crimescenecleanup

Oh my. this is my favorite BPAL scent so far. I never thought I would be fond of florals, but BPAL is quickly changing that. It has been the same wet and dry on me, for several hours. Very strong Lily of the Valley and Apple Blossom, with a background of green fig. It reminds me of being a little girl and going to the Cathedral with my grandparents, and kneeling in front of the statue of The holy Virgin on her feast day, when it would be covered in lilies. This perfume smells, well, exactly as I always imagine Mary would smell, when she would appear to people in visions. (Weird, I know). I think of this as a very innocent, clean, girlish floral with a touch of honeyed sweetness. It's a strong scent, with a lot of throw, and these florals don't...er...beat around the bush. You can't miss them. So it brings up thought of one's first real love...passionate, headstrong, ecstatic, honest, and pure in its intentions. Very appropriate for a scent based on the Song of Solomon

first impression: Oh, wow. I need a minute. maybe five minutes. and a cigarette. wait a second, I don't even smoke... What a beautiful, sexy, incredible scent. Going on and out of the bottle, it's all clean, fresh rain spattered roses. I'm not a big fan of rose scents, but this one is just lovely, like a real, living rose fresh picked from the garden. The cinnamon balances the rose nicely, just giving it a little bit of depth and sultriness. How does th BPAL crowd do that? This is a completely different rose from the others I've tried. Just amazing. It would be a perfect scent to wear out dancing, I think. I was so excited when I put this on, because I haven't really fallen in love with any of the imps from my first order, and it seemed like I'd found a definite keeper. But ten minutes later it was all baby powder on me. I tried putting it in my hair and got the same effect. Goshdarnit. I'll have to find another use for this one. Maybe I'll put some in a diffuser and hope it brings me sweet dreams.

Oh dear. I had such high hopes for this one. but it appears that my body chemistry just doesn't play well with Highwayman. Wet, I got this stinging, cold scent. Very sharp. Almost metallic. I have no idea where the metallic note is coming from. I never thought of vetiver or leather as sharp or cold scents but that's the impression I get from this. Like brand new, never warmed or broken in leather and cold soil. This is a thouroughly masculine scent, so far. I know that in Eastern Europe, it's popular to put put bitter herbs into bottles of vodka to make tonic liquers. My grandfather called them sweet vodkas. That's what this turns to on my skin. A few minutes after it dries it turns to leather and alcohol on my skin, like someone had dumped a bottle of sweet vodka all over a new saddle. No florals, and no cinnamon, although cinnamon usually takes a long time to come out on me, and I probably washed it off too soon after I put it on. I'm a little sad that the other notes don't come out on me, but maybe I just need to age this one and give it another chance later.

I managed to spill most of my imp and managed to get it all over my imp case and bathroom counter before I ever got it on myself...I was cringing because I expected to to be the strongest of the scents I've tried so far. I was expecting something bitter and spicy with a hint of vanilla. Instead, this lovely sweet almond smell wafted up, like almond paste mixed with vanilla, but very soft and feathery, if that makes any sense. After it was on my skin, it became less almond and more vanilla, and after a few hours something bitter (maybe frankincense?) came to the forefront with a very hot cinnamon, but the sweet almond/vanilla mixture never really went away. I never expected such a foody scent to be so..ethereal. I scrubbed down the counters and the box, but Eclipse hung around. Fortunately, it is such a gentle scent it didn't bother me and now I just think "mmm...sweet almonds" whenever I open the imp box or brush my hair. This is a strong oil blend that lingers for a long, long time, but the scent has such a light and airy feel that it's not distracting at all. Overall a neat experience, but not one I'll be getting a big bottle of. I was really expecting to love this one because of the notes (I do love marzipan), but it just doesn't do it for me. Too sweet and light, perhaps. I'm gravitating towards earthy and fruity scents more and more. But if you are looking for something sweet and light that's not floral, you might find it in Eclipse.

This is the scent of a fearless, exotic, vivacious woman...who is beating me over the head with 2 dozen roses and a cup of Turkish coffee. Again, Beth and the team take my breath away with another fabulously unexpected scent, but unfortunately, one that is too strong for my tastes. I get no jasmine or vanilla with this one, just very strong rose with a strange biting overtone, like the taste of coffee grounds. This isn't a soft rose, either. It's a strange, strong rose, with a tang to it. It's the smell of tea roses left to dry in the attic or to wilt in the sun, until their scent almost goes sour. And it it's strong...Even after letting it sit dry for an hour and then washing it off, the rose lingered. This scent has such a kick to it. It's totally girly and feminine but it also gives the impression of being powerful and gutsy. Aptly named. It's interesting, but the rose is just too strong for my tastes. I don't think I'll be able to wear this one undiluted. On the bright side, when I washed it off, it left a lovely soft rosewater scent...maybe if I diluted it it would make a nice body mist, or something. EDITED January/2008 OK this is a completely different scent after aging. Give it few months - it calms down and the notes blend into the loveliest, most complex floral - the coffee and tonka give it warmth and depth, the fig vanilla, and mahogany come more to the forefront, and the roses and jasmine turn into a really true, fresh, subtle scent of fresh blooming flowers. Really gorgeous, but like many of the best BPAL scents, it needed to settle a bit.

My first impression straight out of the bottle was of pine, then bay leaf. Very strong out of the bottle. Dried, on my skin, the pine became softer and almost faded away, and the bay leaf became stronger and other notes dominated. No lemon on me, but it ended up being a spicy, sweet scent when it dried probably due to the rosemary and bay. I would swear this had clove or allspice in it, but there's none in the description. Reminds me of the spice drawer in my grandmother's kitchen, combined with the scent from juniper wood when it's put on the fire. A very masculine scent, but the spice is gentle, not biting and strong. It's very mellow on my skin, with hardly any throw. It faded after a few hours. I was pleasantly surprised. It was nothing like I expected, but still lovely and complex on the drydown. Not something I would wear on my person, because it doesn't really reflect my personality, but something I might put in a diffuser for a relaxing room scent to read or play music by.

This was the first imp I tried. It smelled like Easter, to me...warm sunshine and mounds of candy, although there is a definite wine note, as well. I do believe that these are the 400 divine CHOCOLATE rabbits of the Aztec pantheon.

Thank you both so much for your advice. Your descriptions really give me a better idea of what I'd like to try. And thank you, ivyandpeony for the correction on House of Night. Languor sounds gorgeous, as does Eos. I don't usually go for strongly floral perfumes, but I like the individual floral notes so much the descriptions make me swoon. I never would have picked Hades as a scent with a strong or dominant narcissus note. I will definitely be trying that one. Eshe, as well. And now I have a list of things to look for in sales/swaps. Thank you, again. This is very helpful.

Alright BPAL junkies, I love daffodils. Looooooove them. Deep underneath the tacky-goth exterior within my dark little heart a special place beats just for those goofy lookin' yellow flowers. And now that spring is fading fast into Summer, I'm wondering if there is a magical BPAL scent that can help me hold on to them all year long. I really like the way they smell - it's a faint smell, a pale yellow-green smell, that I associate with those perfect sunny mornings when everything is too warm to have any hint of winter left, yet cool and breezy and fresh before the summer settles in all dusty and hot. I've done some searching for daffodils on the BPAL site under all of the common names, as well as all the flowers in the same family - Narcissus, Jonquil, Paperwhite, and Buttercups. This is the list I have of BPAL scents that use Narcissus-related flowers as a note: Hades Exhibition I: Orpheus Exhibition II: Melancholia Faiza's Companions: The Snake Pit - Cottonmouth Darkness House of Night Hellion Hunger Languor Pride Poission D'Avril Kitsune-Tsuki Marquise De Merteuil Blue Moon 2007 Eos Baneberry (a related plant) Does anyone know in which of these the narcissus/daffodil notes are most noticeable? Or are there other scents out there that remind people of these flowers? Any reply would be greatly appreciated.

Next week I'm starting a new job that requires nearly constant social interaction and and no small amount of charm. I'm really amped up about doing well in this position and I want to make a great first impression. Being a naturally shy person, I'm trying to give my attitude a little bit of 'oomph' by dressing a little fancier and trying to smile more, and by trying to be more assertive, friendly, and outgoing. Does anyone have any suggestions for scents or blends that I might add to this persona, scents that might inspire confidence and easy conversation? It has to be something with a little power to it, but something inviting, and not too aggressive. I'm looking to build happy, casual relationships, but not sexual ones.

ooooh, seconded. That sounds lovely. A soft floral with woodsmoke notes...anyone have any ideas?