KassiK

I know this is a popular scent, so when I got an imp of this I was excited to try it out. Wet on skin: nothing but baby powder Drydown: baby powder + moldy books in an attick. The scent has this strange way of being sweet one minute and swank and moldy the next. I can't tell a single note in this blend, either, but I do know that vanilla is in there somewhere from what I remember of the notes. Don't smell it, but then I stay away from vanilla - makes me tired and headachey - so I'm not really that knowledgable about what BPAL vanilla smells like. Final Conclusion: Definitely passing this on or swapping it with a friend who appreciates this more than I do.

Wow, I'm totally impressed with this scent. Looks like I made a great choice when requesting an imp of it from the salon. In the bottle: I actually got a pretty swampy aquatic with a bite that I couldn't identify, but assumed was something citrusy or piney. Wet on skin: wow, it's only swampy in the background. It's such a well-blended scent that it smells like it's actually moving. It provokes imagery of teal-blue water and it's just divine. The bite could still be something citrusy, but all the aquatics have come out and it has more of a higher-note over all smell to it rather than low and swampy, like Bayou for example. drydown: Still very impressed. Retains everything it did while wet though now I'm convinced the bite that I was smelling is a floral. Whatever it is, I don't care - I LOVE this scent. Other thoughts: This is a very marketable scent, makes me think of something Armani or CK might put out, without the alcohol that perfumes/colognes have. This, for me, is a happier Bayou. Bayou puts me in a pensive thoughtful almost brooding mood while this puts me in a thoughtful happy and upbeat mood. Totally on the big bottle list. Amazing.

This is a great floral scent - if you like florals, which I don't. It is delicate, well blended, and has great staying power. I'd compare it to a stronger "hanging gardens". I would describe it as a spring/summer scent, definitely and it casts off a sort of yellow color. Another thing about this is that it is perfumey, which is another thing I don't like in bpal scents. I like to wear scents that aren't typically perfumey because I've found I like them better and because I get more compliments on them. Unfortunately, as much as I wanted to like this scent, it's not right for my body chemestry/nose. Another thing is that for someone who doesn't like florals, it actually hasn't given me a headache like the other floral scents do, so that does say something. Not on the big bottle list, though. I'll either pass it on to a friend or add it to my swap list.

Burial I'm divided on this one. On the one hand, it really lived up to its name, but on the other hand it has left me disappointed. I wore it all day yesterday and it stuck real well, so it has good staying power. It conjured up so many images, though. I was really hoping for the wet moist dirt/gardening imagery since right now due to my pregnancy (I'm 8 months) I can't do the spring gardening I enjoy so much. However, it did smell like dirt, only much drier than I had expected. It was soothing and I did like the scent. It reminded me of playing in the dirt as a child, when it was really dry and more like sand rather than moist fertelized dirt. I was also disappointed that I couldn't detect anything all that organic in it. I expected an herb or floral to jump out at me as well, but got nothing but plain, dry dirt, which means it really delivers. I like this enough not to swap it and keep it around, but I don't intend to order any more of it. It also had a sort of playdough smell to it, which is odd, but should be reported. : P My hubby said that he smelled a sour note in it that seemed to really stick out for him that didn't seem to blend well with the whole scent. I didn't experience this, but that was the hubby's impression. ETA: I forgot to mention that it also had a smell that would randomly come out on me that smelled like the aftermath of something that had just been burned. Not in an abrasive way, more like in a clean way which is incredibly ironic, but just had to mention that smell, too.

This scent was very overpowering on me. It ended up being sugary and sweet and syrupy. After an hour, I had to wash it off. I liked the way it smelled in the imp, just not on. One thing I can say for it is that it sticks around and casts a large aura. even though I've washed it off, I can still smell it faintly on me. This will go to the swap pile.

Aquatic with a bite. The smell is a bright green color. Without the bite, it would be downright swampy/murky. A happier "Bayou". Just a little goes a LONG way. Great for Spring, summer, or Fall, but doesn't strike me as a wintry scent. It's murky without being dirty. Very happy with this smell. Will have to keep trying it to decide if I love it enough to get a big bottle, especially since it's so strong. A second imp, for sure though.

The Unicorn In the imp: A faint, whispy scent, sweet and vaguely aquatic. Wet on skin: sweet, but not too sweet and wakes me up without being over-powering. Puts me in a pensive mood without the broodiness. dry-down: A very dual scent. Too forresty to be aquatic, but too aquatic to be forresty, I'm getting some light florals, but also the herb scents, too. It goes from gold to green to blue and back again as far as the color of the smell goes. Hubby says it smells sparkly. I agree. Very happy with the scent, though I don't know if I'll be buying a big bottle. Can't tell if it's the weather or not but it seems to be irritating my allergies (it's probably just the season).

This is such a sweet and soft womanly scent. I was very surprised when I read that there were two roses in it, because roses usually go powdery on me. In the imp: pear, mostly and something that reminds me of sweet grape juice (though not an out-right grape smell) wet on skin: sweet florals come out, very up-beat, pastel color, sweet soft smell. drydown: Hubby immediately thought I was wearing an aquatic, which is interesting to me since aquatics are my favorite scents and if there was anything aquatic about this scent, I would have picked up on it. For me, it's just become a soft, faint relaxing scent, one in a very expensive deodorant, yet not chalky. So very soft. I will be getting a 5 mL of this. So far, this is the only floral that has worked on my skin.

In the imp: I can smell the chocolate note, but it's dominated by a woodsy scent that I like very much. wet/dry down on skin: hubby immediately reacted positively. He finds the scent warm and calming. I have a different take on it. I definitely find it warm, but I wouldn't describe it as calming as much as crisp and even somewhat alert - so I would imagine it has to do with the imagery the scent brought with it as I associate it with a more alert state. While the scent is very appropriately named, I would have been just as happy with the name, "black wooded area at night." This scent brought up images of a forest full of shadowy trees, right after a crisp snow and the night sky. I even described it as like, "having sex in the forbidden forrest at Hogwart's". It also smells of a wooded retreat. Perhaps a burrow in the middle of the woods at night, light up dimly and softly brewing hot coacoa. This is an umbelievably lovely woody scent that is for me something I could wear with or without the desired "mood" to be there. This is definitely going to turn into a big bottle for me.

Grants courage under extreme conditions, helps overcome fear of death, and strengthens the fortitude of artists and businessmen, enabling them to further their goals. When I first smelled this in the imp (a frimp), I thought it was a delightful, sweet and sexy smell and I became more eager to try this one on than some of the scents I had recently ordered, so I tried it on last night. in the imp: sweet, a faint musk and a high fruity note that I swear is cherry, but not cherry cough syrup, just sweet cherry. wet on skin: a warmer version of the imp drydown: I'm still smelling the cherry and something haughty, I don't get any florals, though I wouldn't be surprised if they were there. Perhaps the cherry that I'm smelling is me mistaking cloves for cherries. Was complimented on my smell by a friend. My husband didn't seem to notice the different smell, but I wasn't sitting close to him while I was wearing it right away. It stayed strong all night, for a good 6 hours at least and when I woke up this morning, if I smelled deeply on my wrists, I could still smell it faintly, so it does last. In the end, the scent is a nice one, but it doesn't suit me personally. I may try it out again later and at least keep it around as an imp, but if I find a good swap friend, it might end up in a swap. Definitely NOT on the big bottle list, but I'm not over-all disappointed.

Yggdrasil What an odd scent! In the imp, I smelled coacoa and a woodsy scent that was almost a Christmasy scent without being classic Christmas. But now that it's on my skin, it has turned into a very sharp, clean woodsy scent that is definitely clearing my sinuses. drydown: Very strong, woodsy scent, still has that note that's clearing my sinuses like woah. I think it might actually be better for the hubby than for me, though I'd describe it as gender-neutral. This really just smells like itself. I imagine a forrest on top of a snow covered mountain. Edit: AFter reading some of the other responses, I definitely get a Bengay smell out of this one. In fact, now that I think of it, it's all I'm smelling. I'm also going to keep it around for my next cold, but it's not a scent I'd like to walk around the mall or go to a party smelling like.

Tempest This scent reminds me a lot of Olokun, but with a bite. in the imp: a crisp aquatic scent with a bite that clears sinuses, though I do not think it's eucalyptus, but maybe rather a pine or mint. wet on skin: the bite isn't as strong, but this is definitely an aquatic. I'm happy that the "rain" scent doesn't give me a headache as "rain" as a single note tends to. This is becoming much more chaotic than Olokun, I can definitely tell a difference drydown: This is very nice. A salty aquatic with a bite. Definitely on my big-bottle list. The hubby loves it and it's now tied with Olokun as my favorite scent. The mood of this scent isn't so much awake as it is anxious/aprehensive. I might not want to wear this if I'm going through an anxious or worrisome period of time. Still, a must-have in a big bottle.

The Apothecary - nice. In the imp: Woodsy and I can smell the fig, which meshes will with the other notes. Wet on skin: This scent is starting to paint a picture for me. The golden aura of very crisp, dry leaves, right after they have fallen along a wood path in early autumn. Dry on the skin: exactly the way it smelled wet except there are some herb scents dancing around there, too, which makes this an all around absolute must-have for anyone who likes woodsy/autumn scents. I can't decide if this is a fallen leaf-brown color or a golden/bronze color, but it's autumn definitely. Will no doubt get a big bottle of this one.

This smells absolutely rancid on me. I'm doing this review blind, without knowing what notes are in the smell. In the imp: Butterscotch and waffles. A very "sticky" and "gooey" and very sweet foody smell. wet on skin: GOO! Butterscotch and waffles is still around, but there's also this odd bitter note that doesn't want to mix with the other two notes. dry on the skin: there's some kind of alcohol in this, I'd guess probably vanilla and something cakey, but in the sweet sweet sweet way and I'm still smelling the butterscotch. I'm off to take a much-needed shower and rid my nose of this weirdness. In all, this scent is just awful for me. It will have to find a better home. PS my favorite scents are aquatic and woodsy, so I'm much more biased towards them than the foody scents.

In the bottle: An aquatic scent with a high pitched electric bite Wet: Same as in bottle only with a slight plant-like scent, too (could be floral, could be herbal) drydown: Very electric, salty aquatic and almost windy, too. I can't pick out a single note and I don't really want to. Definitely a keeper - I love aquatic scents.

I'm REALLY surprised no one has mentioned Olokun yet. It's my absolute favorite scent and it's definitely an aquatic scent. I love aquatics myself. Here's my review of it on the forums: In the imp- It smells like tropical rain forrest water. No wait, clear crisp light blue water. No, what angels would swim in. No, what Ariel would smell like. No. What I would smell like! on wet- much stronger on wet than in the imp. I only needed 3 swipes to get the power I wanted whereas I usually need 6 swipes. drydown- Not disappointed at all. On me, it smells exactly the way it was in the imp. This is definitely my favorite and beats out sea of glass for me by a long shot. I've never been more pleased with a BPAL scent, which is saying a lot. If you like fresh aquatics, definitely give this a try.

Embalming Fluid In the imp: Smells like the ingrediants listed, the musk and lemon seem to be coming out the most. wet on skin: turning into a lemon cleaner dry on skin: okay, much better. A bright, light green smell. I can definitely smell the green tea and the lemon most of all, but it didn't stay in the dreaded "lemon cleaner" wet-on-skin state, thankfully. I usually don't consider scents to be season-oriented, but this is definitely a spring scent for me. It's bright, certainly good for keeping me awake, and is very happy. My opinion is that the throw is pretty far, though my husband says the throw is faint. I do like this scent so I'll be keeping the imp for occasions when I'm in the mood to wear it, but I will not be ordering a big bottle of it.

Jabberwocky. Disclaimer: Eucalyptus is my favorite note, so I'm already biased towards something that has this note in it. In the Imp - The smell is itsself. I'm disappointed that the eucalyptus note isn't more obvious. The pine and orange don't seem to mix well. ::three weeks later:: I have a bit of a cold and took a bath with Eucalyptus bath salt. In Imp - okay, I can definitely tell that there is Eucalyptus and also pine, but the orange smells more enigmatic, but definitely a citrus. wet on the skin - holy moly! This is a very NICE scent. The Eucalyptus and pine go together quite well and the orange has a very zesty appeal. dry down - me and the husband agree that this scent is a very sexy and sharp almost even spicy scent without the regular spicy notes (cinn, etc...) and surprisingly feminine without the florals. Also, this scent is also sharp enough to wake me up but gentle enough not to be obnoxious about it. Keeps my energy going. Wore it the next day, to make sure that it wasn't the Eucalyptus bath that caused it to smell so great the first day and had the same result. This is slowly moving up to the top of my list. I will at least order a second imp, if not a bottle.

Shango In the imp - grape soda followed by sweet tropical smoothie wet on skin- bananna and a huge overwhelming bite (assuming that's the pepper) dry on skin- a very faint sweet bananna/pineapple smell but the bite has totally taken over, giving me a headache. Had to wash off after 20 minutes. It needs to be noted that I prefer aquatics/woody scents and the only fruit scent that has worked on me is The Hesperides so far. Will need to pass this one on to a better home. It's a shame. I wanted to like it.

The Hanging Gardens This perfume is an interpretation of the Hanging Gardens by night, based on further accounts of its fruit and flora: date palm, ebony, fir, pomegranate, plum, two pears, quince, fig, and grapevine with plumeria, three gardenias and dry rose. in the imp: very sweet, more fruity than floral, though the floral notes are definitely in there. wet: The same as in the imp only the florals are coming out more. They're still very sweet. dry: UGH! My body just doesn't work with rose. This scent has totally morphed from the imp to skin. After about 15 minutes, I feel a headache coming on so I'm probably going to wash it off really soon. The fruit notes aren't even detectable anymore and all I'm smelling is a powdery rose mixed with florals. It reminds me a lot of melted candlewax, rose, and playdough. I will probably either pass this on to someone else who will appreciate it more or try it again once more before I do. This was a no-go for me.

This scent is the smell of drinking a tropical smoothie on a beach. Very nice smell because it does what it says it will do, but too fruity for me. I'll have to pass this one off to my step mom.

Sea of Glass What a wonderful scent. Upon first sniff, it's just a rich, sweet aquatic scent that reminds me of dawn over a misty lake. wet on the skin: nice hasn't morphed much at all. dry on skin: it's almost too sweet with what seems to be a floral note in it as well. It's a wonderful aquatic scent, but I prefer Olokun to it.

This is such an unusual scent for me. In the imp: very off-putting yet something I just couldn't stop smelling. It's like seeing a very strange looking person in public and although you know it's impolite to stare, you can't help it. wet on the skin: ewwww yuck! I smell like vommit in the attic dry on skin: I smell like vommit in the attic with flowers on me. Husband's opinion: he didn't like it, either, but it certainly did what it was supposed to do. He mentioned that it smelled like a sweaty crotch with roses on it. ::rolls eyes:: Anyway, despite my extreme reaction to it, I decided to mix it with some massage oil to water it down a little and later on, when I used it as a massage oil, it was much easier to handle the scent. I still don't like it much, but like I said, it does do what It claims to do. Definitely not on the big bottle list.

Bayou I'm reviewing this one without looking at what's in the mix or what others have said here. In the imp: an aquatic scent with a mossy/grassy undertone. A murky deep green water. wet on the skin: a pensive aquatic scent and that mossy/grassy scent. Could that be clover? dry on the skin: hasn't morphed much on me. It's a certain mood, I believe something that could bring hyperness down. It's calming. Something that I'd wear when I'd want to write. I'd only want to wear this to provoke a very specific mood. That said, I don't think I'll be ordering a big bottle of this, but I will be wearing it a lot. Maybe after a while, I'll change my mind and get a big bottle. I really do like it. Edit: Turns out the mood this scent puts me in is actually a good thing. I find myself loving this scent more and more. It's a very exact mood that is calming and helps me focus. I'm ordering a big bottle with my next BPAL purchase. I completely love the scent now.

I got this one because I was attracted to the orange/ginger combination. in the imp: definitely orange/ginger with a sharp bite to it wet on the skin: like orange spice cream cake dry on the skin (after about 15 minutes): the bite is coming out and it has morphed into a much more warm and sexy and womanly scent, every so often the orange and ginger fight for recognition. And it's VERY strong. Gave me a headache. This scent is very strong on me, so I mixed a half of an imp with 2 oz of sweet almond massage oil so that I could use that instead to apply the scent. It watered it down enough so that I didn't get headaches from it being over-powering and also so that I could appreciate the scent more. I wouldn't order a big bottle of this one, but I'd like an extra imp lying around if I ever run out of the massage oil blend that I made. Also, it's important to mention that the husband loves this one.