mermaidsdream

A shadowy, unapproachable forest of maple, birch, dogwood, cypress and pine softened by a garland of New England wildflowers: bergamot, columbine, rue anemone, blue violet, creeping phlox, bloodroot, toadflax, and pixie moss. Going through the ABC's of my "try me now" Imp box (75 days worth of imps, if I do one per day with no duplicates!), this was next up ... In the Imp: I get mostly the aquatic notes, with a hint of something else, something sweet. Wet, applied: (as a side note, I do roll the imps between my hands for a bit before applying) wet blueberries. Seriously, blueberry. Looking at the notes, I think it's the violet screaming at me (maybe to run the other direction). It's not bad, I'm just not 100% sure about this. Dry: Okay, there we go. The violet is now cowering in terror, and the woods & aquatic notes come out to play. It's almost smoky, with a hint of sweet. Something lurking in the shadows, promises & whispers. I'm still not 100% in love with this scent, but my co-workers seem to like it a lot, so I guess that's something ... we'll see how we're doing by the end of the day.

I liked this one when I sniffed it last night, and added it to the "try me first" box. This morning, I sniffed and wrinkled my nose, not sure what it was I liked, but it was in my "try me first" box, and the next scent, so I put on wrists & neck, and went about my day. I need to start looking and see what note it is that turns scents straight into that nasty "diaper wipe" odor. Even now, hours later, it's like a cross between baby powder & diaper wipes. Trade pile for this one.

In the imp: Woodsy, with just a hint of vanilla Wet, on wrist: I get a little of the burn on my wrist I normally associate with cinnamon oil. The smell is still woodsy, a little smokey. Dry: It turns into a smokey, woodsy vanilla that is just *to die* for; I can't even begin to do a review that does it justice. It's a comforting smell, warm & heady, deep & sultry. I can't stop smelling my wrists. I will be getting a bottle (or three) of this. YUM. ETA: Just as a side note, I'm highly allergic to cigarette smoke (pipe smoke is actually the worst, that raw, pure tobacco & nicotine), but I've had NO issues with the tobacco notes in the BPAL scents I've tried. Seriously, I could keep smelling this perfume all day.

In the imp: a little sultry, a little floral. Wet, on skin: all I get is floral. The sweet pea overwhelms. I'm hoping it dies down a bit, and I get more of the musk & tonka. Drydown: turns to baby powder. I was so hoping to like this one, but baby powder is just not me.

I keep reading these descriptions, and wondering if my imp is mislabeled, or if it's aged; or, perhaps, I just don't know what 'fig' is supposed to smell like! In the Imp: sweet & tart at the same time; soft, but lush. I can't really place any notes in this. Wet, on skin: soft, with a bit of spice. It's a little sweeter than I usually go for. We'll see how it does in drydown. Dry: It fades somewhat fast, and the lingering scent gives me a soft currant, with maybe a little vanilla. It's almost baby-powder-y, but not in a bad way. I think this is another that's going in the "try it again" stash ...

Imp: I'm not quite sure what I'm getting from the imp; something sweet, something different, but I can't quite place my finger on it. Wet, on: Straight up floral; it almost reminds me of a vial of honeysuckle perfume oil I've had for ages. I don't get the sandalwood or the vanilla at all. It's nice, but not what I was expecting. Drydown: This is gone far too quick, and I've even done a re-application. There's a slight hint of vanilla left on my wrist, but not enough to even notice unless I stick my wrist straight up on my nose.

This is the exact thread I was looking for! Back before I decided I was really getting into BPAL, and needed to keep track of what I was receiving & from whom I was receiving it, I received an imp that's labeled "Apple of Sodom". The liquid in the imp is a darker, almost brownish colour, and has a more woodsy-smell. The smell is a little "off" to me, so I stuck it in the "eh, not for me" stack. A little later, I received another imp of "Apple of Sodom" which is a clearer, pale, almost yellow-green (or green-yellow) colour, and smells decisively of green apples. This means I have NO CLUE what the original imp is (or from whom I received it). Any suggestions? Thoughts?

In the bottle: Crisp, dry leaves; smokey, sultry, seductive. I cannot stop smelling this bottle! It's probably my favorite of the seasonal phoenixes, in the bottle. Wet, on me: I'm still getting a lot of the dry leaves, with a hint of something else. I'm totally loving smelling myself. Dry, about 2-3 hours after application: The patchouli hits and my allergies go totally wonky. The scent is softer, more subtle, almost like a sexy vanilla Afternoon/Evening: I keep getting whiffs of men's cologne, and then realize it's me. Sharp & sweet, tangy, and ... just not me. I had such high hopes for this scent, as much as I loved it, even though it set off my allergies something fierce. I guess I'll keep this one around to whiff at, every so often ... or figure out a way to make my home smell this good.

In the imp: dry, dusky, a little sexy. The sandalwood sticks out, along with something I can't place my finger on, but reminds me of sand. Wet, on my skin: Oh God no ... almost instantly turns to that "diaper wipe/baby powder" scent I can't stand I choke back the initial "Get it off! Get it off!" reaction, knowing hoping that, like most BPAL scents, it will morph. Drydown: about 2 hours later, I get more of the sandalwood, but there's still a hint of baby powder underneath it; that said, it's a much softer baby powder, and mixed with the sandalwood it's *almost* what I like. Almost. I had high hopes for this one, but I don't think it's going to be one I keep. I'm pretty sure this one was a frimp with an eBay purchase, so that's likely what it'll end up.

I received this as a trade. In the IMP: Fresh, clean, with a scent that almost reminds me of fresh basil (in a good way) Wet, on my wrist: This almost immediately morphs into something spicy. Still a bit clean, but it's not what I was expecting. It starts turning soapy. Dry: Irish Spring soap. It's only been about an hour since I applied it, so I'm hoping as it wears, it'll turn into something I can wear. I have a feeling this will end up in my "trade me" pile ETA: several hours later, and it still smells strongly of soap. DO.NOT.WANT. Trade pile it is.

I was wondering what it was in Bengal that set my skin itchy for a while (no welts, thankfully), and then realized when I read the scent note list that it was the cinnamon *phew* It's also worn off after a little bit, so no more itchy skin. I have had some nasal allergy reactions to some of the amber/sandalwood scents, which is unusual for me, BUT it's also Cedar Fever season in Austin (really, Austin *does* have 4 seasons: Oak, Mold, Cedar, and Ragweed). I do know I have to be careful with anything that has lavender oil in it; the last time I tried something with Lavender oil, it was a BBW aromatherapy blend, their 'Breathe' series: Breathe Sleep (lavender and vanilla). I put some cream on my chest & shoulders, and then broke out in welts (not hives, WELTS). Even after washing it off in the shower, my skin felt like it was on fire. That was enough for me to NOT take a chance with lavender again.

I wish I had a more discerning nose, so I could pick out the different scent notes (I suppose with enough time & enough BPAL, I'll get there ). This one smelled divine in the imp vial, and the initial application was great - slightly powdery, a little musky - but after 15 minutes, I was getting the "diaper wipe" scent. I wish I could see a list of scent notes in this, so I could pick out which one (or two) isn't working with my chemistry. Here's hoping it tones down a little in the next few hours.