sarielswish

In the vial, it's pretty noxious to me... All I can smell is patchouli and frankincense. Colorwise, I'm getting a clotted blood red-brown. Wet on my skin, all I can smell is frankincense. Ecch. I'm not liking this. 10-15 minute dry-down - Well, that's not too bad now. The patchouli is starting to die down and I'm actually getting some of the sandalwood. The frankincense is still too strong for me, though. 1 hour dry-down - Better. All three notes are starting to blend so it's not so cloying. 2 hour dry-down - The hubby likes it, but I'm still not sure I like this one much. The final result is a much better blend of the scents but that frankincense I'm not partial to. Might keep the imp, but definitely not ordering a bottle.

In the vial, there's an unusual 'green' note that I'm assuming is the herbs and a very strong myrrh. It's hard to place a color on this one, but I'm getting a bronze feel from it. Wet on my skin, this is very strong. I'm getting mostly myrrh and that herbal note. The myrrh is a little overpowering, though. 10-15 minute dry-down - Myrrh myrrh myrrh. I'm starting to get the sandalwood and a slightly flowery note. I'm guessing that's the iris. 1 hour dry-down - That's better. The myrrh is starting to mellow and the sandalwood is coming out more. The flowery note is tamed some, which is good because I'm not that fond of flower scents on myself. 2 hour dry-down - Ok, I'm not hating this. The myrrh is a little strong, but it's very distinctive. The flower note is pretty much gone, but that's ok by me. The herbal notes are interesting, but not disgusting. Not something I'd buy a whole bottle of, but not bad.

In the vial, it's very nice. Colorwise, I get a very light minty green - reminiscent of absinthe. I can smell mostly the opium, sandalwood, and lily but I'm not getting any mandarin or vanilla at all. Wet on my skin, it's almost identical to in the vial. I'm still not getting any vanilla or mandarin. 10-15 minute dry-down - Eh. Pretty, but not me. I'm getting opium and lily and little else. Even the sandalwood has disappeared. 1 hour dry-down - Ok, this isn't me. After an hour, the only thing I can smell is LILY. Not that I dislike lilies, but I'm not big on florals. Not something I'll keep.

In the vial, the spices are a little weird. Colorwise, I'm getting a goldish tone. For some reason, there's a plasticky undertone to it, though. Weird. Wet on my skin, ew. That plasticky note is taking over. Ecch. Might be my chemistry reacting with the saffron. 10-15 minute dry-down - Still with the plastic! This is sad, because it just smells like a plastic bottle with spices in it on me. I had such high hopes for this one. 1 hour dry-down - Plastic and musk. Pity. This is kinda giving me a headache, at that.

In the vial, it's very clean smelling. Colorwise, a vibrant kelly green. Mostly, I think I'm getting ginger, verbena, and grass. Wet on my skin, wow. Very sweet and fruity smelling. Almost citrusy - probably from the verbena. I'm not getting the amber, though. 10-15 minute dry-down - What a difference! Getting a *lot* of the amber and ginger with a nice green note from the grass and sage and verbena. 1 hour dry-down - This is a definite maybe on the big bottle. It just makes me think of a summer afternoon in a field of grain - dry without being arid, warm without being too dark. 2 hour dry-down - I quite like this. The verbena and ginger take the heaviness out of the amber. It smells, for lack of a better term, fertile or full of growth potential. Also, the color association changed to a very rich wheat gold.

In the vial, it smells like fruit tea and bubblegum. :-) Colorwise, it's PINK!!! Pink pink pink. Bubblegum pink. Some people say it smells like baby powder, but I think that's the rose note. BPAL's light rose notes tend to smell like powder, but aren't overpowering. Wet on my skin, it's all tropical fruit bubblegum. Wow. Extremely sweet and very 'pink'. 10-15 minute dry-down - Honey. Mmm... it smells like orange blossom honey and pink roses. It's a very *girly* scent. I like it. It's not something I'd wear very often but it's nice. 1 hour dry-down - Very powdery. Honey and roses and sandalwood make baby powder, apparently. Not unpleasant, though. 2 hour dry-down - Ok, that's a little much on the roses for me. This is a once in a great while scent.

In the vial, it smells like burnt caramel. Pretty noxious, if you ask me. I'm not liking this. Colorwise, I'm getting molasses brown. Wet on my skin, ecch. It smells burnt and cloying, like overly strong incense. I'm pretty sure that's the myrrh and poppy. 10-15 minute dry-down - Ergh. Getting a little more spice now, but the poppy and myrrh are making me kinda sick. Ok, that's a big old no. I can't even tolerate that one for an hour.

In the vial, it's mostly patchouli and myrrh. So far, however, the myrrh isn't overpowering. We'll see how that pans out. Colorwise, I'm getting a brown-black, like potting soil. Very earthy. Wet on my skin, it's myrrh and orris. The myrrh isn't sickening yet, though, which is a good thing. It reminds me of incense. 10-15 minute dry-down - Weird. It smells like soap. Not like Irish Spring or anything, but like the little decorative perfumed soaps you see in grandma's guest bathroom. I'm guessing that's the orris. 1 hour dry-down - Soap. Not an unpleasant soap, but soap nonetheless. If I wanted to smell like soap I'd wash my hands with the little 'do not touch' decorative ones at grandma's house. Also, the color tone has changed significantly - it's gone to a dusty rose/eggshell. Something I'd associate with old ladies.

In the vial, very herbal. Colorwise, I'm getting the silvery green of rosemary and white sage. Pretty clean smelling. Wet on my skin, it smells like the herbs you put on roast chicken... Quite pleasant, actually. I'm getting mostly lavender and rosemary, possibly some white sage or basil. 10-15 minute dry-down - I'm getting lemon basil now, along with the lavender and rosemary. This is certainly not one I'd wear on a day to day basis, but for dream work or a linen spray, this would be quite nice. 1 hour dry-down - Very herbal, very green. I like it, but not to wear as a perfume, I don't think.

First off, I must say I am in *love* with this one. Wet in the vial, the first thing I get is *cold*. Primary notes are LAVENDER, mint, yuzu and lime, with a little of the vetiver on the underside. The impression of that acidic white-green associated with sickness and radiation is almost palpable. Very appropriate, as that's always the shade I've connected with the Pale Rider imagery. The lavender, which usually makes me a little ill, is very well balanced. Immediately, *drool*. The yuzu and lime fall off almost immediately, but the mint hangs around. Without the yuzu and lime, it's a little less cold, but still there. Here, the vetiver and lily are more pronounced. It smells almost like graveyard loam - that earthy greenness that is almost *overgrowth*. 10-15 minute dry-down - The yuzu and lime are pretty much gone, unfortunately. I'm still getting that wonderful earthy greenness, though. 1 hour dry-down - Ok, now there's the musk. It was kinda hiding behind the lavender, it seems. I'm really not getting anything of patchouli, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. The sandalwood is there, but really faint. 2 hour dry-down - Now it almost smells like a crypt, if you've ever been around one that's crumbling or broken. The sandalwood, vetiver, and musk give it an almost dusty smell, the patchouli an earthiness, and the lavender and lily a faint funereal flower-like scent. It's lovely. The hubby is in lust with this one, too. :-)

This is one of the frimps i got with my first order... In the vial, wow! Mint! I'm getting more mint and eucalyptus than anything. I can barely make out the neroli and can't find the violet at all. Wet on my skin, all I can think of is toothpaste or mouthwash. The mint used is probably wintergreen. Colorwise, I'm getting blue neon. 10-15 minute dry-down - Ok, there's the violet. Reminds me of violet candy and dinner mints, now. The eucalyptus is still there as a very clean, almost mediciney note. Very odd combination, I think. 1 hour dry-down - Ugh. Now it's all violet and neroli, with a little hint of mint. In other words, it's shampoo and toothpaste. Way too flowery for me. 2 hour dry-down - Now it just smells like a hothouse gone crazy. Violets and bitter orange overgrowing everything!!! Yuck. I do NOT like this one.