dementia_divine

In the decant: Black tea, lavender, and bergamot. Wet: The black tea is the most prominent note, followed by the lavender and bergamot. The black tea note does have a bit of an anise-y vibe (which sometimes happens with the Lab's black tea note on me). The lavender in this reads as dry lavender buds to my nose. I'm not getting any of the benzoin yet, but the bergamot note seems to be getting stronger over time. Dry: The black tea note ends up calming down after a while (and no longer has a licorice-y quality to it), and the soft, somewhat powdery benzoin has joined it. The lavender is a lot fainter now, but the bergamot is still going strong. It's mostly black tea, benzoin, and bergamot on me, with a smattering of dry lavender buds. Verdict: This is like the leaves of an unsteeped Earl Grey. The black tea note was a little too strong for me during the wet stage, and I wish the lavender ended up playing more of a role on me, so it's not something I need more of. I'm glad I got to try it, though.

annemathematics' review is spot on! In the decant: The lilac and yellowing parchment are the first notes to jump out at me, and then I get the white musk and lampblack. The combination of the lilac and yellowing parchment remind me of a flower pressed into an old book. Wet: The yellowing parchment note is so realistic! I love that it's not accompanied by a leather note for once. I still get the lilac, but it is not as strong as it was in the decant. The labdanum is present now, and I can also smell more of the soot-y lampblack and white musk. I'd say it's a relative of Jareth. After a bit, the lilac ends up becoming more prominent, which makes me think of a fresh lilac pressed into an old book again. Dry: Now I am getting more of the labdanum, but the lilac and parchment have become sweeter. I keep wondering if tonka is playing a role in the parchment note. I am really enjoying this! Verdict: I mostly got this one out of curiosity (with lampblack listed as a note), and because I've been wanting a book scent without any leather. I am so glad I decided to try it. It's really lovely and not like anything else I have. I haven't decided whether or not I'll leap for a bottle (right now, I'm seriously considering it), because I'm not sure how often I will reach for it, but if I don't end up upgrading to a bottle, I'll certainly keep my decant.

In the decant: The French lavender and bergamot are the most prominent notes, followed by the clove. It is reminiscent of Nanshe, but with more lavender. Yaaaaas. Wet: The lavender is the strongest note, followed by the bergamot and citrus-y chypre. Then the clove emerges and adds some warmth in the background. This one is very strong on the citrus and lavender. Dry: The citrus chypre reigns. The lavender is not as prominent as it was before, but it is right behind the chypre. The clove seems to be content with remaining in the background. It is weaker than it was during the wet stage of the scent. Verdict: I was hopeful about this one when I smelled it in the decant, but this is too strong on the citrus chypre for me. I wish the lavender and clove were stronger on my skin.

In the imp: Spicy, cherry floral dragon's blood with a bit of amber. Wet: The cherry-floral dragon's blood note reigns. This is more blood than amber. The strong dragon's blood seems to be forcing the amber to remain in the background. Dry: The dragon's blood note is still the star of the show. I have to put my nose really close to my skin in order to be able to smell any of the golden amber, but I am getting more of it during this phase of the scent. Verdict: This is too heavy on the dragon's blood for me, but I'm glad I got a chance to try it!

In the imp: Patchouli like whoa, backed by what I believe is amber. Wet: Red patchouli and incense (I'm thinking cedar, myrrh, and amber). Dry: The red patchouli note continues to reign, with the resins right behind it. Verdict: This one is too strong on the patchouli for me, but fans of patchouli and resins should appreciate this one.

Snake Charmer Resurrected (Official Belated Review/Retest) I bought this from someone on eBay back in 2013, apparently forgot to review it, and haven't really reached for it since that year. (Heresy, I know!) In the bottle: Spiced Egyptian amber, musk and plum. Wet: The spices and Egyptian amber notes are the first notes to emerge, followed by more resins, and then the plum. I remember thinking that this was a relative to Morocco when I first tried it in my early BPAL days, because of the musk, spice, and resins, but it's definitely more like a relative to Snake Oil, with some wonderful amber and some plum. The vanilla note floats over the amber and spices and makes the scent even more enticing. Dry: The vanilla note is even more prominent than it had been, and so is the plum, but it's being kept in check by the resins and spices. The vanilla, Egyptian amber, and spices are a terrific combination. Verdict: Why don't I ever reach for this one!? I'm normally not a fan of plum, and this is the only scent I really enjoy with it in the notes. I think I'd enjoy it even more if it were plum-less, though. I'm going to continue holding on to this bottle. Now that I'm reminded how wonderful it is, maybe I'll reach for it more often!

In the imp: Musky rose geranium, benzoin, jasmine, and patchouli. Wet: The musk, benzoin, rose geranium, and jasmine take the center stage at first. Then, the jasmine and rose geranium decide that they ought to be playing bigger roles, and the patchouli rushes in to join them. They're not able to overtake the resin, though. Dry: Mostly benzoin and indigo musk, some plum, and rose geranium, with some jasmine and patchouli behind those notes. The benzoin is really strong. Verdict: The benzoin in this isn't a sweet variety. This a dry, musky resin and floral scent. Not for me.

In the imp: Something in this smells familiar! I think it's milk and honey that I'm getting (and maybe some almond?), with some spice and plum in the background. Wet: I do think there's milk and honey in this, and I think possibly a floral component. There are spices in this, but they are mild. Dry: Milk and honey, spices, and a soft, white floral? The plum is present, but it is not a main player on my skin. At least, it wasn't early in the dry stage. Now I'm getting a lot of honeyed plum, what I'm thinking could be lily, wood, and patchouli. It's really strong. Verdict: I didn't mind Oya at first, but it ended up becoming far too plum-y for me.

In the imp: I'm getting powdery orris, and then a blast of bergamot, grapefruit, and plum. Wet: Grapefruit and orris are the first notes to emerge, and then the bergamot comes out to play. The plum is present, but the citrus notes are keeping it in check. The black amber note is lingering in the background. Dry: The orris, unfortunately, is the dominant note. The citrus has calmed down significantly, but I do get some of the bergamot in the background. The black amber is more prominent now, and so is the plum. It's primarily orris and plum with a bit of bergamot and black amber residing in the background. Verdict: I was here for the black amber, bergamot, and grapefruit. Alas, the orris note had to ruin the party (and like LizziesLuck, I feel like the plum makes it worse). The orris in this is just too strong for me.

In the imp: The plum and opium notes stand out to me the most, followed by the rose and wild berry. I can also smell some of the lilac behind those notes. Wet: It's actually the lilac and gardenia notes that first emerge on my skin, followed by the opium, and then, the plum. Then, the rose note appears, and after that, the wild berry. The scent is a smoky, fruity floral, with the opium, plum, rose, lilac, and berry being main players on my skin. But then the opium calms down, and it is the fruits and the floral notes that reign. The opium seems to be wafting through the other notes, sometimes rising to the front of the blend, and sometimes lingering in the background. Dry: Sweet gardenia and plum notes are the most prominent, followed by the rose and wild berry, and a wisp of opium in the background. This is the proud, regal scent of a woman that always gets what she wants. Verdict: Let it be known that I generally dislike plum in perfumes, but this scent is one with a prominent plum note that I actually don't dislike. Since this is discontinued and not a scent I've fallen completely in love with, I'll probably let go of my imp. I do think it is nice, though, and I'm glad to have gotten to try it!

In the imp: The floral notes are the most prominent notes in the imp, with the daffodil being the one that stands out the most to me. Then I get the musk. I'm only getting a bit of the plum in the background. Wet: The white and yellow floral notes are the first to leap out at me, but then the plum rushes in. I'm getting more of it on my skin than I did in the imp. It is quite sweet and threatens to overtake the floral notes. Dry: The sweet plum note wafts over the scent of the musky florals. I'm surprised that the daffodil and orchid are discernible, given that jasmine generally likes to flaunt its presence and stomp all over other notes. Verdict: I was looking forward to the daffodil note, and I'm glad it is a main player here, but alas, there's just too much plum in this one for me to enjoy it.

In the imp: Ozone and smoke. Wet: Really strong ozone, possibly some musk (maybe grey), smoke, and what I think might be the same bourbon vetiver note used in Bram Stoker (which isn't a really gnarly type). It's a lot cleaner smelling than I had anticipated. I'm also getting tobacco from this. Dry: Unexpectedly sweet! Maybe from sweet tobacco and opoponax. And there's some spice. I'm thinking cardamom. I do get a bit of a root beer vibe, which I see other reviewers have mentioned, but if there's sassafras in this, I can say it isn't full-on root beer. But it's definitely dark and sweet. Maybe molasses? After a while, I start to think there may also be something leather-like in here as well, but it's not straight-up leather. Verdict: This isn't nearly as menacing as I had anticipated. It's still too strong on the ozone for me during the wet phase, but I enjoyed the dry phase. I'm not sure I'd reach for this one, because of the strong ozone in the beginning, but I'm glad that I was able to try it.

In the imp: Is this a cinnamon-y BBQ-y vetiver? It's spicy and smoky. Wet: Yes, that's what it is. I get a blast of cinnamon and smoky BBQ sauce. It smells like I spent the day in a craft store and then proceeded to rub BBQ sauce on my arm. Whaaaat. But then... it takes a turn. There's this earthy, wetness to it, like freshly turned earth, like it just rained and the rain extinguished a fire. Dry: The wet, earthy phase lasts for a while, but in the end, what I end up getting is a strong patchouli and BBQ-like vetiver. Verdict: NOPE. I appreciated the wet dirt phase, but there are a ton of other scents I enjoy more with wet dirt, because they are not accompanied by BBQ OF DOOM. But I have a friend who loves cinnamon and vetiver (and smoky scents in general), so I'll pass this imp on to her.

In the imp: This is strong on the musk and leather, but I do get some of the steel and blood behind those notes. Wet: As soon as this is applied, I get the musky, black leather and cologne-y steel. This is familiar to me, but I'm not sure if it's the leather that makes me think of another BPAL scent I'm not able to pinpoint, or if it is the musk note. Probably both. Dry: This is still really strong on the black leather, backed by the musk. The steel isn't as prominent after a few hours of wear, and I'm getting something odd in the background that I think could be representing the blood note (which I don't think is dragon's blood in this case). Verdict: This one is far too strong on the leather for me. I'm not even sure I would try layering it with other RPG scents, but I'll see if my boyfriend enjoys it before putting it up for swaps.

In the imp: In the imp, I'm mostly getting the resins (rose amber, frankincense, and myrrh). Wet: This is incense-y and herb-y on me. The rose amber and frankincense are the most prominent notes on my skin, but after a few minutes, they calm down a little. It's soft resins intertwined with some flowers, with the rose part of the amber and the narcissus being the most prominent of the flora notes. Dry: It stays like that for a while, but after a few hours of wear, the sweet narcissus, golden amber, and frankincense are the stars of the show. Verdict: I'm not generally a fan of floral and resin combos, but this was a lot nicer than I was expecting. I don't think I'd wear this one on its own, but I'll probably hold onto the imp for a bit longer to try layering it with some other RPG scents.

In the imp: Lavender accompanied by a sweet, white floral. Wet: It ends up being the same on my skin. I believe it's lavender, jasmine, and possibly gardenia. Dry: This is really strong on the jasmine, but unlike Oneiroi, it doesn't completely stomp all over the lavender. Verdict: I've used this one several times and believe it is very effective for its sleep purpose, if you're not completely anti-jasmine. It's not my favorite of the Somnium scents (that award goes to Nanshe), but I'm glad to have my imp on hand whenever I need something that's strong, but different, than my usual sleep scents.

I'm finally doing a proper review of this one. It's harder to review sleep blends over a period of a few hours when they actually make you sleepy. In the imp: I'm mostly getting all of the floral notes from this (with the jasmine in the lead), with some white sandalwood behind them. I'm not getting the bergamot from the imp. Wet: The lavender is the first note to leap out at me, followed by the jasmine, but I am getting some of the bergamot on my skin. Then the dry, white sandalwood emerges, and the jasmine starts to grow stronger. Dry: The jasmine note has declared dominion over the other notes. But there's an additional sweetness behind the jasmine, and a bit of the bergamot and sandalwood behind those notes. Verdict: Of the Somnium scents, this is the one that I reach for the least, but I should probably change that, given that it is making me want to go to sleep. Scent-wise, it's not something I'd elect to wear, but I'll keep my imp on hand for its sleep purpose.

I bought imps of the Somnium scents years ago, and yet I neglected to review most of them. Time to change that! In the imp: Lavender and black licorice. Wet: The lavender is the dominant note, but the anise (or another licorice-y note like fennel) is right behind it, and I think I'm smelling some mint as well? The anise and mint are becoming stronger over time. Dry: The anise, lavender, and mint are the main players for a really long time, but after a while, another herb rises to the front of the scent. It's dry and it makes the scent greener. It's really familiar, but I just can't seem to pinpoint the note at the moment (possibly sage), and there's a bit of bergamot behind that. Verdict: Baku isn't a scent that I would reach for scent-wise (I'd reach for Anesthesia for lavender, mint, and bergamot), but I will continue to keep my imp on hand for its sleep purpose. I can't attest to whether or not it is effective against nightmares, but I can say that it is effective in making me feel drowsy.

In the bottle: Very green and evocative of spring! The green notes are sweetened by the Lace base. Of the green notes, I get the crushed grass and green cognac the most. The scent has a quality to it that is reminiscent of a freshly bitten-into green apple. Wet: The crushed grass note is the first to leap out at me, followed by the green cognac. I'm not familiar with the scent of rue, so I can't pick out that note, but I am getting a bit of the pale sap, which is lovely. Behind these notes, I can smell the creamy Lace base, tobacco, and the opium poppy. After a bit, the green fig note emerges. The aforementioned green apple quality I got from the bottle is more prominent in the crook of my elbows, where the tobacco and opium poppy notes are also more more prevalent. Dry: On my wrists, the sweet Lace base is now playing a great role, backed by some (much mellower) crushed grass, green cognac, and tobacco. In the crooks of my elbows, the green notes reign supreme. The tobacco and opium poppy have retreated to the background. This holds true after several hours of wear, with the scent on my wrists becoming sweeter over time. Verdict: I was somewhat worried about how green this would be and whether or not it would play nicely on my skin when I ordered a bottle, but I need not have worried! Emerald Lace is a beautiful addition to the Lace family, and I'm happy to have a bottle.

In the imp: The cinnamon note leaps out at me first, backed by the earth and wood notes. Wet: The cinnamon note reigns, and it's a soft variety, like the one in Chimera. It's mostly all cinnamon, all the time on me during this stage. I can get some of the black patchouli in the background if I inhale really deeply. Dry: The cinnamon is still the most prominent note, but now, I can smell more of the black patchouli, vetiver, and cedar behind it, darkening the scent. After a while, the dark notes become more prominent (especially the patchouli and cedar), but none of the notes manage to overtake the cinnamon. Verdict: There are other cinnamon-forward blends I prefer over this one, so I won't be keeping my imp, but I'm glad that the patchouli, vetiver, and cedar didn't end up being too strong on me.

Thick, dark, sluggish and heavy with indolence: vetiver over black myrrh. In the imp: Exactly what it says on the tin: myrrh and vetiver, with fortunately more myrrh than vetiver. Wet: I'm getting more vetiver on me than I did in the imp, so now it really is more vetiver than myrrh. Sluggish, indeed! Dry: The myrrh note increased in strength over time, so now it's mostly dark, powdery myrrh, with some vetiver right behind it. Verdict: Well, this one certainly fits its description. I'm not a fan of vetiver, and I prefer softer myrrh varieties (like the kind in Bastet), so this one isn't for me, but if you enjoy these two notes, you'll probably Sloth!

In the imp: The honey in this definitely does have a thick quality. The black musk and honey stand out to me the most. Right behind that, I get a smoky, BBQ-like vetiver. I only get a bit of the lemon. Wet: The black musk, honey, and vetiver notes are the strongest notes, in that order. Dry: Same. The vetiver is stronger than it was before, but the black musk and honey won't let it overtake them. The lemon rind is present, but not a main player on me. I can smell the blackened saffron if I sniff really closely, but the black musk, honey, and vetiver are so strong! I can sniff this one too much for fear of getting a headache. Verdict: Honeyed black musk and vetiver are definitely not my cup of tea, but if you fans of those notes should give this one a try.

In the imp: Not as dark as I thought it would be! I mainly get the lemon rind and sandalwood from the imp, with some smoky vetiver behind those notes. Wet: The sandalwood note is the first to leap out at me, and it's actually a sweet sandalwood (probably Mysore, as it reminds me of Al-Azif and Kit, but somewhat different – and yet, it doesn't really smell blackened or charred to me). I expected this to be a lot darker, given its description. Behind that, I get the lemon rind, which adds some airiness to the scent without being distinct, in-your-face lemon. Dry: The sandalwood note continues to reign, with a bit of lemon peel and dark woods lingering in the background. I'm not able to pick the vetiver out of this one, so if it's there, it's a variety that doesn't want to stomp all over everything else. Verdict: Surprisingly light! I think this could be a nice scent on a guy, but it's not one I'd reach for myself (and I like Al-Azif and Kit more than this one).

In the imp: A dark, musky pine. I wonder if there's a combination of notes in this producing that scent, if pine is an unlisted note, or if my imp is just mislabeled? Or maybe it's the mullein. I'm not familiar with that note. Wet: To me, this still smells like dark musks (I am thinking black musk, dark musk, and civet) mixed with pine. Dry: The musks continue to reign, and the pine aspect I was getting from the wet phase isn't as strong now that the scent is dry. I get some of the myrrh now, being its powder-y, myrrh-y self on me. Oddly enough, I'm not getting the vetiver from this. Verdict: This one is more pleasant than I thought it would be, but it's ultimately too heavy on the musk for me.

In the imp: Mainly patchouli and smoky vetiver, backed by some sweet ylang ylang and blood orange. Wet: The patchouli and vetiver are the dominant notes, followed by the ylang ylang, and then the orange. The smoky vetiver note overtakes the patchouli. This is a dark, smoky vetiver that seems to be content to drown out the other lighter notes in the scent. Dry: The smoky vetiver and earthy patchouli continue to reign, but the blood orange note is a little stronger in the background during this phase, and the ylang ylang note has calmed down. Verdict: Blargh. This is way too strong on the vetiver for me.