Duck Mountain

In the imp -> wet on skin: Hmm. Starts off a bit unpleasantly--can't place what the scent is, but I'm not liking it. There's a hint of the cocoa, but it's not enough to overpower the other stuff. Maybe it's the musk...? Drydown: The vanilla and citrus notes are coming out very nicely. It's a perfect blend of the two, though somewhat of a sharp scent. Probably the lemon or tonka. I can smell the rest of the elements a tiny bit, but they're all blended together now and in the background. Dry: Yum. Delicious. I guess the sharpness is supposed to be the 'freak'/'disconcerting' part. Very nice! I'm going to be keeping my 5 mL--I may even look for more... >_>

In the imp, and on my skin when I first put it on, it smells exactly like absinthe. The licorice scent is very strong. It's minty and cool too, smells refreshing, but the heaviness of it also reminds you that it's something that will knock you out if you aren't careful. Less than an hour after I put it on, however, it had almost completely vanished. I don't hate this one and I don't love it, but it has no lasting power on me. Great throw at first, but after that it just disappears. This one will probably be going off to swaps. :\

2004: I'm so in love with Sugar Skull, and I'm almost certain I'll be buying multiple bottles of it this go-round. The first time I saw it, I thought "I have to get my hands on some!" (My favourites so far have been the sweet and foody blends.) This one was given to me courtesy of a co-worker who's seen me ogling the BPAL auctions on eBay the past few days, and from the first sniff, I was hooked. I've been trying to wean myself off sweets lately and I think this is just the thing. In the bottle, it's sweet and sharp, but a minute or so after I put it on, it becomes slightly spicy and much more crisp. I'm sitting in a cloud of Sugar Skull scent right now and it's very strong, got plenty of throw. It alternates between being cinnamony- and powdery-sweet; I really can't describe it other than to say that it's true to its name--pure sugar!

The description sounded really wonderful, but on me it fell short. I don't like the taste of most liquors, but I love how they smell in cocktails, so I thought this one would be a good one to try. Unfortunately, from imp to skin to drydown, it's predominantly this sickly-sweet potpourri smell--sharper in the imp, but when I went around telling everyone to "Smell!", the majority of reactions were that it was too sweet and too floral. Once it's dried and has become fainter, it's actually very crisp and refreshing. Don't know if this one's a keeper, but will test it again and may send it off to a friend who wants to start experimenting with BPAL.

Dorian was one of the imps I got almost on the basis of the name alone, and it has not disappointed me. I wanted to like it and I'm glad that I do. In the imp's ear, it's strong and I really can't tell much about it; then again, almost nothing smells good to me straight out of the container... Once I put it on, though, it immediately becomes lemony and musky (I think that's the musk, anyway). Like some of the other reviewers, I'm having trouble finding the tea, but I still love it. Now that it's dry, it's very warm and mellow, calming but fun/mischievious at the same time. Slightly spicy. It's a shade masculine, but not so much that I can't wear it without feeling silly. I have a feeling this will remain one of my favourites. I think I'm going to have to order a bottle. ETA: A good hour or so past application and this one just keeps changing. A little while ago it was mainly musk and tea--now it's got this bite to it and my co-workers once again agree that it smells nice. Two for two so far. I really like the hint of lemon that shows up at the beginning and I just wish it would stay--but even without it, Dorian is fantastic.

Gluttony is so rich and buttery that I simply couldn't pick out any specific notes; of course, that may have had something to do with the fact that this was my first order, and so I was slathering all my oils on willy-nilly in crazed glee. There wasn't much of a difference between it wet and dry, except that the scents mellowed out just slightly once it dried. Still mostly a buttery scent, with faint undertones of the other elements in it.

My first review on my first order! This one came as an extra. I'm not good at picking out individual components or even reviewing things in general, but here goes: In the imp, it's heavy and dark. The musk stands out the most. At first I thought I was smelling nail lacquer, so it was somewhat unpleasant. (Realized also that I'm not fond of musk at all.) As soon as I put it on, the musk started to fade, and the fruit smell came out, predominantly cherry. It became more of a crisp, tangy scent. It has completely dried now, and the scent seems to have faded very quickly--then again, my soap may be overpowering it (Lush's Karma). A little while ago I could smell the strawberry, but definitely a sort of background scent, and I don't think the vanilla ever really came out on me. In short: Heavy, but lightens up slightly to become sharp and fruity. I like it, but only moderately--possibly because my initial impression was a huge turn-off. Will have to test it more (which I'm looking forward to). ETA: Mm, I'm starting to get hints of vanilla. I guess it'll change during the day. It's getting positive responses from my co-workers, too, which is nice (to say the least).