Juushika

I've always found descriptions of this scent to be intriguing, so I was happy to have the chance to try it ... but a little worried that it might be too unusual to be truly pleasant, or too masculine to suit me. In vial: Juniper and pine. On me: Juniper and something sweet (vanilla) to start, but it quickly begins to warm and lose the sharpness of the juniper and pine. Once it dries down, it's entirely different and really quite pleasant—like many people, I find it reminiscent of Snake Oil, a combination of rich wet sweetness from the vanilla and all number of grounding notes: golden amber (more yellow than red, it almost reminds me a cedar), something spicy (rosewood?), something a bit sharp (definitely the pine). While it is lovely to smell, it's just a bit unusual, makes me come back to sniff again and contemplate what makes it different. The overall impression is very warm, very distinct, but not overtly masculine or sexual. In fact, while it is a touch masculine for feminine-me, I don't know how I'd feel about smelling it on a man—there's a bit too much vanilla for me to imagine it. Verdict: I like this, and I'm glad I had the chance to try it. It's a unique scent, an odd combination that makes it seem perfectly normal at first blush but then, on second thought, a little sharp where you weren't expecting sharp, a little spicy without any spicy notes, just unexpected enough that you have to reconsider it. It's difficult to describe and truly unique. I don't know how often I'll wear it—I find the vanilla sweetness to be too full and a little cloying sometimes, and the masculine edge on me produces a strange gender ambiguity that I'd really have to be in the mood for. But for all of that, I really rather like it, and the boy likes it on me, so I'll be keeping the imp around for those certain whims and moods.

This was (yet another!) generous offering from a friend, and I was anxious to try it. I have no experience with opium/poppy, and the idea of dragon's blood resin toned down by something dreamy and smoky was very intriguing. In the vial: Dragon's blood resin (in its bright and fruity/floral form) with whiffs of incense or smoke that almost make my nose itch. Not very well blended at all. On me: Dragon's blood resin is usually very vibrant on my skin, sometimes blood-rich, sometimes a little too sweet or fruity. So I was surprised to find that the DBR here is entirely different—not bright, not sweet, it's toned down and richer, resinous, a deep polished ruby. It's not what I expected to find at the heart of this blend, but I love that it's there. Around it, the other notes are smoky and obscuring, a bit floral, a bit incensy, dark and cloudy but never heavy. Combined, this blend is very evocative but never too complex, still a lovely perfume: it's mysterious, rich, layered, never too busy, too dark, or too strong. Verdict: Poppy/opium was an entirely new note for me, and at this first whiff I'm quite impressed. It tones down the DBR into sometime completely different, something deeper and more subtle, and it makes for a lovely perfume. I'm not sure how often I'll reach for it, as it is a very specific sort of scent—a bit sultry, very dreamy, still with a deep red heart—but when I'm in that mood, this will be a wonderful imp to have around. I'm glad I got the chance to try it, and it makes me want to add poppy blends to my wishlist.

This wasn't a blend that I was too interested in trying, but when a friend offered to send it along with some I did want, I figured it would be as good a time as any to try leather. I don't have any strong affinity for or associations with leather, so I had few preconceptions going in. In the vial: Something bitter, acrid, and indistinct. On me: I got nothin'. Well, almost nothing. The scent seems very white to me—there just isn't much there. I think my skin swallows most of it, leaving an empty space where it should be. The only remaining fragrance is the bitter, artificial smell of low-quality leather, the kind that is almost waxy to the touch. It's reminiscent of the vial scent, a little bitter. Verdict: In a way, this experiment was a fine success—I wanted to know if predominant leather notes work for me, and the answer is a pretty clear "no." That's not too much of a loss—I tend to have pretty good skin chemistry, especially for the notes I want to wear, so I don't mind missing out on leather. As for the imp itself, I won't be keeping it, but I'm sure I can find someone else who wants to try it.

I received this scent (a whole bottle!) from a friend who had bad luck with it. The description has always intrigued me, so I was interested in trying it, but the more I read the reviews the more worried I became. It was too sweaty-goat for my male friend, and I'm pretty darn female, so I was worried it would be way too musky. In the vial: Spicy musk, with just a little too much bite—there's something in there which is almost bitter. It's not unpleasant, but it seems a mite strong. The oil itself is brown and shows up clearly on my skin, which is wonderful for application—as just a little swipe is enough. On me: The blend sweetens as I wear it, so after the drydown the musk pairs pretty equally with a full sweetness that does remind me a lot of vanilla. It's not cloying, not sugary, but is very well rounded and is almost but not quite foody. The musk (civet?) is almost single note animalistic: it's furry, wild, like sniffing deep on a beast's fur. This reminds me of Ivanushka, not so much in smell but in sensation: Ivanushka is the velvet tan fur of a deer, and Satyr is the dark brown shag of a bear or, well, a satyr—made more wearable by the vanilla, which lightens and rounds the scent. Verdict: I need never have worried. Satyr is, which my skin chemistry at least, very wearable. The boy loves it on me (although he says it almost smells like something he should eat), and I love that the vanilla sweetness amps on me enough to pair with and balance the musk, which might otherwise be too heavy. I love the furry animalistic feel of it, and on me it's more comfortable than sexy, like cuddling up against a big protective beast, leaning in to his sweet warmth. Will I ever get through the whole bottle? Probably not, because I only need a little swipe of it and 5ml is an awful lot. But I'll be happy to have it, and it will be a great alternative to LE Ivanushka when I want to cuddle with a furry animal—scent-wise, at least.

With select exceptions, I care little for floral, so I didn't expect to like this very much. However, I'm fond of violet and my boyfriend is fond of rose, so I was willing to give it a go. In the vial: Nondescript florals. Granted, I have little experience with florals and so I'm no good at picking them out, but I still can't differentiate violet from rose in the vial. The scent is definitely floral, but not overly complex or cloying. There's a slight sharpness to it, but it's not unpleasant. On me: The scent doesn't change much on my skin but, pardoning the pun, the fragrance does blossom and so develop into fullness. The same mixed floral is there, but I can pick out the rose, which begins as cloying and then goes sharp and almost bitter—as rose always is on my skin, or at least has been so far. I find it harder to pick out the violet, but it rounds out the scent to a well-blended, simple floral and is a little sweet against the sharp rose. Although I have an easier time picking out the rose, it's not predominant: the scent is evenly balanced between the two flowers. There's an odd touch of what seems like lavender and might be the greenery from the rose, something sharp, dry, and almost herbal. Verdict: I don't find Marie unpleasant, but I don't particularly like it either. The rose is sharp and somewhat harsh on my skin, and the violet is too sweet. The blend isn't artificial, but it does lack a certain depth and character: it's a rounded pair of florals, a little sweet and a little bitter, unassuming, and somewhat simple. I also just plain don't care for straight florals, so this isn't the scent for me. I wouldn't recommend this as a floral for people like me who usually avoid them, but floral lovers will probably have better luck with it.

This was a frimp from a seller, and since I'd never heard to it and it has no listed notes, it came to me without preconceptions except for a general wariness of everything rose. In the vial/On me/In the air/Everywhere: I've never tested a blend that was so steadily unmorphing. Chuparosa changes not a bit for me from vial to skin to anywhere else. The scent is incredibly familiar, but I can't quite name it. The closest I can get is a pure, distinct sharp green bright pink rose, like a bright full pink rose just freshly cut from the bush, the green stem still leaking sap. It's not cloying or heady, but it is overwhelming because it is so strong. Just touching the closed vial makes my hands smell like Chuparosa. Wearing it, the scent pervades the whole room. Chuparosa feels to me like a very enthusiastic young lover: HELLO I AM CHUPAROSA! NICE TO MEET YOU! I swear, this blend talks in all caps. With exclamation points. It's not bad, precisely, but I do feel the urge to wrap it in plastic and shove it in a sock to muffle it a bit. Verdict: This is not for me, and I'm a bit hesitant about giving it to someone else, just in case it is as loud to them as it is to me. Most of the people I mail my rejects to are newbies or non-BPALers that I'm trying to enable, and I wouldn't want to scare them off. The scent isn't unpleasant, it doesn't morph, it's not remarkably complex, but it is very bright! green! pink! rose! and lacks any sense of subtlety. I'd never wear it. I also can't speak for it's voodoo/magic use, except that potent it certainly is.

This was a frimp from the Lab, which is the only way I ever would have tried it. I don't like predominant or mixed florals, and I don't like predominant fruits, or pear or peach at all. In the vial: Fruits and florals. Of the fruits, the pear is predominant; of the florals, I get a mix, but I think I can pick out the sweetpea and the rose. The smell is bright and wet, and it reminds me a bit of any commercial blend of fruits and flowers, almost like a Glade candle, if Glade candles didn't smell like chemicals and artificial scents. Perhaps I should say it's what every other Glade candle is intended to smell like. On me: The blend doesn't change much, although the fruits step up and the flowers step back. The pear is first, the peach a ghostly second. They are very fresh, very wet, and maybe a bit overripe, but at the same time they don't quite smell real ... there's something too perfect, too pure about them. The florals are now impossible for me to discern from one another, and are instead blended, smooth, like the breeze off of a wildflower field. There's a distinct sweetness to the blend, but fruit sweetness, natural sugars, not thick honey or added sugar. There's no wild morphing going on here as far as I can see. Verdict: I can't talk about longterm wear on this one because I ended up washing it off after about an hour and a half. It's not unpleasant by any means, but it's absolutely not my style--in fact, it contains just about every note I would never wear. I wouldn't mind smelling it on someone else. It's very bright and pure and cheery, sparkling fruits with a floral base. There is something a little commercial about the scent, and it does make me think of Glade candles. As such, this might be a good blend for someone transitioning in from commercial fruit and flower perfumes. (I plan to pass my imp off to my commercial-perfume-wearing, fruit-loving sister.)

I purchased this while in search of a purple scent. Generally, florals don't do much for me. I've had limited experience with plum and grape, and good experiences with incense. In the vial: Vaguely unpleasant, and I think also vaguely medicinal. It's smoky, a little bittersweet, and might smell like ... grape cough syrup, but less sugary. On me: The medicinal smell disappears almost as soon as the oil goes on, and the scent warms up into a very distinct coupling of rich, slightly sweet purple fruit and heavy incense. The purple fruit has the decadent sweetness of fig, but, unfortunately, that's where the goodness ends. It's purple, flat, and the sweetness is almost cloying or fake, reminding me again of grape cough syrup. The incense is smoky black and very strong. The two elements aren't very well blended on me, and instead almost seem to compete. Over time: I've tested this blend three times. After about an hour, it's dried down twice to unpleasant and unnatural flat sweet purple fruit, and once to a pleasant smoky purple/dark gray/black incense. I don't much care for the fruit drydown, but the incense drydown is pleasant. All told, the scent has a pretty substantial throw and is very potent close to the skin. Verdict: I wanted to like this scent (Shakespeare geek, looking for a "purple" blend, and I like the incense drydown), but I'll pass on this imp. Not an easy decision, and I did have to test it three times--if my body chemistry were more predictable, I'd feel better about either keeping or passing on this imp. As it is, the overall blend is too strong for me, and the purple stages and drydown aren't to my style, even though I rather like it when it goes black incense on me. I don't want to take a risk with the fake purple fruit each time I wear it. For those that are curious, Phantom Queen is my current pick is a purple blend, but I'm still looking for more.

I'll admit, I added an imp of this to my order because of the name—but also because I hadn't yet tried any dirt notes, and red loam seemed like a good starting place considering the scents I usually like. In the imp: I have a hard time pinning down in-the-imp smells, but this one is primarily a gentle spice, warm red-brown in color (a lot like the oil in the imp, actually). It has plenty of character without being sharp, and the spices feel full, almost like they've been roasted to bring out their full flavor. On me: Going on wet, Penny Dreadful goes quickly through a few extremes. It's warm wet loam, it's a waft of fairly strong florals, and there's a bit of that spice from the vial. After the first ten minutes it settles a bit, becoming red loam, warm, slightly damp, and very full-bodied, with an undercurrent of mixed florals that are a little bit too strong. All told, the scent entire is a little bit too strong during the drydown period, but after about half an hour, it calms and develops into itself. Over time: After the drydown and during wear, Penny Dreadful is absolutely wonderful. The red loam is predominant, the body of the perfume, rich and moist. It's not dry dirt, or gritty under the fingernail dirt, but rather rich, a bit clumpy, and with a velvet texture, and a very solid and full base to the perfume, making the overall scent a gentle but warm red-brown. The florals waft over the loam scent, making the scent pretty and feminine, but not girly or strongly floral. They are very gentle and very well-mixed, so they smell more like faint perfume than flowers, and no one floral note overwhelms the others. Since I generally avoid florals, I consider that a Very Good Thing. Finally, the spices from the vial come in every now and then, and grow stronger as the scent wears on the skin. By hour three or so, the florals recede and it's loam and spice, rich red fullness at the center but with sharper accents, to keep things interesting. The scent clings on for a while: it's discernible as perfume for about six hours; the next morning, the scent still clung to my skin, but it was very faint and very close. Verdict: I'm in love with this scent, and it's already climbed its way into my list of current favorites. I think it's a great perfume for people who are cautious with florals, because the floral note is so gentle and well-mixed, just enough to make the scent pretty but definitely not enough to overwhelm it. I also think it's a great first dirt note, as the loam is rich and warm, and feels a bit like more conventional notes like amber and dragon's blood. The three aspects of the scent—loam, florals, and spice—are wonderfully balanced to make this a lovely scent that still has a lot of personality. I adore it. The boy loves it, too. He picked it out for me to wear last night from the vial scent, liked it on, and happily sniffed my faintly-scented skin the next morning, so that must be a good sign.

I had high hopes for this scent based on the notes and description, but I wasn't eagerly adding it to my shopping list. When a frimp arrived from a seller, it was a good chance to try this scent without consequences. That turned out to be quite lucky, because despite my hopes, I found Penitence to be a little lackluster. On Me: This goes on very strong, almost smoky, and takes about half an hour to calm down to a wearable level. While it's not the worst drydown that I've experienced (that would be Casanova), it had me worried for a while. After the drydown, the heady and loud smoke dissipates and the true nature of the oil emerges. On me, Penitence is paired incense and resin: the incense hovers over the skin around me, rich, earthy, a little dusty, and fairly smoky; the resin sits just at the skin but is still strong and quite sweet. Over Time: This scent doesn't morph, but it gently recedes. The incense top layer fades at a faster rate; the sweet resin sinks deeper into the skin, but becomes the dominant note. All told, the scent lasted about five/six hours on me. Verdict: While this scent isn't offensive by any means (at least not after the drydown), I'm not particularity drawn to it. The smoky and sweet notes are so simple and distinct that they almost feel unblended. As a result, the two notes are too smoky and too sweet, and I can't quite catch both of them at once. If it were a bit more delicate, I think I'd like this scent more, but as it is Penitence was nice enough but nothing amazing. I don't see myself reaching for the imp, and so I'll probably send it off to someone else to try.

Cottonmouth took me by surprise. Prior to it, I had had no positive experiences with anything more floral than an incidental carnation or apple blossom note, and so the floral notes worried me. However, I gave it a go when I received a frimp from a sale, and I was pleasantly surprised--even amazed. On me: This scent is Snake Oil's prettier, lighter sister. Obviously they share the same base, but unlike Boomslang (the only other Snake Pit I've had the chance to try), the Snake Oil roots in Cottonmouth are much more distinct. It has the same complexity in the incense and spices, and the same sweetness in the vanilla. The floral notes, however, make the blend a bit lighter and a bit more gentle. They are soft florals, more pretty and delicate than they are heady, and they tone down some of the richness of the Snake Oil base. I couldn't pick out any of the specific flowers, and nothing grabbed on and over-amped. It was a very delicate, balanced blend. Over time: Like Snake Oil, Cottonmouth didn't morph on me. After the drydown period, it stayed relatively constant. What amazed me, however, is that I was constantly leaning in to sniff deeper, to make sure that that beautiful scent really was coming from there. Like I said, I didn't have high hopes for the florals. ;; The scent had a moderate lasting length on my skin. Verdict: Sometimes I think that sellers know me better than I know myself. I never would have picked this out myself, but having been frimped it, I am so glad to have the imp in my collection. Since it shares so many similarities to Snake Oil, Cottonmouth isn't one that I would search out and buy a lot of. The floral notes, however, make it a lighter and more delicate relative, and I see myself reaching for this in warmer weather, when Snake Oil becomes too heavy and too cloying. It's also, I think, a great choice for people that usually avoid florals, like myself. It is sweet without being sugary, delicately floral without reeking of flowers, and truly a lovely blend. I can't think of any descriptor better than beautiful.

I didn't have any luck with the sister scent, Vampire Tears, so I was a bit hesitant about Midnight Kiss. I'm glad to say, my concerns were way off the mark. This was a wonderful surprise, and a perfect frimp to receive from a seller. On me: Midnight Kiss is a rich red scent, bordered around the edges with dark cocoa, undercut by a low, fuzzy darkness that reminds me of the color and texture of powdered cloves. The red heart to the scent is definitely fruit, but it doesn't feel fruity, and it certainly doesn't feel foody. Instead, it tends more towards the nose of a red wine and the thick wetness of blood. The cocoa is a bit more gourmand but again isn't foody, and it rounds out the scent and makes it a bit more palatable, not bitter like real wine smells to me. The fuzzy dark not-quite-powdery undercurrent (edit to say: heh, this is probably the musk, isn't it?) gives the scent a decent throw, and it almost makes it feel tactile. It's hard to explain, and my attempts are a bit contrived, but on the whole, this is a red-and-brown scent, colorful but not simple or exaggerated. Over time: Unlike most BPAL, this scent seems to hover over the skin, around the nose, around the wearer (me) rather than rising up from the skin. In fact, after the drydown period I couldn't lean in and pinpoint precisely where I had applied it, or smell the scent rising from my skin. It floated, like an aura. A rich chocolate and blood red aura. It also stuck around for quite some time, without morphing or fading until, six/seven hours in, it finally quieted and disappeared. I've never had a BPAL scent act quite like that, and I really enjoyed it. It meant I could constantly catch one more smell of the scent without leaning in towards my wrists or my chest like a crazy person, which really is the best of both worlds. Verdict: I feel very thankful that I was gifted with this, and I see myself reaching for the imp quite frequently. It feels a bit like Enraged Groundhog Musk, without the animal connotations or the heavy musk. Rich, red, cocoa, and just on this side of gourmand, it's slightly sweet, fruity, and chocolate without ever feeling like food. The way the scent hovers is so pleasant, and it makes this a good perfume when you want others to smell you without leaning in, but not be scared away as soon as you enter the room. I'm so pleased. I love this. ETA, some months later: Unfortunately, as it aged Midnight Kiss became increasingly sweet until it smelled like sticky red candies on my skin. Cloying, sickly, a touch artificial, and glaring bright red in tone, I just couldn't wear it any more. I recently swapped it away.

In the imp: Dry pale powdered cocoa. I don't dawdle over the in-imp smell of this because I love how it smells on me so much, but it's actually quite pleasant and true to the wear scent. On me: A lovely blend of cocoa and sandalwood. The cocoa is the dry powdered dark chocolate, maybe even baker's chocolate--it's not sweet and not foody, but has a rich cocoa scent nonetheless. The sandalwood melts in perfectly, giving the scent a velvet texture—powdery (the powdered cocoa variety, not the baby powder variety), not quite smooth, but minutely textured and very fine. It's quite a subtle scent, but not understated--has a low-to-moderate throw, which makes it perfect for leaning in and smelling deep. It's at once both refined and comforting, the way that chocolate should be. Doesn't change much during wear. Verdict: Both the boyfriend and I love this scent on me. It's comforting, perfect for a chocolate-lover, and it's always a delight to smell—a good thing, as it sticks around a fair while (5-8 hours). The boy's only complaint is that it makes me smell good enough to eat, and I can live with that. This was one of my first purchases from the Lab, and is still one of my favorites. I adore it.

This was a frimp from the lab, and I don't think I would have tested the scent any other way—neither citrus nor predominant florals appeal to me. In the imp: Pure citrus, which is bright but very strong. On me: After the ten minute drydown, I get, immediately and without morphing, floral soap. It's actually pleasant, as soap goes—creamy white, just a little dusty, scented with graceful florals. But it's still soap, so while I'm not rushing to wash it off, this isn't a scent that I'd ever wear. Verdict: Nopes, not my notes, not with my skin chemistry.