Edeniade

I finally got my hands on an imp of this to try and, can I say, this is THE scent I want to smell like forever and ever! In fact, I want everything around me to smell like this all the time, I am so in love with Dorian When I first smelled it in the bottle, it was divine but that fougere was so strong that I worried it ran the risk of turning astringent on me. However, when it was on my skin, it became the most divinely soothing scent I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. It was mildly vanilla, with the undertones of the fougere that made it delightfully musky which I adore. It's not complex, but it's everything I adore and it feels so comfortably self-assured. I need a bottle of this as soon as I can possibly afford it, because I'm not quite certain I can live without Dorian!

I really, really wanted to love this based on the listed notes alone. But alas, my body chemistry fails me yet again. In the bottle this smells so strange but so tasty; like smoky melons with that dash of chili like a strange warm tropical drink. I wanted this to smell exactly the same on my skin, but the second it got on me it went all weak and smelled like baby powder and flowers. I was hoping that the powderyness would fade back into melon and smoke, but it didn't. The resulting scent reminded me a bit of Ronin (honey goes powdery on me I've learned) but without the fun pepper to save it. I do have to say that Ogun has great staying power, as it managed to hold on for over 8 hours on my skin with a couple small swipes. Sadly, it's the staying power of a scent I didn't really want to stay on me for so long but it's not terrible. The throw weakens drastically after the 4th hour but you can certainly smell it close up. Given how unique this smells in the bottle, I think I will have to try Ogun on some /alternative/ locations (hair, jewelry, clothing, etc.) before completely giving up on him and throwing him into my swap pile. I'm crossing my fingers!

I'm shocked that I never posted a review for this scent! I bought an entire bottle of Bakeneko off LJ on a whim and I have not regretted it for a second. On me, I don't smell the cherry blossom at all. Instead, it's like a mildly citrusy chai tea that is utterly fantastic. The cinnamon doesn't bite, but the cardamom and black tea blend perfectly to create a scent that's warm, mellow, and a touch spicy. Basically, I want to drink myself. The best thing about this blend is that it lasts all day on me without reapplication. I have gone 12 hours with just 2 small drops of Bakeneko on my chest. I don't think I consciously expected to love this blend as much as I do now, but I'm a huge sucker for musks and this hits all the spots.

Hmmm, I've never had much luck in layering scents but I will certainly look around. Thanks!

I recently picked up a big bottle of Soap & Glory's 'The Scrub of Your Life' and, can I just say, it smells bloody fantastic! Of course, it is also a great exfoliator and my elbows have never been softer, but now I've found myself caring less about the softness and more about having this delicious scent on my skin all. the. time. The scent of any and all shower gels wears off pretty quickly, so I would like to find a BPAL equivalent to take over! The bottle isn't terribly descriptive as to the perfumes used, but it does list mandarin peel, linalool (floral with touch of spice), geraniol (rose-ish), & limonene (citrusy). Overall, I'd say the scent is vaguely similar to Gucci 'Rush'. I hope someone at least knows a bit of what I'm talking about! A pointer in the right direction to the BPAL of my dreams would be great

Oh amazing! I had no idea all of that was on Sephora. It sounds like the first set of ingredients more closely resembles the scrub that I have. Is there a BPAL around that includes all of those notes? I can't think of a lot with a few of them, but not all of them.

In the bottle it smelled really sharp and I hesitated in trying it out. But when I did, oh my good lords. This is actually what my ideal man would smell like! It's dangerously alluring! it started out smelling a bit like a spicier Nothing Gold Can Stay but mellowed into the most gorgeous musky yet sweet masculine scent; so much so that I want to make out with my arm right now. Which would be awkward.

I was super intrigued by the notes listed for this Pomegranate blend because I had never tried anything with tobacco in it before. I determined this note would be make-or-break with me, but was determined to try it as I adore red musk and pomegranates are delicious fruits therefore the scent should be just as delicious! When I got my decant I noticed how thick it was (like sludge!) and the amount of sediment at the bottom. I shook it vigorously before applying and it provides the best outcome for the scent. My first sniff in the decant made me think it would be far too strong on me as I smelled intense thyme and anise! But forging ahead... OMG. I adore this! Once on my skin it became more tame and smooth. I have a tendency to super-amp musks of any kind, and in this case it helped a lot to tone down the anise but bring out the tobacco a bit. In whiffs I would get boozy pomegranate-laced tobacco with touches of cocoa which made me want a cigarillo. The cocoa has not been strong with this scent on me but I feel like if it was, this scent would be way too heady and potent for me to handle. I freaking love this Pom and want a 5ml of it!!

I've never tried any sugary scents before, so I went for a half imp of this out of pure curiosity. I dabbed a bit on my wrist and WOAH that sugar is strong!! It's too strong for me, just a whiff makes me feel sick to my stomach. This one officially goes in the bin, I can't handle it. Making a mental note to be wary of sugars in the future...

I decided to delve deep and go for a bottle of this, and I did not miscalculate! It's so crisp, like a fall morning with a little bite yet warm. I really do smell dewy leaves. Once it's settled on my arm I get the nice, warm ginger and the amber behind. I can't pick out the rooibos very well because that leaf scent is on top and quite strong but I love this! It's the scented embodiment of my favourite fall day!

This is the very first "watery" BPAL scent I've tried. I don't normally search them out as I'm not a huge fan, but this was a frimp so I figured it was worth a shot. In the bottle: Smells watery all right! This is my first water scent but I get a pang of ozone too? Unlike most others here, I got a definite vision of blue and not green; a deep, clear pond with flowers. I smell flowers, cursed cursed flowers! ROSES! It smells like rose water and something else...LILIES. Uh oh, roses and I are not friends. First swipe: Definitely all flowers, no more water. Unless you count rose water. This is a really strong oil, holy crap. Drydown: Powdery rose and lily, it's so strong I'm getting headaches. I need to wash this off, too much floral on my arm! x_x

I saw the note listing for this scent and I just had to have it! I got a decant of the 2009 version. In the bottle: COFFEEEEEE! Coffee coffee coffee! Though to be more exact, this smells just like one of Starbucks' Christmas latte blends. I feel so AWAKE now! It's a jolt of caffeine in a tiny vial! First swipe: Ooooh. OH. Now I smell the cocoa. Holy wow, it smells like the hot cocoa I make every day in December with cinnamon and the dash of chili powder. It's so warm, so delicious, and now I want to listen to Christmas music. Drydown: I want this scent forever! That said, I feel it would only be appropriate to wear during the winter holidays because I would get in the mood instantly with this and it's just so warm and comforting for a snowy night! Also, this would definitely get you on the "Good Girl" list with Santa Claus.

I opened up my imp of The Coiled Serpent and found dirt and patchouli inside. The exact smell was fresh garden dirt and hippies. I do not do very well with patchouli of any kind (I swear my olfactory system rejects it outright and will have nothing to do with it) and dirt is not my ideal scent of the day. However, after reading about its other uses, I may just keep it around for a day when I could use some soothing yoga and release some pent-up energy.

In the bottle: It smells interesting, very sweet but with a tang. Not too musky, not too much vanilla, but I can't smell much cardamom. First swipe: Warm, comforting scent. I don't smell much vanilla or sugar but now I can smell the cardamom and the musk. I always think I'm extra man because I always amp all musks to the extreme but in this case it's not overpowering. It's complex and enchanting without too much of any one scent. Drydown: The saddest thing about Gypsy is that the lasting power is so little and the throw is very weak. I would eat this scent up if only I could smell it for more than 2 hours!

I got this imp from someone who was selling a whole box of goodies that they had forgotten about, so it has aged about 2 years. In the bottle: Ooh it smells like vanilla hot cocoa. It is as if it's been warmed up and in a mug ready to drink! I close my eyes and I can imagine myself all wrapped in a scarf and blanket all cozy. First swipe: Smells just like it did in the bottle. So warm, so comforting, and giving me a real hankering for hot cocoa. Actually now I can smell the distinct tang of myrrh come through but it blends well with the vanilla and the cocoa. I get whiffs of sandalwood I think, but it's masked behind the vanilla. Drydown: NOW I can smell the sandalwood (I seem to amp it a lot), and the scent overall is starting to smell like a chocolaty, less rugged Tombstone. The throw isn't great on me but the scent is delicious. This would be perfect for a winter night when I want to feel particularly luxurious!

I bought this imp from someone who had a box of goodies they forgot about for ages, so my little imp of Intrigue has been aged at least 2 years. In the bottle: Exotic and sultry for sure! On the first whiff I was instantly transported to a 50s era spy flick. My first impression was that it was Titus Andronicus' mysterious sister. I could smell some woody notes but they weren't too strong. The fig was on top but all together it is beautiful. It's like something I would wear if I was sitting alone at a swank bar and wanted to be mysteriously sexy. Kind of like what Balame said of a loner that had shared the beds of many lovers but never found the one; a little sad but proud. First swipe: Curious, it smells fruity but with a darker base of woods. I think I can smell the palm, but I swear there are more fruits in here than just fig. A bit tantalizing but masking something very evil. Drydown: It still smells very fruity but dusty in a way. Every once in a while I get a whiff of old wood but it's in the background. I kind of feel like I smell like a Bond girl. After wearing this for a day, I realized that I amp sandalwood like woah. So much so that it drowns out most of the other notes in this scent, not that I mind terribly because I love the scent of sandalwood, but it negates the whole point of this scent. I think in future I will be wearing this in my hair or dabbed on my clothes to get the best out of this oil.

I got this as a frimp which was a great and appreciated surprise! In the bottle my nose is tickled by a hint of the black pepper, but the pervading scent is the honey coating the rice flower. Delicate but with a sting! Wet on me I can still smell a hint of that black pepper but the rice flower really lightens it up. The white sandalwood kind of hangs out in the background but pulls the scent together nicely and mellows it out. It threatens to get a bit powdery but it doesn't, so thank goodness! This scent reminds me of a low-key "romp" in the woods, LOL. On the drydown the peppery-ness is back but it's not strong enough to make me sneeze. This scent doesn't have much of a throw on me, which is probably a good thing for this oil. I haven't gotten even a hint of oakmoss, which I prefer because the sandalwood acts better to mellow out this scent on me than the oakmoss would have. I'd classify this as a summery scent for certain!

In the bottle when I first smelled it, I was instantly reminded of Queen of Sheba but a lot less sharp to me (Queen of Sheba has a terrible pointy almond scent that I despised). It smelled like pure amber and, since I had not tried an amber scent before this one, was willing to be adventurous. Wet on my wrist it started out warm with amber and I could certainly smell the cedar. I got a strong image of an old wooden church helped by wafts of incense. I was reminded of a church I had visited in Germany quite a few years ago so I thought it would be a bit comforting, if not a little too ecclesiastical for daily wear. But then, oh then, what was that I smelled? Patchouli? NOOOOO not patchouli, my scent enemy! After 5 minutes it and the cedar completely took over and I smelled like a horrible old church being smoked out. I couldn't take it and had to scrub it off. This has definitely been put aside.

I got this as an imp as I was inspired by the description, but I learned a hard lesson with this one. In the bottle: Ooh, smell the sweet honey and fig, maybe a whiff of the patchouli but it's faint. Sweet but a little smoky. First swipe: It smells lightly floral, not too much for me to get a headache or find it icky. Now a bit like smoked honey? Drydown: Smelling like a hippie. My skin likes patchouli too much and within 5 minutes it's all I can smell. My head can't take the strong scent of patchouli and it's like I've bathed myself in it. Sadly, this one has to go.

Now it seems that red sandalwood and warm musks really love me, and I love them! I got an imp of this because the blend of notes seemed to be perfect for me, and I was right. The second I put this on my wrist and took my first whiff, I closed my eyes and immediately saw a busy bazaar, walking around and seeing lamps, carpets, and bags of spices and nuts. It brought to mind an oooold memory of walking around a bazaar with my mother and looking at jewelry. It's not a static scent; each time I could smell a hint of something new. One minute it was pure musk, the next I could smell some saffron, later on I could smell the sandalwood and it kept changing after that which I love. I actually didn't smell any carnation while I had it on, though there was the sweetness of vanilla that wasn't too sugary but was like vanilla bean. The only downside of this for me is that it just doesn't seem to last more than 1 hour on my skin. I know most people here have mentioned that it lasted a day for them but not for me; terrible considering how much I adore this oil!

I first got an imp of this because the prospect of African and Middle Eastern spices was so attractive to me. Sadly I overlooked that there were almonds involved as well. My first whiff of it in the bottle, I had the exact same impression as jwhxtna and paperrose had: nail polish remover. SO questionable. I trucked along anyway and did a swipe on my wrist. First swipe: AUGH not better!! Such a sharp, green smell hit my nose that I sneezed and immediately wanted it off my skin. I thought I could wait until it dried down a bit, but no. I had to scrub it off right then and there. I had such high hopes for this one, but the almonds absolutely ruined it for me.

I got an imp of Smut '08 as a very generous frimp from an order. I forget who it was at the moment, but when I got it I couldn't thank them enough! I was wondering how chocolate scents would like my skin, and here's my experiment: In the bottle: WOAH, they weren't kidding when they said this is booze and chocolate! The scent triggered a memory from one especially debauchery-filled Halloween evening I had a few years ago... First swipe: Super sweet, I'm feeling a little tipsy just smelling it. The throw is pretty good and it's strong but not giving me a headache, which is a plus. If anything, with this I wouldn't need to buy so many drinks at a bar considering just smelling this will do half the work! Drydown: I'm convinced, this is what the Wonka chocolate factory would smell like after a booze-fuelled orgy. Deliciously vile!

I got this because I wanted to try out some foody scents on me, and to see if my visceral hate for honey in food would transfer to perfumes as well. In the bottle: Warm, cuddly and smooth, a lot like warm milk! Kind of like a creamy blanket I want to wrap all around myself. First swipe: Smells really familiar for some reason, and I'm completely addicted! The ginger is super amped but not sharp, which would turn me away. The honey adds only a slight sweetness to the milk and isn't overpowering, so I don't dislike it. Drydown: Getting sweet but doesn't seem to last long I want to bathe in this! Actually no, I want to douse a pillow in this so it can help me sleep. With this on, I can actually visualize myself floating on a creamy milk sea (which is obviously the point given the inspiration). ADDICTED!!!

I had this on my wishlist to try because I love the smell of bergamot and red sandalwood loves my skin. I was not disappointed! In the bottle: Dark musk and something sour...the neroli? Kind of reminds me of a fruity Chanel no5 oddly enough, very perfumey in the bottle and makes me think it's a designer brand perfume from a department store. First swipe: Really citrusy, bit of bergamot. Kind of like a mug of Earl Grey tea with lots of lemon juice squeezed in. It's comforting and relaxes me quite a bit. Happily the department store perfume smell is not apparent! The throw on this is very good; it's not constant but every few moments I catch a good whiff of it and I break into a smile. Drydown: It turns into a deepened musk that smells like my tea on a rainy day. Slightly powdery too, but not so much for me to hate it. Keeper! After 1 day wear: Lasted all day, wasn't over-powerful. Kept getting whiffs of it and it was nice and mellow, keeping me happy at work. Overall a good choice.

I got this as a frimp in one of my orders, and given my happy history with other Wanderlust scents I knew I had to give this one a shot. In the bottle: At first the vanilla is super strong & smells like a vanilla hand lotion from The Body Shop I once had. Then the sassafras & cedar appear and it smells sweet but musky and instantly I get a striking mental image of a scruffy, grinning cowboy. Aren't cowboys supposed to smell like Old Spice or is that only ex-footballers now? Either way, I am entranced and intrigued! First swipe: The throw of this is pretty good on me! I still smell the vanilla but now I can also pick out the cedar and balsam more clearly. I tend to amp wood scents very well, but often to my detriment as I'm not particularly fond of most woods but this doesn't seem too bad. The sassafras is hidden behind the woody notes. Drydown: It's nice and woody without being overbearing, and sugary sweet with the vanilla and sassafras. A very straightforward scent that makes you feel a bit rustic. Don't know when I'd wear this, but it's nice! I'm not sure yet if it's entirely me but I'm sure given some time I'll be reaching for this imp for an extra dose of mischievousness!