Shahmeran

Imp: Sweet floral. On, Wet: JASMINE! Ugh. That's a lot of jasmine. Do not want. But I'm going to give it a chance since I just had such a weird morphing experience with Brisingamen and it turned out wonderful... Dry: I get a little of the incense in there, but it's still jasmine, jasmine and more jasmine... maybe some lilly or gardenia in there. I don't really like those either... I wanted to smell this dirt smell! Where is the dirt?! This one is giving me a bit of the sniffles too, as some florals tend to. I think I'll give it a pass...

In the imp: Sweet. Wow. Really sweet. Other than that, it's pleasant, I get amber and a nice floral which I'm assuming is the carnation and/or apple blossom, but I'm a bit worried the sweetness might give me a headache. Wet: Baby powder?! Not unpleasantly, and there's something else there, but it smells weirdly of baby powder. Dry: Baby powder is gone as soon as it dries, as is the overpowering sweetness I smelled in the imp. This is now complex, ambery, and subltly floral. I love it. It's more floral than most things I like, but I love it all the same. Definetly feminine, but much more womanly than girly. Somehow "golden" is a good word for it.

In the imp: Weird. Really weird. What the heck is that? I can't place anything. *reads the description* Oh yeah, that's red musk and nutmeg. Maybe a little tobacco. It's a weird combo for me. I was hoping for more amber in there, and I don't get anything that makes me think blackcurrant at all, which I was hoping to smell since I love blackcurrant as a flavor and have never really experienced it as a scent. I'm not sure exactly what hemlock or orchid smell like, but I'm not really getting anything herbal or floral here. Wet: Still weird. STRONG. Mostly musk and a little nutmeg. Dry: MUSK! MUSKMUSKMUSK!! MUUUUUSK! This has gone all head-shop-musk-incense on me. I don't think I've ever washed an oil off before, but this one's gotta go o.O; I think I must be one of those people who can't wear red musk.

In the Imp: Floral. Even reading the description I can't pick out individual notes, but maybe I'm just bad at that. Smells a lot more like commercial perfume than any other BPAL scent I've tried. On Me: Same as in the imp, but a little softer. I can see how other people would like it, but I don't. It just smells too much like commercial perfume for me. It's classy as hell, like something worn by a powerful, sexy business woman who carries a $500 handbag. Which is totally not me. Also, like many florals, it's making me sneezy Later: Gone a little soapy, It's still expensive fancy soap though.

Description: Seduction, sensuality, the Act, and the aftermath all in one. The scent of warm, damp skin flushed with the glow of passion, touched by the luxuriant potency of ylang ylang and myrrh. In the bottle: Floral incense. I got a little worried when people said 'rose' in their reviews. But I don't smell any migrane-inducing old-lady-perfume rose in there. So if it's a rose it's a nice rose. I've never met one before... On me, wet: Ok... um... incense... and... urinal tablets. No I'm not kidding. And it's not that bad a smell, just a bad association. It reminds me of the mens room without smelling like pee... Drying: Someone else mentioned un-lit Nag Champa. I'm getting that too. It's not men's room anymore, thankfully. It's not stellar on me though, I was really hoping I'd like this one. Ah well. After a while: Ok, I'm really starting to like this now. It reminds me of my old room, smelling of unlit incense and my old perfume (some kind of musk Boots body spray I bought ages ago). It's a little bit powdery, but I really like the incense smell. It does smell a bit like clean skin as well. I can see how that would be sexy. I never got any roses. (I'm not dissapointed ) (ETA description)

In the imp: I can definetly smell the narcissus, it seems very floral, although something else, the myrrh I think, is keeping it under control. I'm not really sure what opium smells like, but there is definetly something in the background that I don't recognize, so that could be it. On, wet: Well, that must be opium. I also smelled band-aid for a second, but it's gone. I'm not sure whether I like it or not, it's kind of medicinal... perhaps narcotic. The myrrh is there, but the narcissus has definetly taken a back seat. Dry: Yep, incence, smoke and medicine. On the whole, it almost reminds me of a head shop. Little bit strange. But not that bad. I wouldn't call it sexy on me, but it is dark and mysterious. Creative in an 'opium dream' kind of way. I think I'll keep it around.

In the imp: You know, I really have to get past the 'florals smell like my mom' associaton. But I can't seem to. That being said, this seems to have some more depth to it. It's definetly floral, I think it's the lillies that I smell more than anything so far, but there's something underneath... On, wet: Noo, soapy lillies... And lillies... and more lillies. I'm starting to think I really don't like lillies. Floral soap And maybe a little bit of smoke, which doens't really help all that much. I wanted to like this one, but the lillies have completely hijacked it. Dry: Well, it has mellowed into something a bit more bearable, deeper, darker, but still a bit soapy and too floral for me.

In the imp: Herbal cough syrup. Not an unpleasant smell, but it reminds me of having to drink the stuff, which was not so nice... Anyhow, everything smells weird to me in the imp, I think smelling something so concentrated must overload my nose or something, so... on to the skin! On me, wet: I don't know what I'm smelling. I can't pick out any of the notes, but it's very strong and masculine. Dry: I can smell wine, leather and wood, all infused with men's cologne and overlaid with a sense of emptiness. There's definitely something burnt at the bottom of the scent if I get a really good whiff of it. Very evocative. A lone stranger in a leather trenchcoat (and expensive cologne?) wanders through a desolate, burnt landscape. For some reason he has long, black hair and is wearing a brown leather hat, but I don't know how I got that out of the scent. It's a bit too masculine for me, but I think it could smell fabulous on the right man. (Or the wrong man for that matter ) Side note: this reminds me of Death on a Pale Horse after a while. So perhaps if you like one you may like the other.

In the imp: There was something really familliar in this that I couldn't place at first. After re-reading the notes I realized it was 2 things. Lavender, which I've always loved as a room/candle scent, and blackcurrant, which I've always loved... as a candy flavor ;D So right away, good associations. Which helps. On me, wet: o.O the candy is gone. It's lavender soap. I think it's the ozone doing the soap thing, but I'm not entirely sure what ozone smells like on it's own, so I'm guessing. Dry: Hm. Lavender and fresh clean laundry, with just a bit of black currant sweetness. It's definetly not unpleasant, in fact I rather like it, but I think I'd rather have my pillow smell like this than my body. In fact that's a good idea... I may have to make a linen spray with this one

In the imp: Wow! I can't pick out any of the notes... maybe honey? someting spicy and musky... nothing sticks out though. But it smells amazing!! As sexy as the description. Could this be my first bottle purchase?? On me, wet: eep... Pachoulli! Definetly pachoulli. It has taken over. And it smells maybe a bit soapy? But not that bad. I hope the pachoulli calms down a bit and lets all of the stuff I could smell in that imp come through! Dry: Phew, ok, the pachoulli has calmed down. The honey is definetly coming through, it is very sweet, and a little bit incence-y. There are some florals there too, but they're not right in my face (which is good, I don't really like florals). I was afraid tuberose would smell something like rose and give me a headache, but I don't detect anything rose-like in there. The musk is doing something interesting, it's almost like I feel it at the back of my throat rather than smell it. Kind of like an aftertaste (aftersmell??) Deep and dark in the background. Very subtle. Definetly going back to the wonderful sexy in the bottle scent, plus a bit of clean skin. It's very thick and rich smelling. MMmm... I am going to sit here and sniff my wrist all night. And wish my boyfriend wasn't all the way across the Atlantic... I'm definetly buying the bottle! (When I get paid...) (edit for spelling)

Got this one a as a freebie... I'd never have chosen something so floral myself, but I'll give it a try. In the bottle: Whoa, Lilly of the Valley and Lilac. Very VERY floral. It smells a lot like a perfume my mom used to wear, so I'm already afraid I won't get past that association... On, wet: Well, that's actually quite pleasant. It's not the headache-inducing floral I was expecting (that's what florals usually do to me, instant headache) much softer and not so peircing as I feared. But it still smells a lot like my mom. The Lilac is definetly there. I'm having a hard time smelling anything else. Dry: Maybe a little powdery, but the fresh flowers are still there. The lilac has mellowed a bit, but I still don't smell much else besides the flowers. It really makes me think of a really hot afternoon walking with my Aunts in Kamloops. Every time you walk by a lilac bush you really get a nose full of that thick, heady lilac smell. Personally I dislike that smell, possibly because the pollen makes me sneeze. But I know a lot of people who really love the smell of lilacs. To me this is actually quite tolerable as florals go, and would probably be really lovely to someone who likes florals. Especially if they like the smell of lilacs. Maybe I'll let Mom try it

In the bottle: Hm... nope, no cat pee. To me, it smells a lot like incense. And like someone spilled cola on a hot sidewalk and it went all syrupy and thick. And a hint of mothballs. It's a bit weird, but somehow not unpleasant. On, wet: More mothballs...? Maybe this is what civet smells like to me? I'm not really sure... But it's not overpowering. There's a lot of really nice incense in there too. I can smell the musk, but I'm not really sure what opium should smell like. Maybe that's what I'm smelling as incence? Drying: ok... yeah... the mothballs is turning into the old-lady-in-a-home smell somoene else mentioned. It's not super strong, but I don't really like it either. It's also gone a little soapy. *sigh* Guess this one isn't for me. A little later... Well the old lady is gone, which is nice. But it's still a bit soapy. I can see why some people said masculine, it does smell like a cologne to me now, and actually it might smell really nice on a man. It reminds me of a certain incense scent that a friend of mine used to really like. I think it was called 'rain' or somesuch. So I guess she would probably like this one, if it smelled close to that on her too. Maybe I'll send it to her. On a side note... where's the sex!? I didn't get any of that overpowering sexiness. I'm a bit dissapointed. ETA: Ok, the more I smell this, the more I want to put it on the boyfriend. I guess I was expecting a kind of sensual, curvy female sexiness, but smelling it now I keep thinking "damn this would be sexy on a guy"...

I decided to try this one now because it had such an odd smell in the bottle, and since Death On A Pale Horse changed so much as soon as I put it on, I wondered if this would as well. That and everyone keeps mentioning campfire smoke, and I actually really like the smell of campfire smoke in my hair... In the bottle: FWAGH! Chemical fire! Smells like burning plastic and spilled disinfectant. Not at all pleasant, but it's not your typical flowery perfume smell either, so that alone warrants a try. On, wet: A disturbing combination of chemicals and hot dogs. No really. I smell hot dogs. The big fat smokey ones. I guess that's why they're called smokies. It's not a pleasant smell. Dry: Well, thankfully this has mellowed, but unfortunately not into something I like much. It has become less chemical and more resiny incense but there's still a note in there that I really don't like (wish I knew what it was so I could avoid it in the future...) and which is starting to give me a headache. It now smells more like ashes than fire, a bit dusty, still smokey. The last couple oils I tried, I liked in themselves but weren't 'me'. This one I actually dislike

Doh, trying to write this out again from memory as my internet connection flaked out and I lost my post... I originally ordered this imp with the intention of trying it on the boy since several reviews called it masculine. But since he's not getting to London for another month, I decided to try it out on myself first. In The Bottle: Sandalwood, musk, pachoulli and dirt. But it has a very outdoor scent to it, not woodsy, more like a cold, dry, snowless winter day on the prairie. On Wet: o.O Completely changed. The sandalwood and pachoulli have been overtaken by something very very citrussy. I'm guessing yuzu and lime? I'm not sure whether I like this yet or not. The dirt has dissapeared, which is a shame, because it was kind of interesting. Dry: The citrus is still there, but not as strong. More like my hands after peeling an orange than a sharp, fresh citrus. I can sort of smell the lavender, although it's hiding behind the citrus. I can see why the musk is called 'empty', it really does have that kind of feel to it. It becomes more complex with time, the citrus still sits on top with me, but all sorts of interesting things are going on underneath, lavender, musk, pachoulli. Empty, hollow, but interesting. I like this scent, but I think I would like it better as a room scent or on someone else (so the intended recipient may get it after all ). I wouldn't call it masculine though, to me it's more neutral. As I said I do like it, but unfortunately it's just not 'me', so I'll have to continue my search for an oil that is... (edited as I remembered something from my original post and added it)

My first review, and it's from a freebie and not one that I ordered. I had to try it though because it had such a unique scent in the bottle (first thing I did when I got to my order was open every imp and sniff them in turn, of course). In the bottle: Everyone on here is saying gingerbread, but when I first sniffed it my reaction was... what IS that? It smelled really intriguing, kind of... refreshing after all the incence-y imps I'd been sniffing. I had that "I know I've smelled this smell before, but what the heck is it?!" kind of feeling. Then I put it on. Wet: Aha! That's what I smell... Cola jawbreakers! Has anyone else ever had those silver colored cola flavoured jaw breakers? Used to get them at the sweet shop in Banff as a kid. That's what I was smelling in the bottle... But that faded rather quickly. (Thankfully. I like candy, but I don't really want to smell like one). Drydown: I started to smell lemon, cinnamon and ginger. It still doesn't smell like gingerbread to me (which I think smells more like molasses than ginger) but I definetly smell the ginger. It's not really a fresh ginger on me, which I think is sharper smelling than this, more like a cooked ginger? Dry: It's definetely ginger, but there's something even spicier underneath. I don't generally go for foody scents, but I can't stop smelling it. Not necessarily because I like it (though I certainly don't dislike it!) but more because it's really interesting, and I'm trying to figure it out. It's foody and sensual at the same time. Somehow managing to be both home-cooking comforting and spicy-hot sexy. I don't really find it to be that dark at all, but maybe that's just me. Not a signature scent for me I don't think, but I definitely find it very intriguing.