dementia_divine

In the imp: I thought this one was going to be menacing, dark incense and ozone? But I'm getting orange peels from this. Is this citrus-y incense??? Wet: I'm actually getting a ton of citrus from this. It's either orange or bergamot. It's making my stomach growl whenever I smell it, which probably was not intended. Dry: This is still citrus-dominant on me for a long time. It doesn't end up turning into an ozonic incense scent until much, much later, when the scent is rather faint... and even then, the citrus is still present, although not as much as before. Verdict: This one was unexpected! It's not something I feel the need to grab more of, but it was a lot more pleasant than I thought it was going to be, thanks to the citrus.

In the imp: The white sandalwood and orris root are the first notes to jump out at me, followed by a bit of the coconut husk, and then the musk. Wet: The musk and incense notes are actually the strongest notes on my skin at first. Then, the coconut husk and orris root emerge. The coconut husk is adding a bit of welcome sweetness to the scent, while the orris is flaunting its powdery self all over the place. The musk, incense, and orris are now the dominant notes. Dry: Now the orris root reigns, backed by the musk and incense. The coconut husk is still present, adding a bit of sweetness, but it is fainter than it was before. After a while, the dry, white sandalwood emerges, making this an orris dominant scent, with the white sandalwood and musk in the background, and just a hint of coconut husk. Verdict: Orris root and I are not friends, and this scent was no exception. Glad I got to try it, though!

In the imp: Cedar and tangerine are the most prominent notes, followed by the saffron and black amber. I'm surprised that I'm not getting lots of vetiver from the imp, since it is usually so strong! Wet: The black amber note is the first to emerge, followed by the tangerine and smoky vetiver. Then, the cedar and saffron join in. The cedar, amber, and vetiver are now the strongest notes. Dry: This actually stays really close to the skin. The black amber reigns, warmed by a bit of cedar, and backed by the tangerine note, which hasn't burnt off yet, and some saffron. The vetiver note is really light now, surprisingly, and just adds a bit of smokiness. Verdict: This one is okay. I was worried about the vetiver and cedar, but they didn't end up being problematic here. It's not something that I think I need more of, but I'm glad I was able to try it.

In the imp: A heady floral with a spicy kick that isn't cinnamon. Wet: That's exactly what it is. I think the spice may be a pepper note. It's pretty strong and warms my skin. Then, an evergreen note wanders into the scent – I think it's a fir note. Dry: Super strong black pepper reigns, and it stays that way for a while. I know this is a Voodoo blend, but the prominence of the pepper makes me think that it could just as well be called Duchess and find a home in the Mad Tea Party line (but the pepper would probably need different backing notes). After a while, the floral aspect asserts itself, so that it ends up smelling like a peppery floral. Others have mentioned ylang ylang as a possible note, and I could see that being the case. After a while, a sweet aspect to the scent emerges. I think it's a honey note. So now the scent is a honeyed, peppery floral. Verdict: Queen is not for me, but I'm glad I got a chance to try it.

In the imp: I'm not exactly sure what I'm smelling. The best way I can describe it is a dirty floral and a spring floral. I think there may be some lilac in this, or possibly some violet or orris. Wet: This is a really heady floral scent on me. I do think there is lilac in this, possibly accompanied jasmine. If it is dragon's blood, it is a very floral dragon's blood note (as opposed to the cherry, spiced floral that I normally think of when I think of). It is really strong, and I can't smell it too often for fear of it causing a headache. Dry: Okay, now I get the dragon's blood's cherry floral self as the dominant note, backed by what I believe to be lilac. Verdict: This one isn't my cup of tea. This floral combo is just too heady for me, and the dragon's blood isn't cooperating with my skin (it has a bit of a cough-syrup-y vibe).

In the imp: A sweet floral, possibly sweetened with vanilla, and some soft spices. Wet: Dragon's blood, is that you? I'm getting a cherry-floral vibe from this, along with some vanilla. But dragon's blood isn't usually my friend, and this actually smells quite pleasant on me. Dry: Okay, I don't think this is actually dragon's blood. If it is dragon's blood, I'm surprised, because it has never behaved this well on me. I think this may contain a sweet variety of jasmine that seems to cooperate with my skin. I also think I'm getting some honeysuckle in this, which would explain why I'm enjoying this. I'm a slut for honeysuckle. I'm also wondering if there's some musk in this. After it has been dry for a while, it is much sweeter, and has a creamy, but powdery vibe to it. Now I'm thinking sweet jasmine and/or gardenia with some vanilla or something vanilla-like, and a touch of something softly lemon? I like it, but my boyfriend is getting that indolic vibe from this and isn't a fan. Verdict: I tried this a few years ago, and I thought it was decent then, but this has aged marvelously. I'm going to hold onto my imp for the scent (as I can't attest to the scent's intended purpose).

In the imp: Roses, spice, and herbs? It reminds me of something, but I can't pinpoint what. Wet: Ahh! I know what this reminds me of! It reminds me of Nanshe. AIUFDIOSUF()W*)$(%*R)W$(#*%!!!! I hope it continues to do so, because after my Great Nanshe Bottle Accident of 2017, something like it would be lovely. It has the same citrus-y herbiness as Nanshe, accompanied by some spice. As the scent begins to dry, the spice is declaring itself to be clove. Nanshe, is this you secretly mislabeled as #20 Love Oil? I swear I can smell lavender, lemon, and clove. Dry: #20 Love Oil makes me think of Nanshe plus rose. So rose, lavender, lemon, and clove. After a few hours, the rose becomes really prominent. It's not a red rose. I think it's a tea rose, or possibly a pink one. I still get a bit of lemon and spice, but I don't get as much clove from this as I do from Nanshe. Verdict: On one hand, I'm tempted to get this because it seems to be close to Nanshe during the wet stage. But I love Nanshe's ability to induce sleep and dreams, and of course, that's not the purpose of this oil. I'll have to keep my imp and test this again.

In the imp: A heady white floral. Wet: Yep, this is one is a heady white floral on me, but I don't think it is jasmine. This one is high-pitched. There's a lemon-y herbal-ness present in this that I'm also getting from #20 Love Oil. Dry: Alas, this is rather soapy on me. It's a high-pitched white floral accompanied by some lemon and citrus. I don't think it's the floral alone causing this cloud of dryer sheet. I think the herbs could be playing a role, or maybe there's some ozone or a whirl of opium or incense involved clashing with it. Verdict: This scent just doesn't work with my skin chemistry.

This is one of the imps I received in my early BPAL days. I've worn it before, but apparently have neglected to review it! In the imp: The waterlogged decks of a pirate ship. Salt water and woods! Wet: The sea spray and salty woods are the first notes to jump out at me, but it isn't long before the leather emerges. The leather note doesn't overtake the salty aquatic aspect of this scent, but it does take it in an even more masculine direction. Dry: Soft sea spray over black leather, which is now much calmer and smoother than before, with some bay rum and salty woods lingering in the background. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: This one matches its name perfectly! It's technically too masculine for me to wear on its own, but I layered it with Plunder on a special day a few years ago, so I feel the need to hang on to the imp for that reason.

In the imp: Spiced almonds! Wet: Boozy, spiced almond. But not spiced in a cinnamon-y way. I think it must be the bay. Dry: Almond, clove, and bay. There's a lot of clove present during this phase of the scent, and I am getting a bit of smoky rum in the background. After a while, the bay overtakes the clove. Verdict: I like the clove in this scent! But there are other scents with clove in them that I'd probably reach for before this, so I'm not sure I need to hold on to the imp.

In the imp: A lot more pleasant than I was expecting! I thought this would be really strong, with the patchouli and resins, but the red patchouli in this is soft, and the frankincense isn't sharp. In the imp, I get the frankincense the most, followed by the red sandalwood, and then the patchouli. I swear there's an unlisted salt water note, but perhaps that's just my imagination. Wet: The red patchouli is far more prominent on my skin, but it is a chewy patch that really complements the resins. I'm also getting more of the red sandalwood from the scent on my skin. The frankincense in this is very present, but isn't sharp by any means. I'm still getting something that reminds me of sea salt or sea air, or maybe ship wood strewn with salt water. But it isn't an aquatic scent! Dry: I'm still getting that salty sea air or salt-tinged wood impression! The red patchouli is the dominant note now, which now reads as a dry, red patch, backed by the soft resins. It definitely reads as red to my nose, and it has a bit of a spicy kick to it. Verdict: This one was a lot more pleasant than I thought it would be! It's not something I need a bottle of, but it's evocative of its name. I think I'll keep my imp.

In the imp: Super sweet! It reminds me of those hard butter rum flavored candies. Wet: Yeah, this is definitely the scent of butter rum flavored candies. Dry: Now spice notes have emerged, making this a sweet, spiced rum scent. It has a creamy, vanilla-like aspect to it now, that makes me think of something like rum-infused frosting... like the rum cupcakes in Captain Lilith and Her First Mate. I prefer this phase of the scent. Verdict: The dry phase of Grog was nice, but the wet stage of the scent was way too cloying for me. I'll stick with Captain Lilith!

In the imp: Mostly Florentine iris, with some coconut and warm hazelnut. Florentine iris is a note that likes to turn into Dr. Pepper on me, so I do not have high hopes for this. Wet: The iris note reigns, with the white musk behind it making this a musky floral scent. Then, the Florentine iris note starts doing the Dr. Pepper thing on me, so I get that aspect of it, along with a baby product floral vibe. Dry: Super sweet, musky Dr. Pepper-y floral. Verdict: Florentine iris and I just cannot get along.

In the imp: A sweet, soft floral. This doesn't appear to be the bubblegum-y variety of lotus, but testing may show otherwise. Wet: Yep. This still reads as a sweet floral, and it doesn't remind me of bubblegum at all. Alas, it quickly veered into soap territory. Maybe that will change once it dries? Dry: The floral is now sweeter, thanks to the emergence of the honey. This unfortunately still smells somewhat soapy on me, although it's not as soapy as before. I do not get any actual 'tree' aspect to this scent (no wood or leaves)... just lotus tinged with honey. Verdict: Lotus and I aren't generally friends, and while this one didn't end up being too sweet on me, it sadly ventured into The Soap Kingdom. I'm glad to have gotten to try this scent inspired by Tennyson's poem, though!

This is one that I've tried before, but neglected to review. Time to retest and review! In the imp: The floral notes are the most prominent in the imp, with the wisteria being the star of the show. I'm also getting a lot of white musk, and I can smell the white sandalwood in the background. Wet: The high-pitched wisteria reigns, and the white musk is really strong as well. After a minute, the lavender emerges, followed by the white sandalwood. The pale rose in this shows up after a few minutes of wear, which is a bit sour on my skin. Dry: The high-pitched wisteria has calmed down and has lost its high-pitched quality. It's still the note I get the most from this. The pale rose is no longer sour, and the herbal lavender is present, but soft. The tear-streaked white musk is still playing a major role, and I think it is serving it's purpose, but alas, it takes the scent into dryer sheet territory on me. I'm not getting any of the white sandalwood from this anymore. Verdict: I love Keats' poem, so I wanted to love this. Alas, this one just doesn't jive with my skin chemistry. After holding on to this imp for a few years, I suppose it is time to pass it on. I'm glad I got to try it, though!

In the imp: Laurel and mandarin, with some florals, musk, and woods. Wet: The laurel note is the first to emerge, along with some pepper, followed by the stargazer lily, and a little bit of the woods. Dry: This dried down to a musky mandarin and lily scent on me, but after a while, the splintered woods started playing more of a role (and I think a dry sandalwood may be one of the woods). There's a slight kick to it due to the pepper (which I think is white pepper). The mandarin and pepper combo kind of reminds me of Tweedledee. Verdict: This one is okay, but not really me. Still, it was nice to be able to try it.

In the imp: I can smell the loganberry the most, but I'm not able to pick out which flowers I'm smelling. I do not get any of the tree notes in the imp. Wet: This is the scent of loganberry and wildflowers on a sunny, alpine meadow next to a forest (probably the yellow birch bark). The loganberries dominate, followed by the flowers. Dry: This dries down to a predominantly loganberry scent with some florals in the background (I can smell the rose, but I'm not able to pick out the others). I am no longer getting any of the forest. Verdict: Berry scents aren't generally my thing, but I wanted to try this because VIKINGS. I really enjoyed the wet phase of the scent, especially when it was freshly applied and I got the impression of a nearby forest. But the dry phase was mostly just loganberry on me. I am not sure if I would reach for this one – I like Elf more as a scent with forest, floral, and berry notes – but I'm really happy I got a chance to try it. Because VIKINGS.

Fear of Cemeteries
 Upturned earth, moss-damp and thick with creeping things. A shard of mahogany from a broken casket. Creaking marble doors pushing open under moonlit skies. In the decant: Diiiiirt. Also, some patchouli and mahogany. But mostly, dirt. Wet: Upturned earth and mahogany. I believe this is the same mahogany note found in The Red Queen. Then, the moss emerges, and what I think may be the marble note. This dirt scent is actually a lot lighter than I thought it would be. Dry: Mostly dirt, moss, and what I think may be the marble. The mahogany note seems to have gone away. Verdict: I wanted to try this, since I like dirt scents. It's actually surprisingly light, and not as menacing as one might think it would be, given the name.

In the imp: I am not familiar enough with delphinium. I do have a few scents with that note listed, but they also contain a lot of other notes, so I haven't been able to pick it out. This one reads to me as a soft musk scent with soft florals and a breath of warm spice. Wet: I'm still getting soft musk and florals backed by some gentle, warmed spices. The lavender variety in this is a soft lavender, and it's certainly not the star of the show on me. I wonder if that is an aspect of aging, since so many reviews mentioned strong lavender. Dry: I keep using soft to describe this scent, but I'm afraid I can't articulate myself better than that. It's soft and warm. I'm getting the musks, florals, and some gentle spice. The star jasmine is one that cooperates with my skin chemistry: not dirty or heady at all, and it is a main player during this stage. Verdict: This one is nice. I had hoped for lots of lavender, but even though that didn't end up being the case on me, the scent still ended up being a pleasant surprise, especially because of the spice. Not sure if I would reach for it, but I'm really glad I got to try it!

In the imp: The lavender and thyme notes jump out at me first, followed by the mint and bergamot. Wet: The lavender and thyme are the strongest notes on my skin at first, with the thyme being even stronger than it was in the imp. Then, the mint emerges, and then the bergamot, making it a sharp, but cool herbal scent, with the lavender, thyme, and mint being the most prominent notes, and the thyme being the strongest of them all. Dry: Thyme like whoa, with some verbena and maybe just a hint of orange. Verdict: This ended up smelling like I took some thyme sprigs and rubbed them all over my arm. Not my jam, but I'm really glad I got a chance to try it!

In the imp: I can smell the spring flowers and dew-covered berries, with the green grass lingering in the background. The grass in this is actually soft compared to other blends I've tried with grass notes listed. Wet: I am getting more grass on my skin than I did in the imp, but it's still not strong (probably because it's not freshly cut grass). The dew-covered berries dominate on my skin, followed by the spring flowers. It reminds me of a warm, sunny day in spring, after some rain. After a few minutes, the flowers overtake the berries, making it a floral-dominant scent with some green grass in the background, with the scent of berries being carried by the wind. They are gentle, spring blossoms. I'm not able to discern which kinds of florals I am getting, but they aren't heady by any means. Dry: There is a bit of citrus to this, which I think can be attributed to a floral note – maybe peony? The flowers and dew-covered berries are the most prominent notes as the green grass remains content with its background role. Verdict: Really nice! Scents with berries in them are generally not my cup of tea. However, the berries in this scent aren't overpowering, and although I'm not sure if I would actually wear this, I think it's a lovely scent that evokes springtime.

In the imp: A soft, aquatic floral. The lotus here is sweet and light. The lily is very present, but not overpowering, and the white rose is also quite prominent. I'm not familiar with water blossom ivy, but I'm guessing that's adding to the aquatic vibe of this floral scent. Wet: I'm getting the soft, sweet lotus accompanied by some strong white rose. Then, the lily note emerges, overtaking the lotus. The white rose note seems to be getting stronger over time. Although I am not familiar with water blossom ivy, I do think it is giving this a soft, green, aquatic feel. Dry: The stargazer lily dominates, followed by the white rose. After a few hours, the white rose calms down. Verdict: The white rose in this is too strong for me, but otherwise, the scent is a lovely, floral aquatic that doesn't veer into soap territory. I'm glad I got to try it!

In the imp: Really herbal, with some dark musk in the background. Wet: The herbal notes dominate. I can smell the moss part of the moss-covered wood, and the sage, but I'm not familiar with ragwort and heather, so I'm not able to properly pick them out. After a few minutes, I do get the wood note, and the scent is warmer than it was before. Dry: During this stage, the scent is really soft and stays close to the skin. It's herbal and floral. I think it's the heather note that I'm smelling the most, backed by some soft, dark musk, like the kind in Cheshire Cat. It's somewhat powdery on me, but not in a bad way. Verdict: This one is actually rather pleasant, but it's not something that really grabs me.

In the imp: Musky black leather and smoky vetiver. I am not looking forward to this at all, given that I prefer lighter musks, only enjoy some leathers, and never get along with vetiver. Well, here goes. Wet: Still musky black leather and vetiver. The black musk and black leather are the strongest notes, but the vetiver is pretty strong, too, adding some smokiness to the leather. Dry: Damn, this is strong. It's actually starting to make me feel sick, it's so strong. The black musk reigns, with the black leather right beside it. The vetiver has calmed down now, but continues to add some smoke to the leather. Verdict: Definitely not for me, because the black musk and leather are just way too strong. I have various scents over different parts of my arm, and this one is by far the one with the most throw. I'm going to have to go wash it off.

In the imp: I'm getting dirt, that doesn't seem to be as moist as some of the other grave soil notes I've smelled, with something soft and powdery in the background – I'm not sure if it is the angel's trumpet, or if orris root plays a role in the bone note. Wet: This is dirt dominant, but the angel's trumpet is right behind the dirt note. The dirt note does smell like freshly turned soil on my skin, even though I thought it smelled a little drier in the imp. Dry: Soft soil, with angel's trumpet peeking through. There is a warm spice to the dirt in this scent, so it's warm, spicy dirt and a bit of floral on me. Verdict: Well, the spice was unexpected! I enjoy dirt scents, and I found this one to be pleasant, but it's not one that I could see myself reaching for over other dirt scents (like Deep in Earth, Zombi, Burial, and All Hallows' Apple).