SoundlessEchoes

Of course I had to try this one... it's supposed to be super-sexy, and well, while I found the end of Story of O rather sad, I won't say the subject matter wasn't intriguing! Imped: What comes out to me when I sniff it is honey, vanilla, and big BAM of voluptous sexiness, like Jayne Mansfield turned into a perfume, blonde and faux innocent and taking your breath away. Worn: This one comes off my skin in clouds, all honey and vanilla and a faint hint of amber. It's more sweet than sexy worn, though... I guess it's still trying to obey the Hays Code on me! It's a very feminine, sensual fragrance, but it seems more of an innocent tease than the aftermath of sex that some seem to get. Long term: And I do mean LONG term - I could still smell traces of soft honey and faint vanilla on the back of my wrists over 24 hours after first application. This is not a scent that fades and disappears! Luckily, it's a very pleasant one, growing a hair less overwhelmingly sweet, but still staying more flirtatious than sexy. To me, this is very much an ingenue's scent, at least as it wears on me. Overall, while I don't think I need a bottle, I'm pretty happy to have it, and I'm curious to see how my swain feels about it, since it seems popular. When I get a chance!

Lab imp! In the imp: Leather and rosin! Straightforward. I can't pick out the hemp, but it's not really missed. Worn and fairly fresh: Like Fighter, this sits on me in layers. At a distance, I primarily get the warm, resiny glow of the rosin. The closer I get to my arm, the more the leather comes out, and this definitely feels like black leather, although it's a worn, broken in, loved leather, not the showy, stiff sort. Long term: The hemp never shows up particularly, or it's parceled into the rosin. The longer it's on, the more the leather fades and insinuates itself into the leather, like it's getting worked down into it, until it finally fades in a warm, golden glow, like you just missed someone's sleek form slipping by you in the dark. Very appropriate for a rogue, indeed.

This was one of the generous frimps in my most recent order, and it's an interesting one! I tend to be more one to play the other types, but hey, you never know... In the imp: Leather and steel! Specifically, it reminds me of the scent of my dad's motorcycle, the leather seat, the metal cooling off after being in the hot sun and the heat of the engine. Worn: My first impression is that this smells CLEAN, of all things. If it's a motorcycle, then it's a well-maintained, loved one, whose owner washes and buffs it every weekend! At first, the metal smells wet, somehow, as if the rider was caught in the rain. They're in a leather jacket, and it's a bit damp, a bit sweaty, but still pleasant, despite that slight 'dirty' contrast. Long term: This is a very layered scent on me, in the sense that you get different things based on how close you are to the skin. Out a ways, you get that clean, wet, warm metal. The closer in you lean to the application point, the more the leather and skin aromas rise up and mix into it, giving it a more wild swagger than the almost antiseptic cleanliness of the metal. It's a really fascinating blend. I'm not sure I'll be wearing this as perfume, but it strikes me as someone that'd be good for aromatherapy, of sorts, as a confidence booster or to grant some swagger. I'm curious to try this on my partner next I see them...

As I poke my way through my review spreadsheet and work on posting reviews, we get to Bard! I got this a few years ago, I no longer can recall if I picked it or it was a frimp. In said imp: All rum and honey, baby. On the skin: On me, this comes across as very 'perfume'y at first, specifically, like an amber or musk based oriental. Fairly quickly, the musk peeks out and distinguishes itself, while all that rum and honey are suddenly in hiding! Later: Honey suddenly wakes up and comes to warm and sweeten the musk, turning it into a charming blend of those two. The rum in this never seems to really come out on me. Overall, it's a pleasant blend, but nothing of a stand out for me. The honey does help make sure it's a long lasting one on me at least!

Another maybe-this'll-help-me-sleep try. I don't find this one a guaranteed sleep inducer at all, but I do find it to be relaxing and to at least make me less resentful that I can't get to sleep. Definitely not something I'd wear just for the scent though! In the imp: Lavender and something soap-y floral. Jasmine, maybe? A hint of anise/fennel. On the skin: Stayed pretty much the same, it's a soft, soap-y floral, based on lavender and something else. I find this a 'soft' lavender more than the astringent floral kind. Long term: While the first time I wore this I panicked and washed it off, afraid there was chamomile, I never reacted to it, nor have the many times I've worn it since... so either it's not in here, or I've been wrong about what I'm allergic to. That said, I find this one to be quite fixed, it doesn't really change at all through dry down, just gradually fades out over the course of a few hours.

I've been trying out any of the Somnium blends I'm fairly sure don't have chamomile in them since I'm horribly insomnia prone. (... And horribly chamomile allergic, but so far, nothing has set that off!) Baku's probably been my favorite so far. In the imp: Eucalyptus and something in the fennel/anise/black licorice family. Fresh on skin: The fennel/anise is forward first and stays there for about five minutes, then the lavender comes forward and a tiny touch of eucalyptus. It's a more herbal lavender, although I find that at this stage, one of those notes lends an underlying sweetness to Baku. An hour and more out: The longer I wear it, the more soft, but clearly herbal/astringent lavender comes to the front, with tiny breaths of eucalyptus and anise/fennel floating up now and then. It's not something I'd wear as a perfume, but I do find it soothing when trying to sleep, and especially after bad dreams.

This is interesting to me, as my imp reacted wildly differently on my body chemistry than it seems to have anyone else in the thread! In the imp: In line with what's said above, I get spices, a dry desert wind, and hints of round and rich spices and balms. On the skin, first few minutes: This is where I get a difference. On me, Silk Road rises off my wrist with EXACTLY the scent of the hot, muggy summer wind blowing past the hay field and through the wild honeysuckle when I lived in rural southern Illinois. There's definitely a tea scent (my heart says iced tea, but I think that's because of my associations of a rural summer), and some indistinct spices that make it richer. An hour (and more) out: Gradually, the honeysuckle fades and the rest of the spices and resins and so on come out to play, although I never really am able to pick specific notes out of it, even the cinnamon or clove I suspect are here. It's a rich, heady panoply of blended aromas and I'm quite fond of it. Overall, while I don't feel a need for a full bottle, I'm quite glad to have the imp, especially with the strong olfactory memories it gives me. Even if no one else seems to have gotten a fraction as much floral! (I actually tried it twice before posting this review, just to make sure the honeysuckle wasn't some quirk of my mind or senses the first time!)

From initial BPAL order a few years ago. In the imp: Pine and cedar, a definite coastal scent, a scrubby pine forest on a semi-cloudy day where it drifts down to a slightly tossed sea. Initial drydown: Wet on the skin, pine and cedar, resinous. As it dries down, the blackberry and tomato leaf unfurl, although I haven't caught cranberry yet. Still, it's utterly lovely. One hour out: The pitch softens til it's more a memory or the near presence of woods, especially with the dark green of the leaves and the light breath of fruit cranberry, like it's coming in an open window or door. It makes me feel like I'm in a woodland cabin in the very late afternoon or early evening, sun starting to go down, in warm flannel, safe and relaxed.

From my first BPAL order a few years back. In the imp: Primarily sassafras and balsam to the nose, not aggressive, but straightforward. If this scent was a man, he'd wear his guns openly, shake your hand firmly, and look you in the eye to let you know not to trust him at cards. Initial drydown: On my skin, the sassafras comes to a bold, sharp edge. Faint hints of balsam adds to the wildness, and the overall feel is of decidedly alcoholic rootbeer. DEFINITELY don't trust this man at cards, but he's not going to lie to you that you should. An hour out: As time goes on, the sassafras sinks down into the cedar, but keeps a lovely edge. I feel like the gentleman beat me at cards, then bought me a stiff drink. I'm both mildly irritated and intrigued. The longer it's on (and it lasts!) the more the cedar and vanilla show through and soften it, as if we've been drinking together and become good friends. This is definitely a comfort scent to me. Which... probably says something, since it reminds me of a scoundrel.

It's nice to see looking through the thread that others get gingerbread from this... I didn't on ME but my partner's kid put it on, announced 'I smell like gingerbread', we both looked at them like they were nuts and... THEY DID. The kid got to keep the imp. For me though... In the imp: Musty, earthy, dusty; the scent of age and neglect. 10 minute dry down: Smells to like dry dirt or dust on my skin, with a hint of something musky underneath, maybe a touch of chocolate? It's impossible to pick out anything specific, it's more about a mood, and that mood is 'midwestern antique-ing'. 1 hour: No real change. For me, this smells EXACTLY like the sort of antique stores you get in the downtowns or fringes of small towns in the midwest, where they're a maze of items in an old commercial building, and there's a fascinating blend of musk and dust and dirt and old paper in the air and always a treasure hiding somewhere. I don't know that I want to wear it as a perfume, but it's a fantastic way to evoke an olfactory memory. Good staying power, get faint wafts up to 10 hours later.

This imp was one of the things that motivated me to give in and make my first order. Luckily, I do quite like it! In the imp: Quite strong on the pine, I can pick out juniper and a mix of resinous, herbaceous, and woodsy notes. 10 minute dry down: VERY strong pine/juniper with hints of something perfumed underneath, probably the ambergris or musk. The juniper amps on me on dry down and keeps it from getting christmas-y with the pine. The musk, for me, shows in up in waft, but not directly on the wrist. 1 hour out: Softened, still foremost with pine and juniper, but growing more blended together with each other and the musk and ambergris. Soft, woodsy, like a deep old growth forest and lovely. This is still one of my favorites, although I've found that how much I like it can vary - at some points my body chemistry amps the juniper to the point where it's almost too bracing and biting, other times it stays that soft, deep forest that I just want to find a spot of dappled sunlight in and lie down to nap.

Alas, also never smelled the original. That said... In the imp: Yep, that's fresh, clean leather! 10 minutes out: Mmmm. Constant whaft of soft, fresh leather as it dries down. Reminds me of walking into a shop that sells leather coats and clothing, not the kinky kind, but the basic sort. 1 hour out (and onwards): Exactly the same, the warm, comforting scent of clean leather. It's absolutely lovely and while I might not want to wear it every day, it's just... perfect as what it is.

Fresh from the lab and judged on its own merits, as I'm not familiar with the originals, but I couldn't resist the description. In the bottle: I primarily get the bright effervescence of the bergamot and the mandarin, with a soft drift of florals or amber behind it that adds a roundness and depth. After 10 minutes on my skin: I get the citrus and a glow of warm saffron, but despite those notes, I don't find it at all gourmand or foodie in nature. It's also much less bracing than I'd expect from having citrus in the front, just an impression of freshness and tartness. 1 hour drydown: This is where it gets interesting. The citrus doesn't last on me, but the longer I wear it, the more an entwined serpent of rose and sandalwood comes to the fore, amping up until it rules over a soft hint of brightness and a distant ground of musk. It's a red rose, rich and mature, and with the sandalwood, it stays on me far, far longer than rose usually does. In the very end, after a few hours, in the dryer spots of application, only the sandalwood lingers. The whole journey of it is fascinating, and while I like it at the beginning, I /love/ it at that one to two hour mark, when it's all sandalwood and rose dancing over something else, tempting me to dive into the scent again.

Freshly arrived this week from the lab. I never smelled the original, so I can't offer a direct comparison. In the imp: This was hard to find the words to describe, but yes, it does feel /dark/, full of shadows. I catch a hint of cedarwood lurking and sometimes moving to the front. 5 to 10 minutes dry down: Again, it's hard to figure out how to explain my reaction. Mostly what I get is what I'm pretty sure is vetiver, on my skin, there's a few hints of patchouli, but I'm picking out any cedar or cinnamon. 1 hour: Still just vetiver and patchouli. Apparently, I really amp vetiver, because the longer I wore this, the more that note comes to the fore and it lingers almost aggressively. I really liked the idea of this, but it just doesn't seem to quite work how I want it to on me, I wanted a bit more a warm darkness, and this is more of a musty old ruin. We'll see if a bit of aging helps it out.

In the imp: A blend of deep, earthy scents, hard to pick out specific notes. An old growth forest. 5 to 10 minutes drydown: First wet and for some time, I get a strong impression of sandalwood - since there's not supposed to be any sandalwood in this, I think that's the way my nose is interpreting the blending of the pine and musk. There's hints of something warm rounding out the back, an amber or vanilla sort of note. 1 hour out: A soft, woodsy musk. Not any distinct notes, just the perfect blend like standing in the deep shadows near the pines of an old growth forest. Absolutely wonderful. This is one of my favorites, and the only thing keeping me from going for a full bottle yet is that I feel that it's a bit strong for my work environment.

In the bottle: Wet earth and roses, things hinted at rather than being said straight up, an overall impression of damp ground and green flora. 5 to 10 minute dry down: On me, it stays wet roses and stems over damp earth, like the roses that used to grow by our door just after the rain. These are fairly soft, sad roses, not sultry or little girl, but wistful and funeral. 1 hour out: The earth says wet, but the roses seem to dry out. It's very soft and outdoors, and while the other notes aren't explicit, they add to that sort of 'out in the damp' feel to the whole scent.

I got this some years ago, I think possibly as a frimp. In the imp: A well blended floral, hard to pull out specific notes, although I get hints of jasmine and another floral my brain labels as the champaca, even though I've never smelled it to know for sure! 5 to 10 minute dry down: I spilled quite a bit on myself and my skin just like... ate it all up, leaving a demure, polite, tiny floral with faint whiffs of jasmine. 1 hour out: The longer I wear it, the more the florals fade away, leaving a breathy bouquet of honey, honeysuckle, and jasmine, with a soft ground of sandalwood and vanilla. It never gets strong or anything other than delicate and pretty on my skin, though. So if that's what you're looking for...

Impression in the Imp: A classic (and classy) spring floral, violet in the front. 5 to 10 minute drydown: Violet, some tuberose, and a light waft of lilac! Exactly what it says! 1 hour: The violets continue to dominate. It's a very pretty scent but very traditionally feminine which generally isn't my interest. Still, may keep it around for very girly days. It is really well blended and charming, just doesn't match my aesthetic.

I wanted to like this so badly, and I almost did, but... In the bottle: I was hesitant, because all I got on sniffing was chardonnay, and a hint of rum lurking dangerously behind it. 5 to 10 minute dry down: Quiets down on my skin, becoming a lovely rich mix of tonka and rum with the tobacco and chardonnay dancing back and forth around it. 1 hour: Soft tonka with hints of leather when sniffed directly. That I liked! Unfortunately... whenever I move my hands or arms, I get whiffs of something that reads as rotting fruit. I'm pretty sure this is the chardonnay note, and it HATES my body chemistry. HATES it. Traded off to a friend whose body played much more nicely. Wish it had worked, I loved the name and I liked the tonka/leather/tobacco notes mixed when that was there!

Not that another review of this lovely is desperately needed but... My imp is 2015 vintage, and initial review notes are all from when it was fresh. In the imp: Sharp spice floating over a bed of soft vanilla. Definitely reminds me of incense and sort of a head shop/exotics shop type location. 5 to 10 minute drydown: I found a smoky, slightly unpleasant burnt note came out on drydown, heavier on one wrist than the other. The combination of sweet and smoky seems like it should appeal to me but I don't really like it at this stage. 1 hour drydown: The burnt notes went away and the vanilla and incense notes regained control. It's not my absolute favorite and feels a bit strong for summer but I do like it! Over the years, I've found it melllows. It no longer gets that burnt note on initial application, and the vanilla feels richer and less foody. I find myself wearing it a lot more now than I was ever eager to when it was new.

Based on imp ordered circa 2015. In the Imp: Rich and deep, not an inherently woody scent. Stronger on amber than musk, and with a hint of incense. Impressions of strength and forthrightness. 5 to 10 minute dry down: Very resinous, giving an impression of crispness and sharp edges. Despite that, I'd consider it tame and almost polite on the skin; not a wild forest man, but a businessman or executive. 1 hour: Remains surprisingly polite! A very blended woodsy-amber tone, without distinct notes. In drier areas like the inner elbow, hints of something more animal and wild come out, as if the businessman was a little wild and his youth, maybe he has a few tattoos hidden under that suit. Overall, it's solid, but not a particular favorite.

Just tried my imp of this today, freshly arrived yesterday. In the bottle: Roses, soft and flirty, but no sense of soapiness, powder, or a little girl attitude. Promising. After 5 to 10 minutes on the skin: There's no distinct cinnamon note on me, but there's a round rich warmth under the roses that helps make sure these are mature, deep, sensual red roses, deep red, almost like wine but with no alcohol element. Deeply feminine, but womanly. After an hour: This has one of the most consistent drydowns I've experienced yet. It softens just a little on the sensuality, but there's no significant change in the notes, other than that. Not the most long lasting though, it's pretty much gone after three hours. Judging from my usual feeling about rose scents versus this and Baghdad Resurrected, I think that Bulgar Rose may be the rose that works for me. Edited to Update: I was fond but not insane about this at first, but it wormed into my brain and kept calling me to grab my imp again and again. Ended up being the first thing I bought a full bottle of! And for that matter, that I'd be pretty much happy to roll around in forever like a cat in catnip. It's womanly, spicy, sensuous, and just absolutely wonderful.