Ghost of a Rose

Imp fresh from the lab. In the imp: Pee-yoo! A noseful of decay! But within seconds, it transforms into flowers. Those white lilies with orange centers (Asiatic Lilies?) that you get from the florist. The ones with the slightly unpleasant scent, that even when impeccably fresh have a tinge of wilt and brown edges in their scent. But flowers, anyway. With lots of orange. Well, that makes sense. And lotus is also known as water lily. So, yeah. On me, wet: At first it is 100% orange. But again it quickly transforms into the lilies. At 5 minutes: The orange has donned a cloak of invisibility made of lilies. I could swear I am smelling real Asiatic lilies just delivered from the florist. Beth has nailed these. This kind of lily is not my favorite floral scent, but I'm fascinated with the perfection of the scent picture. And they are so very fresh. I like it. I know that "so very fresh" and "note of decay" sounds like a contradiction in terms, but that's just how these flowers are. And this perfume. You smell both things at the same time. At 10 minutes: The same. At 15 minutes, some of the "lightly scented flowers" are starting to come in, increasing the pleasantness of the fragrance. At 20 minutes: . . . But the lilies continue to dominate. Odd that after the first minute this is a total flower fragrance, given the name. It's not at all what I expected! I like how that tiny edge of decay fits in to the "Forbidden" theme. I think of the Biblical mythology of the Garden of Eden. How thoughtful of God to put the "off" note in to the blossoms of the forbidden tree, to warn us humans off. This flower is the perfect choice for the theme. This isn't an innocent scent to me, with that tinge of overripeness. But I don't get how "as innocent as your first time" goes with "forbidden" anyway. Maybe it's the "before" in the Garden of Eden? Innocent with that warning and forboding note lying in wait in the background. At 30 minutes: Mostly the same. The lightly scented flowers are a bit more of a presence. I can't get over how real and fresh the lily is. I keep sniffing my wrist. At 1 hour: The same, just softer. No amber yet, but it's often a bottom note so I still have hopes for it. At 2 hours: The same, just weaker. At 3 hours: The fragrance is gone for all practical purposes. Just the faintest trace of anonymous plastic-y "perfume." With a subtle tang that must be the final remnants of the orange. I never did get any amber at all. Maybe a little aging will bring it out, if the imp lasts long enough! Verdict: A most unusual and exceptionally realistic floral perfume. 5 out of 6 stars. One for the Favorites box!

In the bottle: Flowers and fruit. I was a little worried about the fruit, but so far so good. On me, wet: The same. I like it that the pomegranate doesn't dominate, so that the scent doesn't come off as foody. At 5 minutes: I get a hint of wood and incense, less fruitiness and florals. All of the notes are so well-blended and equally balanced that it is very difficult to separate out any particular note. It's just a lovely perfume, very difficult to describe. At 10 minutes: Maybe just a tiny bit more floral, but basically the same. I seem to be picking up more fig than pomegranate - it's more of a mild fruity sweetness than red fruit. The honey could be contributing to that. At 20 minutes, I get more of the oudh, sandalwood, and incense, but the honey, fig, and carnation notes are still there. I never have gotten much pomegranate in this. I agree that this is a warm, gentle, and comforting fragrance. None of the authority or sternness I'd expect from an Empress. It fits the meaning of the card rather than the title. Which seems appropriate. At 30 minutes, the carnation is beginning to take a place up front, making this even nicer. At 45 minutes: The bottom notes of oudh, sandalwood, and incense are moving up. It's less sweet, and no longer very fruity at all. There's still a soft floral presence. At 1 hour: Those bottom notes have lightened up and the scent is predominantly floral. Interesting how these two aspects of the blend keep trading places. It now reminds me of a very classic, and classy, perfume. Again, perfect for the Empress. At 3 hours: No further change in the character of the scent. It just faded away gradually and is almost completely gone now. Verdict: I'm a little disappointed not to smell more pomegranate. I was hoping for a distinct, juicy, realistic pomegranate note (while at the same time feeling nervous that this might be too fruity for me. Go figure.) I've never gotten that from any of the pomegranate blends I've tried. Granted, I haven't tried very many, given my aversion to foody perfumes. In all honesty, I'm sure I like this better the way it is and will wear it much more often than I would a fruity perfume. But it would have been interesting. But just as I said above about the gentleness of the scent, this is about who the Empress really is, rather than the appearance or title of the card. It's what her robe would actually smell like in real life. Of course it doesn't smell like actual pomegranates, these pomegranates are just designs worked in thread. The character or essence of pomegranate is something just hinted at, an impression rather than an actual piece of fruit. The concept and the way it is achieved is quite brilliant! My rating: 5 out of 6 stars

Lab frimp aged about 4 years. In the imp: Oil is clear and amber-colored. Perfume and spices. Nice! On me, wet: The same. Perfume and cinnamon, to be more specific. After 5 minutes: Now there's some wood coming out. The cinnamon is distinct, sweet, and super realistic. Delicious. But the wood and perfume keep the overall character from being foody. I'm thinking, "Potpourri!" At 10 minutes: Clove is adding to the cinnamon. This is too pretty to be a cheap whore's perfume! It's a surprisingly feminine blend, but certainly not prissy or old-ladyish. I don't smell any rum, but still, this isn't the kind of scent you'd wear to church. Not that there's anything sinful about it (where's that rum?) It's just more casual, more playful, not traditional. At 15 minutes: All cinnamon and clove. No perfume note up close, but it's still floating around on the side. My wrist burns a little, probably the cinnamon oil on my sensitive skin. But the skin isn't reddened, nor is the reaction bad enough to be painful. It won't stop me from wearing this. At 30 minutes: The scent has gentled down. It no longer burns my wrist, and the hot piercing sharpness of the spices has settled into a mild yumminess, which has allowed the wood to come out again. The perfume is very much in the background - not specifically noticeable, but still holding any foodiness at bay. At 2 hours: The perfume note has become more floral. Spices are still evident. The wood is a whisper. Everything has blended together beautifully and gone very soft. This has been lovely all along and is still gorgeous now. At 10 1/2 hours, I can still smell a trace of it on my skin. Maybe a little powdery, but still perfume and spice. Verdict: I never picked up any rum or salty sea air, but this is so pretty I didn't miss them. I've been hoping for a realistic cinnamon scent that is not foody, and in the best of all possible worlds, is on the feminine side. I wasn't sure that was possible. But this one nails it. It's perfect. And to think, I never would have thought to try it on my own. From the description, it seemed too masculine for me. What a wonderful surprise! Thank you so much, labbies! My rating: 6 out of 6 stars

Lab frimp aged about 4 years. In the imp: Almond extract mixed with some chopped real almonds. I love the scent and taste of both, so this is already a winner. On me, wet: The nuts outweigh the extract, and they are unbelievably realistic. And there's the honey, too. I'm so impressed. I have a strong aversion to foody perfumes, but this . . . this is in a class by itself. Within 5 minutes, the almond extract has floated away, leaving behind the toasted almonds and honey. There's a glimpse of something else, cardamom? And/or coriander? And maybe a drop of vanilla? Which would make sense, the touch of vanilla to provide a bit of creaminess - the milk and honey I associate with the Queen. At about 15 minutes, it's beginning to remind me of hazelnuts rather than almonds. With cream. At 20 minutes: The notes are blending together, making it harder to pick out individual ones. It's edging towards powder, only better. There may be some white musk or amber, both of which tend to dry down into a particularly beautiful powder on my skin. The spices keep it warm, although they are no longer distinguishable as separate notes. I'm sensing something floral, too, which helps prevent it from being too foody. At 30 minutes: . . . and the hint of nuttiness that lingers on keeps it from being too powdery. It's a lovely balance. At 1 hour: No further change in the scent, just a little softer. After 2 hours: Almost complete gone. This doesn't last as long as most BPAL perfumes, but I don't mind reapplying. Because I adore this in all its stages, so that's just another chance to experience the journey again. Verdict: A fabulous perfume to honor a fabled queen. I'm blown away by how much I love it - me, the avid hater-of-foody-perfumes! My rating: 6 stars ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Note: Several reviewers have been puzzled by, or asked about, the cherry note they perceived in this. You aren't weird. There's a perfectly good reason for that. It's because maraschino cherries are strongly flavored with amaretto, the almond liqueur. (Or nowdays, it's more often almond extract.) So cherries and almond flavorings or scents end up being grouped in the same category in our minds, as having the same scent.

Bottle straight from the lab, aged about 4 years. In the bottle: A beautiful floral that I don't recognize. We used to have Passion Flower vines growing in our front yard, but I don't remember noticing any fragrance from the flowers. I probably didn't stick my nose right into them, though. On me, wet. 7:08 pm: The same. Utterly gorgeous. 💖 After 5 minutes, there's an undertone of lemon. It's pleasant enough, mostly buried beneath the flower. But oh no! After 10 minutes, it has strengthened to dominate the flower with the smell of lemon hard candies. I can't fathom any reason why I would want to walk around smelling like candy. The gorgeous flower is still there, but fighting for its life. I get that the lemon adds brightness, but it could do that with a whole lot less. At 20 minutes: It's mostly lemon candy. The flowers haven't completely died, but they are decidedly wilted. I have to work to smell them. Hopefully the lemon will butt out soon. Citrus notes don't usually hang around very long on my skin. At 35 minutes, it's very strongly lemon-scented dryer sheets. Well, that's an improvement over lemon hard candy anyway. At one hour, the scent is much the same, but weaker. The lemon is not quite such a bully, which helps reduce the dryer-sheets effect as well. But it's too late, little remains of the initial floral beauty. Now it's just the generic mixed florals found in hundreds of cleaning products. Verdict: This had the potential to be a 6-star perfume, but the lemon spoiled it for me. I wish it was a true single-note oil. I'd rate it 6 stars in the first 5 minutes, deteriorating to 3 stars when the lemon seizes control at 10 minutes and thereafter. I'll have to try it in the scent locket - hopefully that will preserve the heavenly top note longer.

Lab Frimp aged about 4 years. In the imp: Incense and wood, a bit of patchouli. Total headshop! On me, wet: The same, with a smoky aspect (no doubt from the vetiver) that suits the impression of incense. It's rich, and smoother than you'd expect from patchouli and vetiver. This is a very upscale headshop, if you can imagine such a thing. The patchouli and vetiver have a natural affinity for one another and blend together so well that it's difficult to distinguish them. There isn't a trace of orange (which for me is a good thing) or ylang ylang (which makes me sad.). But I could swear there is some sandalwood in this. Maybe there is - I've heard that Beth doesn't always list all the notes. Or perhaps it is just an association in my mind: Sandalwood incense + patchouli oil and patchouli incense = headshop. At 10 minutes: The scent is the same. But when I put my nose right up close and take a big whiff, there is a sharpness that makes the insides of my nostrils tingle. Could that be from the orange? No way to know, because it's not a scent, just a feeling. At 15 minutes: The patchouli is slightly more defined. Everything else is exactly the same. This patch is either the same one that I remember from the early 1970's, or something very similar. Which is quite unusual. I wore patchouli oil all through high school, and searched for that same scent for decades afterward. I bought bottle after bottle of patchouli oil, and they were never anything like I remembered. Often they were so different I didn't even recognize the fragrance as patchouli. Then BPAL came out with the Sumatran Red Patchouli SN and . . . voilá! One whiff and I was instantly transported 40 years back in time. This is the same one. At 45 minutes: It's softer, and a little woodier now that the patchouli has backed off somewhat. But these changes are extremely subtle. It's still basically the same scent. At 1 hour: All the notes I mentioned are still there: Sandalwood (or vetiver or whatever that wood note is), patchouli, a little smoke, a little sharpness. The fruit and flowers are still MIA. They don't even contribute any sweetness to the mix. In other words: it's still the same incensey headshop. At 1 1/2 hours: The wood now dominates over the patch, but the same notes remain. At 2 hours: With the wood now more prominent, it smells even more like sandalwood. Still basically the same scent. Probably soft enough now to wear out in public. At 4 hours: Still around, more in the throw than on my wrist. Same scent. At 7 hours, I continue to pick up some faint patch and sandalwood. Verdict: The patchouli and vetiver (and sandalwood, if present) blend together so well that this has the feel of a Single Note oil. The blood orange and ylang ylang never showed up. This makes the fragrance somewhat boring, but who cares when it is this lovely? It doesn't quite make me swoon, like florals and a few other feminine scents do (it probably would if the ylang ylang showed its pretty face), so it doesn't make my shortlist favorites. But it comes close, and this is a perfume I will wear often. It's rich, smooth, warm, mysterious, bohemian, sexy, nostalgic, and unisex. I tend to believe that the lack of the fruit and flower may be due to the age of my imp. But looking now over the other reviews I am surprised to find that many people testing fresh vials had the same experience. While others detected ONLY the orange and ylang ylang. Skin chemistry is part of the explanation, I'm sure, but it doesn't explain the fruit-and-flower absence that I also noticed in the vial - it smells exactly the same on my skin as in the vial. How very odd! My rating: 5 out of 6 stars

Frimp fresh from the lab: On the wand and in the imp: Instantly, a strong whiff of cat pee. Eueeew. None of the listed notes have smelled like that before to me, that I can recall. Must be something about the combination (I'm guessing jasmine plus vetiver). Fortunately, within seconds it changes to earthiness and leather. But there's still a hint of cat pee in the background. On met, wet: I'm almost afraid to put this on. But I do. It's exactly the same. But the cat pee vanishes quickly, and this time, completely. Whew! Again I get the leather and earth. But on my skin, the earthiness carries a note of petrichor, which I love. And the florals, which I also love. Soooo much nicer than in the bottle! Quite nice, in fact. At 5 minutes: Mostly gardenia and jasmine with a bit of petrichor. Loving it. At 10 minutes: The leathery petrichor is now strongest, with a suggestion of sharp spiciness. The florals are still present. (The petrichor note I notice is actually the leather, and my nose does interpret it as new leather as well. It just depends on how I think of it. It's considerably realistic either way.) At 30 minutes: The spice continues to gain momentum - it's now recognizable as cinnamon - as the florals fade. A few minutes ago I got the tiniest hint of rose but it's gone now. The leather/petrichor note is still going strong. At 1 hour: Leather and perfume (blended notes). A high-fashion model in tight black leather pants. At 2 hours: For a while, perfume (including the flowers and spice) took center stage, but now it's mostly leather. Broken-in leather now, rather than new. At 3 3/4 hours: Tobacco is strongest, followed by perfume. It almost smells like I've been smoking pot, which is kind of hilarious since I don't smoke anything. Oh well, cannibis is legal is my state! I love how this blend veers back and forth between the different notes and lets almost every ingredient have a turn at being the star. Verdict: Given how nasty this smelled in the vial, who knew that I would end up liking this so much on my skin! It goes to show that you never know until you try it on. I'm so glad I gave this one a chance. It's definitely not a rose perfume. The rose is virtually non-existent as an identifiable note. It's not feminine enough to be on my Favorites short list, but I do like it a great deal. It isn't aggressively masculine, so I don't picture this as a Highwayman. But that's a good thing, it means I can wear it too. It's androgynous, but leaning a little towards the masculine much of the time. Occasionally the pendulum swings slightly towards the feminine, especially at the beginning. Overall, it depends on how I think of it. If I visualize the vetiver note as petrichor, ithe blend feels quite unisex. If I see that note as leather, it seems slightly more masculine. Never a "men's cologne" fragrance, though. I'm a girly girl, but wouldn't hesitate to wear it. My rating: 5 stars out of 6

Lab frimp, aged about 8 years. In the imp: Florals and spice, well blended and balanced so that I don't pick up any distinct type of either. There's almost an incense vibe which is probably the spice. My nose tends to interpret a lot of non-floral/non-foody notes as incense, probably because I must have had incense with those scents. As I type this, I notice a beautiful floral scent wafting from my hand that handled the imp. It's clearly jasmine and honeysuckle. Jasmine is not one of my favorite floral notes, because it is usually way too strong, strangles all of the other notes, and turns into Ivory soap on me. But here it is perfect, letting the honeysuckle have equal rights and smelling like the real flowers and tea, both of which I love. On me, wet: 100% jasmine at first. But the spice starts to kick in within a couple of minutes. Especially clove. The jasmine continues to calm down, and at 4 minutes, it is spice and . . . wait, toothpaste? WTF? But yes, an utterly realistic toothpaste weakly flavored with mint. The kind they make for people like me, who can't tolerate the burn of the usual strong mint toothpastes. And it's not just mint. I clearly get the paste smell, too. I don't think it is supposed to smell like this. My imp is probably long past its "best by . . . " date. (Later added: I looked over the other reviews and very few noticed anything like this. But a few people mentioned "minty", "strange and medicinal", "green and herbal." A couple mentioned "lavender", and one said "eucalyptus". I believe we are all picking up the same note, a sharp hot herb. The kind that gives you a burning sensation when it is highly concentrated. But it is not like that here. The concentration is low, which is why we can't definitely or unanimously identify it. There's just enough to provide an impression of warmth - together with the clove oil - which of course is fitting for New Orleans. So now I do think it is an intentional note.) At 25 minutes: Clove and toothpaste. With a hint of wood which is probably cinnamon. Huffing my wrist up close, I don't especially like this blend (that toothpaste.) But the sillage is absolutely gorgeous. Half jasmine and half honeysuckle. At just the right strength. At an hour: Up close, it's all toothpaste now. But the sillage hasn't changed and is still gorgeous. And since that's what other people smell - and me too, when I'm not nose-to-wrist - I love the perfume anyway, in spite of the toothpaste. At 3 hours: Toothpaste, with a little flowers and spice starting to show up again. The sillage is gone, as far as I can tell by trying to smell it. But every now and then, I get an unexpected whiff of that beautiful jasmine and honeysuckle again. After about 4 1/2 hours, it's all soft florals. No more toothpaste at all, yay! After 9 hours, my wrist still smells like beautiful flowers. After 13 1/2 hours, I can still smell a trace of flowers, and they are still beautiful! I never detected any lemon or decay, for which I am thankful in both cases. They might be subtly contributing to the impression of toothpaste, though. An odd thing happened. The first day, I put a drop on my left wrist and it smelled as I described it. The next day, I just swiped the wand on my right wrist because I was going out in public immediately and didn't want it to be too strong. That day I smelled only the flowers, never any spice or toothpaste. The third day, I put a drop on my left wrist again, and it smelled like this again. The difference was very noticeable and extreme. Like wearing two completely different perfumes. So, do my wrists have different skin chemistry? Or was it because I used less the second day? Or because I put it on the second day immediately after showering; so maybe my skin enzymes were temporarily absent; or maybe it was interacting with soap traces on my skin? In any case, that was unexpected and interesting! Verdict: 4.5 stars out of 5. I subtracted only 1/2 star for the toothpaste, since it was noticeable only when huffed right up close, and the rest of the scent was so beautuful and lasted so long.

Lab Frimp aged about 4 years. In the imp: Gorgeous and unusual florals - no flower that I can identify. (I've never smelled Angel's Trumpet or Orris root, though.) With a fresh, green note and feeling. I don't nail it as lettuce (what does lettuce smell like anyway? I've never noticed it having a scent), but okay, I'll buy it. On me, wet: I can smell the gorgeous florals without even lifting my arm. Up close, a little bit of mild green sharpness that is no doubt contributing to the impression of freshness. After 10 minutes: The mild sharpness has floated away, but left behind the green freshness. And those flowers above it all. I'm in love. It's already much softer, a gentle scent. I don't get any actual water note that some have mentioned, but I can easily visualize a sparkling crystal clear and pure stream, with watercress growing in the shallows and flowers blooming along the edges. After 20 minutes: It has softened even more; mild enough - and clean and pure enough - for a little girl. But complex enough for me, too. Turning a little plastic, though, darn my skin. I can always wear it in the scent locket if I have to. But the sillage remains just as beautiful, so that might not be necessary unless I just want to. For ecstastic sniffing. After 2 1/2 hours: Until now, the scent has been quite stable, with very little change in nature, only in strength. But as a last harrah, the bois de rose has made a distinct appearance, as a wood note rather than rose. The overall impression is less floral and more like a classic perfume. Perhaps the influence of the orris (I know it is an ingredient in many traditional perfumes) together with the rosewood? But all very faint. 3 hours later, the scent is for all practical purposes, gone. Verdict: I agree that this smells like springtime. But I am finding it so refreshing, even giving an illusion of coolness, on a hot summer day. Its gentleness is also perfect for summer, when the heat can make a strong scent of any kind seem very annoying. Bottle-worthy and then some: Swoon-worthy. 5 out of 5 stars

Lab Frimp aged about 4 years. In the imp: A strong floral. Not roses, or anything else I recognize. Must be the plumarosa. I've never smelled that, but the internet says it is a grass with a fragrance similar to rose. I'm excited to try this! I often wish foral notes were stronger, and this one certainly is. Wet, on my skin: WHOA, this is STRONG! And I only swiped the wand on my wrist. Usually I put on a drop, but it was immediately evident that a drop would be way too much. Very strong and very sweet patchouli and that unusual floral. After 5 minutes: The sense of florals has already died down to a subtle undertone, leaving behinds an extreme sweetness. A super-sweet patchouli. This isn't my favorite Sumatran Red Patchouli, but I usually like other patches okay too. There's a hint of spiciness that I sometimes get from sandalwood. I'm ambivalent about this. It is very unusual, which I like, and I love the idea of combining patch with florals, and I like the headshop vibe. It's also in-your-face aggressive, which fits the theme so well. But on the other hand, all that sweetness veers dangerously close to cloying. And the perfume is so very strong, even with the tiny amount I used. Thank goodness I didn't put on more! Wearing something this strong and this sweet for very long could become highly annoying, even headachy. And this is coming from someone who loves strong scents (I don't do them that way in public, just to be clear) and almost never gets headaches for any reason. This might be too much even for me. No point in giving a play-by-play report, as the fragrance remains the same. It lasts for 10 or 12 hours, just as you might expect from so strong a scent. Towards the very end, it settles down into a softer powdery version of the same thing. That helps, and I would probably love this if it was like that from the beginning. But it was still cloyingly sweet, and I was getting pretty darn tired of it by then. I never got the faintest hint of any rose, to my dismay. In looking over the other reviews, I have to wonder, are we even talking about the same thing?!! So many other people talk about tons of rose and how light the scent. But almost everyone mentions the sweetness and the patchouli, so I don't seem to be posting in the wrong thread. Why is my experience of it so very different? Maybe the age of my imp? Or my skin chemistry? Probably both. The BPAL rose notes don't seem to fade with age. I have BPAL rose perfumes much older than this one, and the rose note is still fresh and beautiful. Maybe timstead he patch (or this one, anyway) gains in strength as it ages? Verdict: Mixed. I like it it some ways, but don't like the extreme strength and sweetness. In any case, it is very unique and intriguing, and I like a lot of variety in everything. I'll keep it for an occasional decidedly different change of pace. Or, use it in an oil warmer. Most BPAL perfumes aren't strong enough for that, so this might be just the thing. 3 out of 5 stars

Lab frimp aged about 4 years. In the imp: sharpness - ginger and pepper Wet on me: Wow, this really is reminiscent of milk tea sweetened with honey. Accented by the pepper and ginger. After 5 minutes: I'm picking up almost all of the listed notes. That never happens! And glory be, no dominatrix vanilla. Just enough to give the impression of milkiness. After 15 minutes: It's sweet, the honey is showing strong. For honey, that is; it's always a gentle, more subtle note. And now, with an impression of florals - that has to be the clean linen. This isn't foody at all. I'm not sure if it is strongly or realisticly floral enough to be a short-list favorite, but it's edging awfully close. I love the tea note - I'm a tea-lover and tea notes never seem realistic to me. Especially black tea, which is by far my favorite. But this comes very close to that, too. It helps that this is a milk tea, not a plain (no milk) sweetened black tea. It's also a gentle and mild perfume that might be a suitable choice for wearing in public places. After 45 minutes: Now it's all clean linen. Another scent I really like, but not as interesting and unusual as the milk tea. After 2 1/2 hours, it's powder, honey, and a hint of spice. Still quite lovely. Verdict: This doesn't quite make me swoon like the Rose in Viola and The Peacock Queen or the golden Amber in The Lion does, but I do love it. It's going into my Favorites box. A bottle might be in my future. 4.5 out of 5 stars

Tea leaf with three mosses, green grass, a medley of herbal notes, and a drop of ginger and fig. Lab frimp aged about 4 years. In the imp: Oh my, is this beautiful! It reminds me so much of my beloved and deeply-mourned original Clairol Herbal Essence shampoo. I've been looking for a replacement for that for years. Is this my Holy Grail at last? On me, wet: the same gorgeous green herbal scent, but now with a tiny tingle of ginger added. But very quickly (only about 5 minutes), the whole fragrance has become very light already, and less like Herbal Essence. Still a lovely green scent with florals and ginger, though. Close enough. After 30 minutes: Quite faint. I wish this beautiful scent was stronger and lasted longer! The ginger has faded away, and I don't detect any individual notes. Just that perfectly blended and balanced green Herbal Essence vibe. After about 2 hours: I am surprised at how long this is lingering, after the quick die-down in the beginning. It's very soft, but still there, and is stable - the scent doesn't change much. Which is a good thing, in this case. 4 hours later, the close-in throw has actually gone a little skunky. But that doesn't matter because it is so faint. And past time to reapply anyway. With my nose practically touching my skin, I still get a hint of Herbal Essence. Verdict: This would be a good one for wearing out in public places. It's so light that it is less likely to bother people who are sensitive to perfumes. Otherwise, I'll want to wear it in the scent locket. To maintain the strength and the closest resemblance to the Herbal Essence shampoo. So is it the Holy Grail? Yes! Especially in the locket. 5 out of 5 stars. Thank you so much, labbies!

Lab Frimp aged about 4 years I had this on my wishlist, having apparently forgotten I had it. So of course I was delighted to find it! I love all of the notes except for vanilla. But I don't mind a little, as long as it stays in the background. I'm hoping it smells like sweet pea and amber, especially. In the imp: vanilla, amber, and sandalwood. Everything but the sweet pea. On me, wet: much sweeter, almost a fruity scent. Kinda like artificial pineapple extract. Too foody for me. No vanilla, but a different foody note is almost as bad! After about 30 minutes: almost all vanilla, and sugary-sweet. Sigh. I totally agree with those who mentioned cotton candy. Which I have never even liked for eating. After an hour, it's mostly just plastic, unless I get my nose right up close. Then it's still vanilla, less sweet now. A couple of hours later, shortly before the scent disappears entirely, there is still the plastic. But up close, the vanilla has gone, and finally I get the mild spiciness of sandalwood, along with some amber. But to be honest, it's too little, too late. And I never got so much as a hint of floral. Several hours after that: I had thought the scent long gone, and was busy doing some chore that brought my arm up closer to my face, when I noticed the most wonderful fragrance wafting around me. Like a beautiful soft baby powder, but even better. I love the scent of baby powder and am definitely not one to complain about notes going powdery. Some kinds of amber do this on my skin. It's very beautiful now, but I have other perfumes that I love the whole time I am wearing them. Verdict: 2 out of 5 stars. Too sweet, too foody, too much candy, and way too much vanilla. Vanilla is my note of death. Totally not my thing. Oh well, you can't win them all. I'm grateful to the labbies for giving me the chance to try this for free, so that I can save my money for a blend I will like better.

Frimp from the lab, aged about 4 years On me, it's cinnamon and wood, and stays that way. No tea, alas - a realistic black tea scent is my holy grail. But I was distracted while wearing this, and didn't try too hard to find the tea. Maybe I'll try it again in a couple of days, when I can pay more attention. The cinnamon sweetens on drydown, which I like. It's not really my thing (I love florals), but it is quite nice. I will enjoy it occasionally as a change from the usual. Thank you labbies! My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Frimp from the lab aged about 4 years In the imp, all I smell is a bit of wood. On my skin, wet: This is surprising me. With all those floral notes, I expected to love it. But on my skin, it's just a generic women's-cologne-for-the-masses. No realistic flowers at all. After 10 minutes, I can pick out a bit of violet, but it's still predominantly a light cologne. After 30 minutes, all light cologne again. It's okay, pleasant enough. But nothing special. My rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Somewhat aged imp, maybe 4 years old. Wet: I adore this. I love the scent of Amber, and this is totally it. 100% amber. It brings back such lovely memories of a lump of amber resin I used to have in a little carved soapstone box. After about 10 minutes, cinnamon and something incensey - sandalwood? - have come out to overpower, but not annihilate, the amber. I am surprised by how much I love this! I usually enjoy, but don't love, unisex perfumes like this one. Florals and such, very feminine scents, are more my thing. It must be the amber. After about 30 minutes, the cinnamon, sandalwood, and amber are perfectly balanced. After an hour, the sweetness of the amber predominates again, with sandalwood a bit behind it, and a faint tingle of cinnamon in the background. After several hours, the cinnamon and most of the sandalwood is gone and it's a soft, very sweet - even vanilla-ish - amber. The sweetness gives it a more feminine feel. The Lion is beautiful in all of its stages! So, apparently golden amber is the one for me. I should wear this in the scent locket, to maintain that beautiful 100% amber. But I also love the complexity and interest that the lower notes give. Maybe I should wear it both on my skin and in the locket, even at the same time sometimes. I never would have thought to try this, thank you, labbies! I'm thrilled to discover a unisex/spice/incense blend I love as much as my usual florals! My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Gorgeous fragrance, but doesn't last very long on me. I'll have to try it in a scent locket.

Imp aged about 8 years In the imp, I don't get much fragrance. Just a faint whiff of old oil. Wet on my skin: There is strong coconut and just for a second, an even stronger sweet something that's soooo familiar, but it is gone before I can identify it; leaving just the coconut. This now smells exactly like the artificially flavored coconut pudding I had in a frozen TV dinner a couple of nights ago. I mean this in the best possible way. I loved the pudding; it was very sweet, creamy and smooth. I preferred it to real homemade coconut pudding which is less sweet and has all those fibrous shreds of coconut. The milk note is not noticeable but no doubt contributes to the pudding "flavor". I love smelling this, and wish I could eat it. But I wouldn't wear it out in public. I dislike foody perfumes. I'm pretty sure most people around me would like the throw of this scent, but I don't want to smell like something to eat, or - even worse - like I've been pigging out on dessert all day. It would be a great atmospheric scent for the kitchen. I tried putting on another drop of oil to see if I could get that vanished mystery note again in order to ID it. But no go. It must be overwhelmed by all the coconut from the first drop. The pudding I ate tasted like it also contained some almond extract. Could that be the very sweet, very familiar, mystery note? No almond is listed in this blend, but I've heard that Beth doesn't always list all of the ingredients. After only 10 minutes, a lot of the sweetness has dissipated. After 20 or 30, the coconut has faded significantly as well. It's still distinguishable, but now I can smell that old oil again as well, turning the overall fragrance plastic-y, like one of those little scented dolls. After about an hour and a half, the old oil/plastic note has settled down into a pleasant hint of waxiness playing in the background to a frontman of soft coconut-vanilla. It will always be too foody for me to want to smell like this to other people, but it is lovely for me to sniff. On me, this lasted longer than I expected, given the other reviews and how quickly the scent lightened up at first. Verdict: I strongly suspect that the old-oil note (perhaps Shea butter that is past its expiration date?) and the lack of any watery note may be due to the age of my imp. It would be interesting to try a fresh sample. I would not wear this scent out anywhere or often, but will keep it to occasionally wear at home, just for fun and variety. 5 out of 5 stars for wearing at home 2 stars for wearing in public (but that's just me)

Frimp fresh from the lab - thank you! In the imp: Not sure I like this. VERY strong and smoky. Intense. Almost all smoke, with a hint of incense. On me, wet: Pretty much the same. But I'm liking it. It reminds me of campfires and woodsmoke. Makes me want to go camping. There's some clove oil, too. The intensity calms down to some extent pretty quickly, but it remains strong and smoky. Upon drydown: It has lost much of its intensity, but remains smoky and fairly strong. Lots of vetiver, which gives it some earthiness as well. And very incensey, with that added touch of clove. Really quite pleasant, and certainly surprising. After an hour or two, it even becomes soft and gentle, but still the same scent. It doesn't morph at all. Verdict: 4 out of 5 stars. I wouldn't want to wear this every day. Or out in public, because of the strength, and because other people might dislike it. But at home, as an occasional change from my usual floral favorites - sure!

Imp fresh from the lab In the imp: Super-sweet pineapple. WTF? In a blend that lists only floral notes? But that's what I get, and that's all that I get. It's an artificial pineapple "flavor," like some kind of pineapple-flavored hard candy. On my skin: The same. This is probably the sweetest BPAL I have, and I have at least a hundred, maybe two hundred. So that's saying something. I don't get any floral notes at all, but then I don't know what those flowers smell like. I'm sure I've smelled lilies but I don't remember the scent. I've never noticed any fragrance from crocuses. And I have crocuses in my yard. I'll have to remember to get up close and personal with them when they bloom again next year. But that's a bit difficult with a flower so small and close to the ground! Upon drydown: The sweetness and the fruitiness have lightened up a bit, but it remains basically the same scent. And still plenty sweet. But I can almost see how this could be a floral scent if it wasn't so sweet. Like a blossom buried in sugar. Maybe it's one of those floral-infused syrups, like rose syrup or lavender syrup. But pineapple still wins, really. I have to work at it pretty hard to imagine any flowers in this. After an hour, what remains of the fragrance is mostly just a bit of plastic. But that's okay, because I would want to reapply the perfume once it gets this faint anyway. An interesting thing: When I sniff around the cap of the closed imp, I do get the florals that were absent in the open vial and on my skin. Aha, now I remember the fragrance of lilies! I wonder if that's what the oil will smell like once it has aged a bit. Or if that's what the throw smells like to people standing near me. I hope so! It's much prettier!

I'm working with an old imp that has been stored in a cool dark place. A light floral, with just a hint of water and greenery. Smooth and subtle, this would be a good one for work. I don't identify any specific note. That could be due to the marrying of the notes with age, or because I don't know what tulips or peonies smell like. Which is odd, because I've got tulips planted in my yard! I've never noticed any scent from them. I have to remember to get up close and personal with them when they bloom again next spring. Many hours later: As light as this is, I am surprised at how long it has lasted. The fragrance is faint, but still discernable. And without a trace of plastic or powder. Yep, perfect for the office. My rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars. It might be higher with a fresh bottle. Or not. I'll have to try one to see. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Fresh frimp straight from the Lab. In the imp: Flowers (I can't tell the tulips from the peonies, I'm not familiar with either scent), aquatic, a green note that is herbal rather than grassy to me. Not the like the grassy notes I love in some of the Mad Tea Party oils, but this is a nice green too. All the notes are present and accounted for! Very bright and light-feeling. On me, wet: Very aquatic, which nearly always smells like men's cologne to me. The flowers are lovely, though. I don't get as much green as I did in the imp. At 5 minutes: The sharp/bright/aquatic/men's-cologne aspect is gone already. I miss the water and the brightness, but not the men's cologne. But I guess I can't have one (or two) without the other. Only the florals remain. At 10 minutes: It's totally a rather unusual soft floral perfume now. Almost a single note. So pretty, if perhaps a little boring. At 20 minutes: The florals have lightened, letting the green and watery notes show through again. But this time without so much sharpness and brightness; thus without the men's-cologne. So now it is more complex and interesting again. There's just a tinge of citrus, maybe. Lemon? Not enough to be obnoxious (fruity or like cleaning products.) At 30 minutes: The lemon note is a little stronger. Otherwise everything is the same. At 1 hour: No further changes. At 2 hours: It first went very plastic, and now is virtually gone. Verdict: A light, bright, spring floral perfume that is a bit different. Yes, I do like the fresh imp much better than the aged. You get more of the aquatic and green notes, which makes it brighter and more interesting. 4 stars out of 6

My imp is fresh from the lab. I haven't smelled the original either. I thought "eucalyptus" too! Lavender is one of my favorite scents, but this type and concentration is way too piercing and medicinal. Fortunately, within 10 minutes it has calmed way down. Gradually the violets take over to become the dominant note. After drydown this becomes a violet scent accented by lavender. Very nice. I haven't noticed any musk or vetiver. I like white musk a lot, so I am hoping it will show up as the final lingering bottom note as it often does on me. Later: It did. It's faint, but there. Along with a trace of violet. Still quite lovely, without any of the plastic tone that my skin often distorts scent into, near the end. A little powdery, but I'm fine with that. It's the white musk and is pleasant and subtle. My rating: 4 out of 5 stars

This. This is the fragrance I've been looking for for decades. The one I wore all through high school in the early 1970's and had never smelled since. I have purchased and tested dozens of bottles of patchouli oil through the years, only to be disappointed every time. They smelled NOTHING like the patchouli I remembered. I didn't even recognize their scent as patchouli. But the moment I opened this bottle, I was instantly transported back 45 years, on a wave of nostalgia so powerful it almost hurt. Hippies, check. Head shops, check. Me at 14, check. This. is.The. One. 5 out of 5 stars

Lab Frimp 2018 Sniffing the vial, I get an immediate reaction: I KNOW this smell. Really, really, really know it. Something I've smelled 10,000 times. But I'm racking my brain and can't come up with a name. I gave up thinking logically and just let my mind wander while sniffing. It only took a moment for a picture to appear in my mind. Very detailed and vivid, and, yes, it is a scene I've seen a thousand times. My Mom's white ceramic Christmas bowl, painted with red and green designs around the rim with a Christmas tree in the center. And in the bowl lies a half-peeled tangerine, with some stem and leaves still attached. A couple of peelings lay upside down beside it, but all the fruit segments are still intact. I can see the rough, wrinkled skin of the peel that's still on the fruit, and the gap between the peel and the pulp (the reason why tangerines are so easy to peel.) Yep, that's it. Tangerine. And only tangerine. The scent in this oil is every bit as real and vivid as the image in my mind. I lived in the Phoenix area until I was 56. Every house I lived in had lots of citrus trees, including tangerines, oranges, and grapefruit. The house I grew up in had 3 different varieties of tangerines, among other citrus trees. And all winter long, while they were in season, that bowl sat on either our dining or coffee table, filled with tangerines. Apparently that was the designated tangerine bowl. I don't remember oranges or grapefruit ever being in it. Those were always in a huge brown Melmac bowl. So yeah, I know the scent of tangerine. Once applied to my wrist, the tangerine note diasappears quickly. Just as well. I don't want to go around smelling like something to eat, so I wouldn't like this blend if the tangerine stuck around. But it was fun since it lasted for such a short time. From then on, it's a mild violet. There seems to be something else there too, especially as time goes on, but it's too faint to identify. Maybe a soft musk or amber? Personally, I don't get any watery note at any time. Maybe a bit of green with the tangerine in the beginning. That would be the tangerine stem and leaves. I have no idea what tangerines, or any of the other notes I perceived, have to do with water, or Our Lady, or her famous cathedral. I've been there, and didn't smell any of those things! But never mind, it's a nice scent, and I do love the name. Pleasant and discreet, a perfect everyday perfume. My rating: 4 out of 5 stars P.S. My parents still own that house (although it is now rented out because they need 24/7 care) and the citrus trees are still there.

THE MANDRAKE CHARMThe Mandrake Charm, Henry Fuseli. Mandrake root, olibanum, myrrh, hyssop, basil linalool, and lemongrass. Wow, I'm the first reviewer! That's never happened before! Info I found on the internet about Basil Linalool: A naturally occurring terpene alcohol chemical found in many flowers and spice plants with many commercial applications, the majority of which are based on its pleasant scent (floral, with a touch of spiciness.) The type of linalool that comes from basil is woody and lavender-like. I chose this blend to try because I was particularly intrigued by the mandrake root. I have no idea what that might smell like. In the imp: A clear, lemon-yellow oil with a greenish tinge. When I sniff the imp, I get wood. When I sniff the wand, it's a strong herby basil with wood coming in at a close second. On me, wet: I can smell the basil and wood from a couple of feet away, before I even bring my wrist my to my nose to sniff it. Up close, it is similar but with a deeper undertone of earth and roots. On me, just dried: Most of basil floats away within a few moments, and the overall scent softens considerably as it dries. The wood note is now the strongest, and it has a strange hint of tar to it. I'm guessing that's the camphoraceous aspect of the hyssop. After 10 minutes: First a subtle grassy note appeared that could be either the lemongrass (without the lemon) or more of the hyssop. It only lasted a couple of minutes, and as it disappeared, the scent sweetened up a little. Until now it has not been sweet at all. Wood is still the strongest impression, with plenty of herbs (not including basil anymore.) A tiny bit of myrrh is starting to peek out. After 30 minutes: It has sweetened some more, although it still isn't a really sweet scent. Now there's a faint whiff of lemon, more like lemon drop candy than the fresh fruit; and much softer than either. Wood, herbs, and a little myrrh are still the main notes. This is a very unusual scent. After 1 hour: It sure has gone through a lot of changes! Now all of the unique notes have evaporated. For a while there is still a faint lingering hint of wood, but eventually that goes too, leaving a typical, slightly powdery, (and lovely as always) BPAL final-drydown scent of frankincense (the olibanum) and sweet myrrh. There were no further changes, and the longevity of the blend on my skin was about average for a BPAL scent. Verdict: A very unusual, unisex, blend. I'm pretty neutral about the fragrance, neither disliking it nor liking it a lot. But I do like that it is so interesting and unique. I'll keep the imp and wear it occasionally as the perfect antidote for whenever I get bored with my usual, favorite, scents. My rating: 3 stars ETA: My imp is a decant from schackjj, the Goddess of Decanters (to borrow a quote from another participant in our decant circle.)