day when I was dealing with a very cranky teething baby; vanilla note is reminiscent of Vixen Later: This lasts and lasts. A little goes a long way. Final Thoughts: POWERFUL throw, especially at first. Van Van earns a 3/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: I think it is mainly the 'white linen' component that I am smelling. Wet on Skin: honey makes its presence known & starts doing its weirdness on my skin; The Boy thinks it seems almost floral While Drying: I can get a sense of the black tea if I inhale deeply; seems disjointed at this stage (which on second thought fits the White Rabbit quite appropriately); The Boy says he can smell the ginger, but I can't After a Little While: I went to the spice rack to sniff white pepper and compare - I can believe it is in there, but it doesn't really stand out; there is a brief phase where I get almost a green stem scent that reminds me of Szepasszony Later: the discordant notes start to pull together, but just as they do so, the scent starts to disappear, back down the rabbit hole, leaving only a faint trace Final Thoughts: This was an interesting experience, but an imp is all I need. I might be in the mood to wear this periodically when I want something subtle and different. "Clean" notes seem iffy on me; I wish the vanilla had a larger presence. White Rabbit earns a 3/5 on my skin.

First Impression: I *know* this smell! I've been here! Powerfully evocative! In the Imp: Kenya - burning eucalyptus & the sweetness of traditionally tanned leather Wet on Skin: Strong eucalyptus, quickly dissipates; raw, powerful, feral While Drying: eucalyptus, something feral, an aquatic note similar to Pool of Tears, smoke After a Little While: Different elements come to the forefront before eventually settling down to a scent similar to that in the imp. Later: tames down nicely… still getting that aquatic note from PoT with the smokey, feral smell behind it Final Thoughts: I have to admit, this scent terrified me. Despite my awe at the way this blend was created, and how it shot straight to the scent-memory locus in my brain, I hesitated for weeks before getting up the courage for a skin test... and I tried it out on a friend first (she liked it). I wasn't sure that it would be wearable. While not an every day scent, it is definitely wearable. This is one of the first imps I reach for when trying to explain the genius of BPAL. Jezirat Al Tennyn earns a 3/5 for wearability, and a 5/5 for imagery. Imagine climbing to the top of an extinct volcano and watching as vapor gathers, forming a cloud above the lush vegetation in the interior of the crater, a cloud which then drifts across the Great Rift Valley... Imagine wandering the streets of Nairobi with the ever present scent of burning eucalyptus and tanned leather... Imagine digging in the red earth of Koobi Fora, unearthing fossils two million years old, while the wind and your sweat work with the dust to create an artificial tan... Imagine net fishing for tilapia in the Jade Sea, your toes squishing through the mud as you pull the net toward shore... Imagine the intense heat of summer being replaced by a thick, tangible fog as you pass once more below the equator... Imagine a cacophony of jungle sounds suddenly filling the void as the car motor succumbs to the trials of navigating water-swollen lagas... All this and more is captured in this tiny vial of scent.

In the Imp: light cherry with a bit of anise Wet on Skin: spicier than in the imp, light cherry and light anise, very nice blend; stronger gorgeous cherry in elbows While Drying: elbows start picking up more of the anise - really gorgeous, neither the cherry nor the anise is overpowering After a Little While: not very much morphing, just a constant interplay between the cherry blossom and the anise; more cherry on wrists, more anise in elbows Later: quick fade. Must slather when I have a bottle. Still faintly there. More flowery toward the end - anise drops off significantly Final Thoughts: sandalwood can sometimes be problematic for me, but here it is very non-intrusive; fairly low throw… I should get a bottle and try slathering. Kyoto earns a 4 to 4.5/5 on my skin (would be straight up 4.5/5 if it lasted longer).

In the Imp: I think I am mostly getting the champagne grapes and the sugar cane; too sweet Wet on Skin: I like! Bare hint of florals, but in a good way; good balance of scents While Drying: good balance; I think I can smell the 'spiciness' of the carnation After a Little While: this might be a floral I can wear; slightly incensey, slightly floral, slightly sweet; golden; wafts up nicely Later: a little headachey… try with a lighter touch; The Boy says "potpourri" Final Thoughts: I'll have to try this another time or two before I make a final judgment. Horreur Sympathique earns a 3/5 on my skin.

In the Decant Vial: a bit cloying, a bit of evergreen trying to poke through Wet on Skin: The Boy thought he smelled amber; I get a bit of cinnamon, a hint of hemlock, no musk, maybe a berry of some sort (the bryony?) While Drying: strong throw; smells Christmasy, but more in the Walking-in-the-Christmas-Isle-at-the-Store way, rather than the Home-with-Happy-Memories way. After a Little While: Comments received: "christmas incense," "seashell soaps," "like two poorly layered scents." To me, it smells like a scented candle - and I rarely like scented candles. I love woodsy scents, and unfortunately, all traces of trees disappeared by the time this dried. Later: much, much later this tames down to something wearable, but by this time, it is almost gone Final Thoughts: My experience with this scent is so much at odds with all the other reviews, that I almost wonder if I ended up with a mislabeled vial, though I don't know what else this would be. My skin must hate one of the components. I was hoping for a more outdoor scent - something evoking animals frolicking in the deep woods. Instead, this ended up being a very unnatural, manufactured scent on me. Faunalia earns a 2... maybe 2.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: something a little off Wet on Skin: leathery-sweet, a little 'off' While Drying: leathery-sweet, a little 'off' After a Little While: leathery-sweet, a little 'off' Later: lingering scent better than initial Final Thoughts: improves with time, but not enough to go through the not-so-nice phases Hellfire earns a 2.5/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: floral with a bit of wood behind; more 'perfumy' (alcoholy?) than others; ??tequila?? Wet on Skin: a darker or more serious floral, slightly sweet but not in a candy way (the fruits?); is that rose? While Drying: scents unifying…almost seemed borderline soapy, but then backed off to a unified scent After a Little While: periodic pears but dominated by florals, no trees in sight Later: changes, every now and then if I try I can get a hint of something else, but mainly a sweet floral with a sharpness in my nose; too floral, and something is turning rancid Final Thoughts: oddly, The Boy smells pot pouri and fir and bananas; I am disappointed that it doesn’t have more woody emphasis. This was much nicer on my friend, with a lovely pear scent in the wet phases. The Hanging Gardens earns 2/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: over-ripe apricots Wet on Skin: super sugary over-ripe apricots; reminds me of the sticky apricot fruit leather mom used to make While Drying: not really getting a boozy feel, but definitely syrupy After a Little While: apricot has died down a bit; scent seems familiar, but I can't place it; major throw Later: might be allergic to something in here… giving me that same hard-to-breathe feeling that I get from Scherezade Final Thoughts: not for me Grand Guignol earns a 2/5 on my skin.

In the Imp: incense and heavy perfume, a bit of tobacco Wet on Skin: incense and rootbeer float (when the rootbeer has lost its fizz and fused with the icecream) While Drying: a bit of freshness showing through… fir and mint? And a woody note; is there patchouli in this, or is it just the orange blossom that is reminding me of Vixen? After a Little While: mostly incense with a faint hint of rootbeer on wrists; incense mingled with the fresh, almost foresty scent in elbows; a lot less overt than Vixen, but similar in some respects Later: a bit of musk comes through periodically, moreso as time passes Final Thoughts: Sexy... but not to the level of my true love, Vixen. Dracul earns a 4/5 on my skin.