DiesMali

In the imp: Sweet incense and vanilla.

Wet on my skin: Same as in the imp.

Dry: I ordered this because one of my main WoW characters is a Priest-Paladin hybrid, and I am not disappointed. This is a beautiful, almost churchlike incense sweetened by vanilla and tempered by just a hint of soft leather and white musk. I do not get any metal from this, but that's okay. The rest of it is very pretty, and I can't WAIT to see what it smells like layered with Elf (my Priestadin is an Elf, of course).

In the imp: Burnt, deep spices and something I can't place.

Wet on my skin: The Hopi people have a staple dish called Piki bread, made from blue corn flour and juniper berry ash. During this stage, this smells very, very much like freshly-baked Piki bread. I have no why, since there's no juniper or corn in it, but that's how my nose is reading it.

Dry: ...and no more Piki bread. This is now a gorgeous, smoky clove, pepper, and dark musk scent. The wet stage was enough to make me like it, and it's even better dry. There's just a hint of sweetness from the tonka, and I'm not detecting the neroli. It's strong and dark, deep brown in colour. This is not something for someone who prefers sweet scents, but for those of us who like smoke, musk, and somewhat bitter scents, this is definitely something to try at least once.

In the imp: Something sharp and medicinal.

Wet on my skin: This is very sharp and medicinal, and it reminds me a little of...something. Something with menthol or camphor in it. Tiger Balm, maybe?

Dry: This is a very, very unusual scent. On my skin, it doesn't want to show me any wood or burnt grass. No, this is ozone, freezing metal, freezing rain on damp stone, and something sweet-salty that I'm pretty sure is the ambergris turning this into a cold, aquatic scent. This isn't so much the Black Tower as it is the freezing, briny sea crashing onto the cliffs below the tower. As it wears, the red wine note I know from Lilith appears, giving this a deep and tangy alcoholic quality. If I sniff deeply, I can find the burnt grass and wood, but the surface of this remains that strange, bone-chilling ocean and cold stone with wine spilled into it. Definitely a scent to set a mood, likely in my roleplaying adventures.

In the imp: Floral, that's about all I'm getting.

Wet on my skin: This is a faint but dark scent on me even wet. Deep flowers and dark fruits.

Dry: This doesn't change a whole lot as it dries. It's not a strong scent, but it is dark and mysterious. I get clear notes of orchid and blackcurrant, and a touch of the myrrh. The rest is all swirled together and difficult to discern, but the overall effect is sort of a hazy, lightly incensed floral perfume. I think I'd like to age this a little, just to see if it'll strengthen a bit.

In the imp: Unusual, pale floral.

Wet on my skin: There's an initial blast of something sharp and medicinal, almost celery-like. That fades in a few seconds, giving way to a green, herbal floral scent.

Dry: Once dry, this is a ghostly-light, ethereal, white scent. Lily, moss, and something dusty-powdery are the predominant notes in this. It's pretty and so very pale that I almost forget it's here until I get another whiff of ghostly white flowers. This scent is perfectly evocative of what it's meant to inspire!

In the imp: Fuzzy, slightly vanillic mens' cologne.

Wet on my skin: MMmmm. Gorgeous, masculine cologne. Mostly spicy lavender and wood at this point.

Dry: Yet again, a Devil-inspired scent makes me smell so good that I feel like I could take over the world myself! This is lavender, amber, and tonka on me once dry, with just a hint of sweet rosewood. I can't really detect the patchouli, but I think it's just enough to ground the scent and keep it from going department store cologne. This is a somehow old-fashioned scent, and it's the sort of thing I'd expect from a rugged-yet-dashing stranger in the Old West. Gods, this is niiiice. This is one of those that has me huffing myself because I smell so sexy.

In the imp: Wat. I have no idea what this is.

Wet on my skin: WTF. WTF DID I JUSt...this is strong, sour, unpleasant coffee. This isn't roses or jasmine. D:

Dry: The second scent from this order that has been awful for the first 10 minutes, then dries into something gorgeous. Now THIS was what I'd hoped for. There's a gorgeous cloud of rose and jasmine wafting about, and a little closer to my skin are the mahogany, coffee, and tonka in that order. Unfortunately, I'm not getting any fig at all, which is one of my favourite fruit notes, but the rest of this is nice enough that I don't mind. The tonka, jasmine, and rose are now doing something absolutely magical in the air around me, and whoah. Whooooah. This is so, so seductive and unusual. Well worth the initial WTF.

In the imp: SPICES.

Wet on my skin: SPICES and woods, and a bit of tobacco.

Dry: Something in this scent makes it read to my nose in a similar manner as Red Lantern. Perhaps it's the coriander and tobacco. This is a sharp, spicy, rowdy scent. Not much in the way of flowers coming out on me. No, this is spicy wood, faint tobacco smoke, and ...whiskey. Yep. Apparently, my skin makes this smell how everyone who got flowers and soap hoped this would smell. Lucky me. Oh! As this continues to wear on my skin, one of the tavern tables gains a single gardenia in a little vase of water. No, nevermind, they're watering the gardenia with whiskey.

In the imp: Juicy sweet, a little fruity.

Wet on my skin: I don't know why, but something in this reads as "pear" when I first apply this. Pear and flowers. That fades quickly, though, giving way to the flowers.

Dry: This is very much a lotus and tuberose scent on me, which is interesting since my skin loves lime and jasmine as much as I do. I don't mind, though, as it's a very unusual floral. It's almost a little bit waxy, but never quite tips over that edge. There's just a bit of a sharp kick to this, and I assume that's the lime and jasmine giving it some oomph. Not bad, will keep the imp.

In the imp: Faint flowers.

Wet on my skin: Sugary lemon, rosewood, and flowers.

Dry: As this dries, the lemon peel and rosewood begin to fade a little, giving way to the flowers and musk. I can pick out the jasmine. This is a light, soft, feminine floral with that edge of sugary lemon. It's pretty, and while I don't know how often I'll wear it, I definitely WILL wear it when I'm in the mood for something calmingly springlike.

In the imp: Slightly-sweet vetiver and a chemical, somewhat unpleasant smell.

Wet on my skin: Oh my god what is this WHY DID I PUT THIS ON MY SKIN? At this stage, this smells very much like I rubbed the contents of an ashtray on myself.

Dry: It took ten or fifteen minutes for ashtray to fade, but thankfully it DID fade. This is primarily leather, vetiver, and cinnamon on me, in that order, with a vague undercurrent of sweetness from the flowers. A teensy bit of the red rose is recognizable, but I cannot pick out the jasmine or gardenia at all. It's a warm, masculine, earthy sort of scent on me. Not a whole lot of throw to it. It's a snugly-fitting leather with earth on my boots and a vague, faint hint of flowers on the night air. This is very different from what I was expecting, but I still like it!

In the imp: LIME.

Wet on my skin: Beautifully sweet key lime and flowers!

Dry: This has the same lime note as my beloved Whitechapel, and I had a feeling it would work on me since my skin apparently loves lime florals. My instincts were right, and this scent is absolutely delicious on me. It's a brilliant green and yellow scent, with some white sparkles. Mostly lime and purple-white flowers, with evident notes of wisteria and iris if you try to pick them apart. The coconut meat is beneath the rest and isn't so much creamy as it is almost sharp. After a while, the lime fades somewhat, and it becomes a pleasantly warm floral musk, close to the skin. One of my favourites from BPAL so far! I accidentally ordered 2 big bottles of this the other day, but that's okay since I think I'll be going through a LOT of this stuff this summer.

In the imp: Very faint, slightly fruity.

Wet on my skin: Oddly candy-like. It smells like something, but I can't quite put my finger on it...some sort of powdery fruit candy.

Dry: This is very faint on my skin, but I distinctly smell the frankincense and something sweetly fruity/floral. It's not as herbal as I was hoping for, and fades very quickly. I think I'll need to let this age a while and see if it strengthens.

In the imp: Vanilla and pine.

Wet on my skin: A perfect mix of vanilla and pine, with something earthy.

Dry: This is GORGEOUS on my skin as it warms and dries. It remains primarily vanilla and pine, then myrrh, and finally a smoky and earthy base to it that makes it smell just really mysterious and sexy. My skin loves smoky, resinous scents, and this one is definitely one of those it adores. Mmmf yes. Deep, swirling green-gold in colour. I want a bottle, for sure.

In the imp: Faint, dusty coconut.

Wet on my skin: Dusty, slightly earthy coconut husk and sandalwood. A tinge of the coconut meat.

Dry: This is a very brown, dusty, woodsy scent on me. Hints of the spices start to come out as it wears, but that coconut husk and sandalwood remain the primary notes on my skin. It's an oddly snuggly and comforting scent, and it's fuzzy and brown. The notes really do translate into "fuzzy and brown." I can see this scent being a good one for a day in on a rainy day, when all you want to do is curl up in bed and read a book.

In the imp: Sweet, almost apple-like.

Wet on my skin: I get a distinct note of apple here, then amber, and it's really pretty.

Dry: This dries into a soft amber and floral scent, and it's very, very pretty. It isn't too sweet like some florals can be, and though the scent sticks fairly close to the skin, it's definitely there. It's largely apple blossom and amber on me, then the rest of the notes underneath. It's a soft, feminine scent, golden and pale pink in colour. Not girly though, this is definitely a grown woman who is confident in herself and her sexuality.

In the imp: Brand-new black leather and something vaguely floral.

Wet on my skin: Well-oiled black leather with that hint of sweetness from plum and lilac.

Dry: I was expecting this to be more similar to Jareth, given the leather and lilac notes, but it's actually very very different. In a good way! This is a youthfully masculine scent on me, primarily leather with wisps of plum, lilac, and just the faintest tinge of dried herbs. The lilac is the second-strongest note, and it prevents the leather from becoming too sharp. It's one of those "bad boy with a heart of gold" sorts of scents, and the mental image I'm getting from this would work perfectly for one of my Elven roleplay characters. It's a keeper!

Edit: After about 3 hours of wear, the leather note in this fades a bit, giving way to an absolutely gorgeous herbal lilac blend. It's even prettier in this stage!

In the bottle: Musk and bitter dark chocolate.

Wet on my skin: Same as in the bottle, but this time with just a hint of amber.

Dry: This isn't as warm and snuggly as Haunted, and it's quite a bit darker and more mysterious. The musk in this is sharper, the amber not quite as sweet, and the chocolate in this isn't milk chocolate. No, this is bitter, powdery, dark baking cocoa. This is a bonbon for someone who prefers their chocolate so dark that they might as well be eating pure cacao, with only a hint of sweetness. I'm actually not quite sure what to make of this scent, in terms of actually liking it or not.

In the imp: Irish Spring soap?

Wet on my skin: This still brings to mind Irish Spring soap. I happen to LIKE that soap, though.

Dry: The soapiness fades as this dries, and it becomes a light, ethereal, green floral. This literally smells like what I imagine Ireland's countryside to smell like - green moss, green leaves, and white and pink flowers. In that order. There's a vague spiciness from the benzoin and sandalwood, but on me, this is primarily lush greenery and the flowers of late spring. While the overall scent is wispy and ethereal, it's not pastel in my mind's eye. Instead, it's a deep but misty green. Very pleasant, and good for a situation where you want to wear a scent that is pretty but subtle.

In the imp: COFFEE and Irish cream. Mmmmmmmm.

Wet on my skin: COFFEE and Irish cream.

Dry: The coffee and Irish cream blend together perfectly as this dries down and warms up, and are joined by dusty oak and parchment. This is a fairly simple but absolutely delicious scent on me, rich and brown and almost fuzzy. Interestingly, I'm getting a strong mental image of dust-filled light streaming into an old church-turned-library through the stained glass windows.

In the imp: Faint and lightly sweet lilac.

Wet on my skin: Predominantly musky-sweet lilac with green summery bramble leaves.

Dry: On my skin, this is mostly that musky lilac and greenery, but the whole thing fades dramatically within 30-40 minutes of application. I think my skin is eating this one, unfortunately. I can tell that it would be gorgeous if it stayed long enough to really warm up, but alas! I may have to give it to someone who can do it justice and not completely absorb it.

In the imp: Lush rose and sweet red wine.

Wet on my skin: This is wine-drizzled roses on my skin, absolutely gorgeous.

Dry: Still wine-drizzled roses, but now there's a beautifully dark undertone of musk and myrrh. There's something almost beeswax or pollen-like at the top of this scent's throw, and I'm thinking that must be something in the myrrh. This is a scent that I can only describe as "tempting." Literally like something a fantasy temptress might wear to try and seduce the hero. And if she wore this, she'd probably succeed. The wine in this is sweet and fruity, the roses are luscious and red, the musk is...pardon being a bit crude, but the musk is downright sexual. I'm almost wondering if there are pheromones in this. Then the myrrh tops it off, giving it an exotic bite. It's pretty strong and does not need more than a swipe or two of the imp wand to fill the air about you, and seems to be fairly long-lasting as well. Mmmmf, maybe bottle scent at some point.

In the imp: Juicy, floral, tart plum.

Wet on my skin: Rich and sweet, threatening to be too sweet. It's very much plum and orchid on me, with the rest of the flowers in a bouquet in the background.

Dry: This doesn't change too much for the first two hours it's on me. Juicy, ripe, slightly-tart plum with orchids wafting around, with pollen-y flowers strewn about underneath that. It's actually making me sneeze, which is unusual. As it begins to fade, a hint of sensual muskiness comes out, and the pale flowers (jasmine and daffodil) come out to play as well. The entire thing is almost completely gone in about four hours, save for a hint of musky plum if I stick my nose right up to my skin. It's a very womanly and slightly alluring scent, and while I'll probably not wear it often, I'm glad I have it in my box!

In the imp: Sweetly medicinal, slightly astringent.

Wet on me: This...is not at all what I was expecting. I'm not sure exactly WHAT I was expecting, but this is a surprise. It's all sassafras and myrrh on me, which are combining and giving it this sweet, cool, almost minty-medicinal smell. This is triggering a scent memory...

Dry: AH-HAH. This smells like the little candy message hearts for Valentine's Day, specifically the white ones. As it continues to dry, it takes on a vaguely root beery note, but keeps that cool, sweet, almost-mint in the foreground. The nutmeg starts to appear after 30-40 minutes, which spices it and cools the initially high medicinal feel of the scent. It's very herbal, and the colour is pale, cool, almost pastel green. This is very unusual, unlike anything I've had from BPAL so far. I do like it, though.

In the imp: Sweet, almost shampoo-like fruity floral.

Wet on my skin: This is too sweet for me when wet, almost stomach-churningly so. SO much apple blossom, some apple fruit, and no birch at this point.

Dry: Thankfully, this becomes much more tolerable as it dries. It's mainly apple blossom on me, and then what I could swear are springtime sap-laden birch leaf buds rather than the wood itself. The fruit itself is always in the background, but it seems to come out just a bit more as this dries and wears longer. It's definitely a sweet yellow and red apple, like Gala or Honeycrisp, and almost has a candied apple feel to it due to the sugary-sweet flowers hanging out everywhere. I think this might work better as a room scent than as a me scent.

Edit: Several days later, I decided to try layering this on a whim. I'd been wearing Oberon for a while, and the patchouli and juniper were all that remained of that scent. Upon layering this over it, it became a beautiful and autumnal woodsy-apple scent. So while I won't wear Sjöfn on her own, I may indeed layer her over Oberon once his orchids have died.