Penance

Origin: 5mL from catseyes. Preconceived notions: I love white chocolate. At least when it comes to eating it. It's one of the few candies that I really enjoy. My experience with it as a perfume note has been limited to the original 13, which really didn't work for me. It had a waxy, plastic-type smell to it that really put me off. But considering how much I love black raspberries (as food, generally, but the smell of actual fresh black raspberries or black raspberry preserves is a wonderful thing) and BPAL's apricot note (hello, March Hare!), I had to try this. I'm really hoping that it smells somewhat similar to Godiva's white chocolate raspberry starfish candies, to be perfectly honest, because they smell good. First sniff: First I sniffed this through the plumber's tape that was wrapped around the cap and it smelled strongly of white chocolate with something almost musky that had to be the apricot playing tricks. It smelled pretty good. Then once I unwrapped it and was hit with a nice waft of black raspberry preserves, mixed with white chocolate and a hint of that March Hare apricot note I love. This is looking good. Opening the bottle, it was the same scent as it was with the cap on but stronger. Delicious. It actually does smell quite a bit like Godiva's white chocolate raspberry starfish, but with apricot added. Wet on skin: No change at all from the bottle. Which is good. I was afraid this would turn to plastic on me like it seems to do on some people. This smells wonderful. Much sweeter than my normal perfumes (since I strongly prefer incense/earthy scents most days), but really nice. It's definitely sweeter and more gourmand than my Dark Chocolate, Whiskey and Cognac Truffle, but still wearable and not too foody for me (I think it would definitely be too foody if I disliked any of the notes in this, though, so bear that in mind). Dry down: The white chocolate takes over a bit as this dries and it settles into a musky white chocolate scent with a background of apricot and black raspberry preserves. It really does smell like candy and, amazingly, I'm absolutely loving this. Like Dark Chocolate, Whiskey and Cognac Truffle, it makes me want to eat my arm, it smells so good. Completely realistic and utterly delicious. The bottom line: I'm definitely going to have to track down more of this because it's a beauty. I only have half a bottle right now and I can see myself using it all up. I'm amazed by how much I'm liking these Box of Chocolates scents. I never thought I'd see the day that I would be wearing (and loving) a candy scented perfume, but leave it to BPAL to achieve the unachievable. I'm in white chocolate, raspberry, apricot heaven right now.

Origin: 5mL from Dark Delicacies. Preconceived notions: I'll just say it up front. I got this because of the name. It made me laugh and I'm an unrepentent lover of really bad horror/sci-fi movies. I don't necessarily have high expectations for it, although some of the notes are good ones for me. Not all of them, though. Fruitcake? I really, really don't want to smell like fruitcake. That's the most concerning thing here, everything else seems like it could work. First sniff: Ooh, this smells good. It's like a cross between Gingerbread Poppet and Villainess' Gingerbread. It's nice and rich and spicy with a moistness to it. How can a perfume oil smell moist? I have absolutely no idea, but this does. It doesn't smell like crisp cookies, it smells like rich, moisy, chewy gingerbread with an emphasis on the spices. I don't smell any musk or fruitcake here. Rum is hard to say. Could be, but rum often smells a bit spicy to me, so it could be getting masked by the gingerbread scent. Wet on skin: Same as in the bottle, but maybe a little bit sweeter and more candied smelling. Kind of like if you took that same moist gingerbread and dipped it in maraschino cherries, but without the cherry scent. It has that sweet, syrupiness to it without being over the top or cloying. I really like this is a lot. It's pretty similar to Gingerbread Poppet on me, but sweeter and gooier smelling. Dry down: This goes through some stages when it's drying down on me. At first, when the oil actually dries, it's very similar to the wet stage only with just a little bit of candied fruit smell. It has to be the fruitcake making an appearance, but I actually like it. It's just fruity enough to give this some depth (and keep it from being too much of a Gingerbread Poppet clone). It has a very rich smell to it and it's very realistic, not like the cheap gingerbread candles you see popping up around the holidays. This is the smell of a kitchen where someone's been marathon baking all day to prepare for holiday guests, with maybe a slug sip or two of rum along the way to help ease their frazzled nerves. Then, once the drydown has been going on for several hours, it turns musky but still spicy. In the end, it leaves me with a gentle musk (white musk, maybe; it reminds me of Oison but without the herbal notes) and soft, gingery spice scent that's surprisingly pretty. You really need to put your nose up close to it at this point to get a whiff, but it's a nice surprise when you do. The bottom line: I have to say, I'm very pleasantly surprised. This has an awesomely hilarious name and a really nice, wearable scent. I don't think the difference is big enough between this and Gingerbread Poppet for me to justify getting a second bottle (since I already have 2 GP's in my stash), but if I didn't already have plenty of gingerbread smelliness in my BPAL box, I'd definitely grab another bottle. In fact, I still might...it's tempting, although I know I don't "need" it. ETA: Not only did I go for the second bottle of Flesh-Eating Reindeer in spite of telling myself repeatedly that I didn't need it, I went for another 2 on top of that. Yes, I now own 4 bottles and I it.

Origin: Partial 5mL bought from glasspillars. Preconceived notions: I'm not much of a chocolate fan (either as food or as perfume) normally, but there's something about BPAL cocoa notes that's managed to circumvent that little obstacle. While I'm still not a huge fan of super sweet chocolate scents, cocoa and dark chocolate are working for me (in moderation), especially when they're combined with boozy notes (like here) or tobacco. So I expect this to be a big winner. First sniff: Oh, this is good. I get a nice cocoa scent (more like cocoa powder than candy) layered over sweet, heady, boozy cognac in the background. I'm not smelling much whiskey here yet, but that's fine. Cognac smells really good on me in BPAL blends and it's a little less intensely alcoholic in scent than whiskey is (I love boozy scents, but I don't want to walk around smelling like I've been on a bender. Wet on skin: Mmm, chocolate and cognac. This smells like the delicious little dark chocolate and rum ganache truffles I used to get now and then from the upscale little chocolate boutique in a town a little ways from our house, only with cognac substituted for the rum. It's rich and chocolatey, but not cloying, and deliciously boozy without being cheap smelling. This is sophisticated. Dry down: Smooth, almost milky, chocolate with just a bit of cognac wafting up. It makes me want to eat my arm in spite of my take it or leave it attitude toward chocolate. This is a gorgeous scent. It's not overpoweringly sweet. Not by a long shot. Soft, smooth, silky and, yes, sweet, but not cloying or ultra foody. It's almost musky on me, oddly enough. And that's a good thing. The bottom line: I never thought I'd see the day that I would fall so completely for a chocolate scent, but my BPAL adventures have evidently been leading up to this by teaching me to appreciate notes I never thought would work on or for me. I'm happy to say that this is an unequivocal keeper, although I'm sad that it's an LE and I don't have more of it, since I'm a hoarder of scents I love.

Origin: Dark Deliacies. First sniff: Clean laundry? Detergent? Something a little bit sweet and minty in the background. No idea what that is. In the bottle, this immediately makes me think of doing laundry. More the scent of powdered laundry detergent than clean, crisp sheets. Wet on skin: Definitely different on my skin. It's like a distant cousin of White Rabbit, without the ginger (which smells like lemon) note and with less sweetness/milkiness. I'm still getting clean laundry, but it's sweeter, softer and more comforting now. This isn't bad, but so far I prefer White Rabbit. Dry down: Very similar to White Rabbit's drydown on me. It has that crisp linen scent (no more laundry detergent; the sheets are clean and dry and folded now) with a milky, sugary tea note over top, which is strange since there's no tea listed in Black Lace. Maybe I should say that it smells like the milky, sugary tea note in White Rabbit, which doesn't exactly smell like an actual cup of tea to me. It's not exactly the same as White Rabbit, but it's hard to pin down what's different here. I think it may be that White Rabbit has a slight pepper and ginger scent on the drydown that's absent in Black Lace. This is sweeter, smoother and prettier on the drydown than in the wet stages. The drydown is fairly close to what I was expecting, although I don't get the cognac noted in the description. I think if the cognac had made an appearance, it would have made Black Lace a little more unique and a little more interesting for me. With the cognac, this could have been a more grown up, sophisticated version of White Rabbit, but as it is, Black Lace just doesn't differentiate itself for me. The bottom line: If I didn't already have White Rabbit, I think I would probably keep this, but I'm trying hard to keep my collection reasonably under control and they're just too similar to keep both. Since I prefer White Rabbit's wet stage and it's drydown (it's a close call, though), I'll be sending Black Lace onto a new home.

I can't believe this doesn't have a topic already...weird. Origin: The Pumpkin King circular swap. My impressions: Cinnamon without smelling like a craft store or potpurri. I definitely recognize this from Three Witches. It's an almost musty smelling cinnamon, more like cinnamon sticks than red hots (i.e. realistic instead of fake). I like cinnamon a lot, but I can't see myself wearing this on its own. It's definitely nice, though.

I've been meaning to review this for ages, but just never got around to it, so here it is, my long-awaited and long-overdue review of one of my most coveted BPAL blends. Preconceived notions: I literally almost cried when I heard about this blend and realized I wouldn't ever get a bottle because there was no possible way that I could go to Convergence and couldn't justify spending the price that a bottle, should one be put up, was sure to command on eBay. I loved it for the name alone, being a buzzard-lover from childhood for reasons even I don't understand, but also for the descriptions people gave. Woody and warm? I'm all over that. I almost hope to hate this so I don't lust after something I can't get more of (I have a dab in an imp that I was very lucky to be gifted with). First sniff: Something in here reminds me strongly of Golden Priapus...pine, maybe? It's got that same sort of strange medicinal, tickle-the-back-of-your-throat sharpness to it that GP has, but it's more...syrupy, maybe? Strange, very strange and hard to describe. I'm not sure that this was entirely what I was expecting...I was thinking more warmth and dryness rather than sharpness, but this is interesting. I'd be thrilled to death if I got the earthiness that some other people have described, but nothing doing. It's pure medicinal sharpness to my nose for some reason. Wet on skin: More manageable now, but still not quite what I had in mind. Where I was thinking rich and warm and earthy with a touch of dry wood, I'm getting that same odd throat tickling piney note that never seems to agree with me for some reason. This isn't boding well. Dry down: No real change, unfortunately. There's a bit more dry woodiness now, but not enough to make this a scent I really love. It has to be something in here that's throwing my nose off because by all accounts I should adore this. I'd love to know what it is and if there's a common ingredient between this and Golden P as both of them make my throat tickle and give me almost a sense of nervous anticipation that's just not pleasant. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's one note ruining this one for me and that's more heartbreaking than if the entire thing had gone horribly wrong. The bottom line: I wanted to love Doc, but we're just not meant to be together, apparently. I would have expected that we'd be perfect for one another but I suppose it's a blessing in disguise as I could never get a bottle of it if my life depended on it. Blessing it may be, but it's still sad. We could have been such good friends. ------------ ETA: It's been more than 4 years since I got my little decant of Doc Buzzard (which I could never bring myself to get rid of for sentimental reasons) and I'm trying it again today, mainly out of curiosity, but also to see if its mellowed/changed any with age. So I think it's time for an updated review. First sniff: Still that same, strange medicinal smell, although the other notes seem to have mellowed and deepened. There's something oddly herbal and medicinal lurking in here, but it's not quite as sharp as I remember it being the first time around. Wet on skin: I'm getting more dry wood now than I (apparently) did before, but that pine note is still here. At this point, it's definitely evocative of the old west. Dry, dusty wooden buildings, raw, rough cut wood and herbal cure-alls. I'm still not loving Doc at this point, but it's not bad and I do like it. Just not something I'd reach for on a regular basis. Dry down: Hello! What just happened? Suddenly, this went from dry wood and pine to dry wood and incense?! Seriously, Doc made a sudden, sharp turn in the time it took to dry. And I'm loving the results. I only put on a small dab since I don't have much and didn't want to slather it all over (both because I didn't think I was going to want to smell like it and because I didn't want to put a big dent in it just testing it), but it's strong. I'm getting very dry wood (cedar, I'd say), a little bit of some sort of dusty, dry incense (possibly sandalwood based, but it's hard to say) and maybe some musk? I'm not that good at identifying musk types, but I'm thinking black. Definitely not red, because it lacks the round, almost fruitiness of red musk. This is a very dry, masculine scent. And it's much, much more appealing than it was the last time I tried it. The longer it dries, the better it smells (to me, anyway; I have a feeling a lot of people would smell this and go "Eww, hamster bedding!"). The bottom line: Doc has indeed mellowed with age and lost its youthful sharpness. I like what it's turned into. Apparently not getting rid of my little decant was a good decision. Or a bad one since I want more now.

Preconceived notions: I had to buy this from the moment I read the notes, even after the momentary sticker shock. Everything in here is pure love for me - redwood and red sandalwood are easily two of my favorite notes and tobacco is something I'm always happy to see in a BPAL blend. I can't imagine something more perfect sounding. First sniff: Ooh, love it! This is just what I expected and it's a relief that the pepper isn't overpowering, which I'd been afraid of for no reason other than that something that sounds so perfect can't possibly live up to my expectations. I was wrong, though - dead wrong. In the bottle, this is rich and woody with a soft resiny swirl in the background and a bit of subtle spice. It's gentlemanly without being impossible for a woman - albeit a tomboy - to pull off. Wet on skin: Warm, rich and woody are words that come to mind, as are decadent, mysterious and smoky, although there's no smoke to this. It reminds me of wood panneling and leather armchairs for some reason. In terms of feel, it's similar to Hellfire without being overpoweringly tobacco-like. It's almost what I imagine a grandfather should smell like (not what mine smelled like, certainly, but ideally speaking): warm, masculine and welcoming. Drydown: There's no real change from wet to dry for me on this one. It's just as warm and inviting and rich once it dries as it is when its wet. For a long time I've wanted a bottle of tobacco absolute and while I have one now, it doesn't live up to Carceri d'Invenzione in terms of perfection. I vastly prefer this genius blend to the tobacco absolute mainly because of the depth of this scent. The verdict: An absolute winner. I would bathe in this if I could.

Preconceived notions: I'm not normally a foody fan, but throw in bourbon and red velvet cake and I'll make an exception. I'm a bit afraid of this being too foody for me, especially with the buttercream, but it sounds delicious! First sniff: Ohhhh...this is good. I smell the blackberry and the red velvet cake the most, but I get a hint of sweet creaminess from the buttercream, too. It's rich and sweet and foody, but I like it. Wet on skin: This is so good. On my skin, the bourbon (a note I'd love to see more of) comes out strong with a sweet, fruity background of blackberry and buttercream. Dry down: I'm surprised that the buttercream isn't amping up and making me sick, considering that my skin loves to latch onto sweet notes and turn them into UBER SWEETS OF DOOM (yes, the capitals were necessary to convey the true nature of their evil). As it dries, Monster Bait: Closet gets a bit sweeter than during the wet stage, but not overwhelmingly so. It's sweet and edible without being cloying and it's somehow grown up smelling in spite of the "little girl" vibe that foody scents generally have. The bottom line: Love it! I need more of this before it's gone.

Preconceived notions: I had to try this blend since I tend to go through phases where I toss and turn and have horrible nightmares that keep me awake, but since I already had Somnus, I got a decant of this instead of splurging on a whole bottle. Scent impressions: Smells like lavender, but sweeter than Somnus to my nose. I like the way this smells! Effectiveness: I've never in my life had such a good night's sleep as last night, although I'm not sure if it was the Nocturne or the fact that I haven't slept well in 4 nights because I couldn't get a refill on one of my medications that helps me get stage 4 sleep (long story) and finally got it last night. Either way, I have to say I'm impressed with Nocturne. It seemed to work better than Somnus does and didn't have the almost astringent smell to it that Somnus does. The verdict: I think I'm definitely going to get a bottle of this one.

Preconceived notions: I actually bought an imp of this before seeing the notes because I had to have it for the name alone, Alice in Wonderland fan that I am, but I'm waffling over whether it'll work now that I know what's in it. The green apple, ambrette, mint and vodka sound good, but aquatics often give me hives and I don't like florals or lime, but I'm looking forward to trying this anyway. First sniff: Ooh, pretty! Green and fresh...limey, appley but somewhat herbal at the same time. It's not my normal kind of scent, but I like this so far! Wet on skin: I like this even more on my skin. On me, it turns to a minty aquatic with a tiny, tiny hint of apple. It's fresh and clean smelling, but not laundry detergent-ish. Dry down: Powdery mint with just a hint of aquatics. I think I may be allergic to this, unfortunately. Aquatics tend to give me hives and my wrists are starting to itch. I'd wear this in my scent locket, but I prefer the scent on my skin to the scent in the bottle. The bottom line: I really like the scent of this, but my allergies have other ideas, unfortunately. I'll hang onto my imp, but I'm not going to be getting a bottle of this.

Preconceived notions: I had to have this one if only for the name, but the notes sounded perfect for me, dirt-lover that I am. First sniff: Earthy but not loamy really...sort of a light, soft earth note with something that really does remind me of fresh-picked mushrooms...that sort of white, slightly fungus-like scent. I'm sure that sounds bad to some people, but it's really not. It's definitely different, but I really like it! Wet on skin: Pretty much the same as in the bottle, only slightly stronger on the earth note and not as strong on the fungus. Destroying Angel is light and ethereal but at the same time dirty and loamy, like the forest floor. It's a contradiction in scents but it works. I'm sure this wouldn't be a scent for everyone, but I really like this. Dry down: Soft, dusty dirt and not much else. Destroying Angel is a truly wearable dirt scent. It's not as intense or as in-your-face as Graveyard Dirt but not too light, either. The bottom line: I can see this being a dirt scent that works for people who don't like dirt scents as well as for us dirt-lovers who just want something a bit lighter to wear for a change.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I really don't see myself liking this. It's got nothing but things that generally go all wrong on me, but I'm going to try it anyway. First sniff: Bubblegum and flowers! That would be the lotus root mixing with the...flowers. I really, really don't care for this. Wet on skin: Sweet flowers and a touch of ginger and musk. This is just too girly and floral for me, unfortunately. Dry down: Pretty much the same as the wet stage. I knew this wouldn't be for me, but it's even less for me than I'd anticipated. The bottom line: Too floral for me, alas. This will be finding a new home.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: The cheesecake part sounds wonderful, but the cupcakes have me worried. I generally hate sweet, foody scents. First sniff: Chocolate cupcakes. Seriously, it's like cramming an unfrosted chocolate cupcake up my nose. Now, you may find that to be a good thing and are thinking "Damn, I want a cupcake-up-my-nose scent!" and if you are, then you'd probably love this. I, however, don't want a cupcake shoved up my nose (literally or figuratively) every time I wear a perfume, so I don't think this is for me. Wet on skin: Cupcakes with icing now. That's not necessarily an improvement in terms of scent, although it would be if I were, in fact, eating this. I don't smell any cheesecake yet, but I don't think that it showing up now would salvage this scent for me. Not unless the cupcakes magically disappeared when they did. Dry down: Cupcakes, cupcakes and more cupcakes. I had a feeling this scent wasn't going to do it for me, but I was expecting the cheesecake to at least put in an appearance. I'm glad I got to try this, though. It was quite the, uh...experience. The bottom line: If you're a foody scent lover, fear not, Beaver Moon is for you! If you're like me, then run for your life.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: My Imp Pimp tells me this might be a surprise winner, so I'm looking forward to trying it! First sniff: Hmm, this definitely isn't what I was expecting! I smell sandalwood first and foremost, and then the amber and champaca flower. This is a bit like Hellion only sweeter and more complex. This definitely could work! Wet on skin: This is interesting. It's a dry resin scent, but there's also date, honey and florals in here that're really making themselves known and I'm not sure if they're working on my skin. I had a feeling they might come out and ruin this for me since I often have problems with date and honey (and my skin amping up florals). Dry down: Phooey, this isn't going to work on me. I wanted to love it and even expected to really like this, but the date, honey and florals are ruining it for me. My skin just doesn't do well with any of them and all together they're creating a synergistic effect in each other. The bottom line: I wanted to love it, but my skin has other ideas, apparently.

Not the desperation, desolation and anguish of unrequited love, but the distant, chill and pitiless scent of the object of that doomed desire. White musk, osmanthus, Nile lily and frankincense. Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I don't see myself liking this even thought it has frankincense (which I love) and white musk (which I like) in it. I may be wrong, though, considering the surprise success fo Parlement of Foules. First sniff: Yep, this isn't for me. Far too floral for my tastes. It smells a bit aquatic, but definitely floral with just a hint of white musk. Wet on skin: Aquatic florals and not much else. I don't smell any frankincense in this at all, just the florals. It's a fresh, clean floral blend, so it's not bad, but it's still not me. Dry down: I'm getting a tiny bit of frankincense in here now, but it's mainly aquatic florals the same as when it was wet. This just isn't for me. The bottom line: Definitely not for me, although I didn't expect it to be.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I have a feeling this one is going to be a failure on me. I love resin notes, but roses rarely if ever work on me. First sniff: Interesting. A strong rose note with a background of intense resins. This is a lot stronger than I'd thought it would be for some reason, and more forceful. Wet on skin: Not as intensely rosy on my skin and much more incensey. This is actually quite a bit nicer than I'd anticipated, honestly. The resins are a lot more intense than I'd expected and the rose is a lot softer. There's definitely frankincense in here, it reminds me quite a bit of the shampoo I use (Lush's Buddah Bar), but with rose added. Dry down: The rose is really taking a backseat to the resins in here and I like it! I wasn't anticipating liking this one at all, so that's a real shocker for me. I think I'm going to be keeping this one after all. The bottom line: Much more "me" than I'd anticipated, especially considering that there's rose in here.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I'm not sure how well this one is going to work. I do love myrrh, apple peel, sandalwood and thyme, but the rest has the potential to go completely wrong on me. First sniff: Floral-fruit-musk-herbal. Different, but I don't think it's for me. I'm having trouble teasing apart the different notes, all I get here is an impression, not a complete picture. Wet on skin: Fruity and floral and not at all me. I smell the apple in here which is good, but I also get a whole slew of flowers in the background, which ruins this for me. I've already got a headache from the other floral scents I've tested today and this is just making it even worse. Dry down: All floral now, which isn't surprising given my body chemistry's love of turning anything with florals in it into a pure floral perfume. This is definitely not for me. The bottom line: Far too floral for me. It's giving me a headache.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I have incredibly bad luck with aquatic scents, especially the sweet ones. They give me hives for some inexplicable reason, even though I like them scent-wise. The only ones that don't give me hives are the ozone-intense ones, so I'm hoping for one of those, but I doubt I'll get that lucky. First sniff: Smells like fabric softener! It's got a bit of an ozone kick, but there's also that sort of aquatic floral thing that fabric softeners often have. I actually love the smell of fabric softener, so that's not a bad thing at all. Wet on skin: Yep, definitely fabric softener. It's floral, but a fabric softener floral, not a true flower scent, which is good because I hate true flower florals as a general rule. I can see this being a scent that you either love or hate and so far I love it. Dry down: This is so fun! It reminds me a bit of Yog-Sothoth in that it's a fabric softener/laundry detergent kind of scent, but it's also different...more floral and less neutral. I actually like this quite a bit, although it would never be an every day scent for me (it's a bit much for that). The bottom line: Another surprise winner! I only like it because I like fabric softener, but the reason why I like it doesn't matter to me, just the fact that I do like it.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I seem to remember people saying this had lavender in it, which is good because I'm starting to really love lavender in scents where before I was neutral about it. First sniff: There's definitely lavender in here, but there's something almost citrusy and something that smells a bit like sweetgrass. This is interesting, it's definitely not the pure herbal scent I was expecting. I'm not sure if I like this or not. Wet on skin: Ooh, I like this! On me, the lavender really ratchets up and outweighs the other notes in here. It's not a pure lavender scent, though. There's something sweetish here that reminds me of sweetgrass once again, but I don't think that's what it is. This reminds me of Lush's Waving Not Drowning ballistic! Dry down: Oh, this is good...really, really good! I didn't expect to love this, but it's so similar to the Lush WND ballistic, which I love, that it's impossible not to love it. It's lavender, but with some other mystery notes in the background that I can't identify. Beautiful! The bottom line: A surprise winner! I'm going to have to get a bottle of this somehow.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I've been curious about this one since the Elementals were first introduced, so I'm excited to get a chance to try this. First sniff: I was expecting something medicinal in this, but this is more...almost vetiver-like for some reason. It's a bit earthy, strong and almost harsh smelling in a way. Very interesting! Wet on skin: Okay, it's changing now that it's on my skin. I smell dragon's blood in this and maybe a bit of vetiver. This reminds me of some of the Tarot blends although I can't pin down which ones, it's just a general feeling. Dry down: I'm sure there's dragon's blood in this and possibly jasmine and vetiver. I was expecting something quite a bit harsher and more medicinal and this is more earthy in an almost bitter way. The bottom line: I like this, but I don't love it, so I'm not too upset not to have gotten a bottle when I had the chance.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I don't see this one working for me. I'm not a fan of florals or melon and this sounds far too girly for me, but I'll happily try it! First sniff: Very sweet and melony. Like melon flavored taffy, almost. It's interesting, but not really me. Wet on skin: Sweet, sugary melon with a touch of flowers. Even though I didn't expect to like this, I like it even less than I'd anticipated for some reason. It's just not working on me. Way too sweet and melony. Dry down: This reminds me of watermelon Bubble Yum for some reason. I think it's the sweetness mixed with the melon, even if it's not watermelon. Very candy sweet but not quite cloying somehow. The bottom line: Definitely not for me, even less so than I'd anticipated.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I didn't order this because of the floral notes, even if I do love fir and birch. Floral notes work for me maybe once in a blue moon and I just don't like them, but I seem to remember some people comparing this to Skadi, so it could theoretically end up being a scent I love if it really does smell like Skadi. First sniff: Well, I'll be damned, there is something Skadi-esque about this one for some reason. The florals aren't the main component here, strangely. Instead it's more of a fir and slushy snow with florals in the background kind of scent. Wet on skin: This reminds me of a mix of Talvikuu and Skadi with a touch of floral thrown in. It's very pretty and not what I was anticipating based on the description at all. I think I prefer Snow Bunny to this for some reason, but this comes in a close second to it as a replacement for Skadi. Dry down: A bit more floral now, but pretty much the same as when it was wet. The bottom line: I like this so much more than I'd expected to!

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I keep typing Pimp Phoenix when I try to write about this, in spite of my expecting this to be a girly-in-the-extreme kind of scent rather than a bad ass velvet hat and cane kind of scent. I'm not anticipating this working on me. I do like vanilla bean, honeycomb and pear, but the sweet pea and strawberry don't bode well at all. Plus I just expect this to be far too girly for me. First sniff: That's pretty much what I expected. A tooth-achingly sweet, generically girly scent that doesn't do it for me. Wet on skin: This isn't as bad as I'd expected, really. I was most afraid of the strawberry as no BPAL strawberry scent has ever worked for me, but all I really smell in here is sugar...and sugary, pink, frilly things. It's not quite for me, but I can at least see why it would be fun and even pretty enough on someone else. It clashes with my personality, unfortunately. Dry down: This is interesting...normally this sort of a scent would be put up on my swaps list immediately, but I'm waffling over this one. It's interesting. Definitely not the kind of scent I've ever worn in the past, but it's got it's attractions. I think I might hang onto this for a while until I can make up my mind. The bottom line: I like this quite a bit more than I'd anticipated. It's girly in the extreme for sure, but it's not a bad girly in the extreme like Pink Moon was.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I love the description of this one for some reason, but the notes have me worried. This sounds awfully floral and I absolutely hate floral notes. I've heard that it's not nearly as floral as I'd feared, but I'm still not expecting it to work. First sniff: How weird...Stardust smells like hairspray with a touch of cheap drugstore perfume! Wet on skin: Okay, false alarm, no hairspray and cheap, aeresol perfume now...just flowers. Lots and lots of flowers. And champagne. This is a really strange scent and not in a good way. This smells like a mix between an ashtray, a champagne bottle with the dregs still in it and wilting flowers. I hate to say it, but Stardust is, well, bad on me. Dry down: Not so weird anymore, but definitely not for me. Now Stardust has changed into an almost pure floral scent with just a dab of champagne. It's also, unfortunately, giving me a headache. The bottom line: Definitely not for me. At all.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I didn't order Snow Bunny because it just sounded wrong for me. Girlie? Not happening. But then people started comparing it to Skadi and I started crying and kicking myself. I adore Skadi and I was heartbroken that it didn't make a reappearance this year, so if I'd known that Snow Bunny and Skadi were similar, I'd have gotten a few bottles of this. First sniff: Oh my God, this really is almost identical to Skadi! It's extremely close, maybe a tiny bit more powdery, but so close that I'm not going to make a fuss over it. I'm such an idiot for not ordering this. Wet on skin: Skadi's little sister, no question about it. It's piney with a touch of berry and something that reminds me of slushy snow thrown into the mix. It's not identical to Skadi, but it's close enough that I would have happily accepted it as a substitute, had I known in time to order a few bottles. Dry down: This is so, so nice. It's not at all girly and froo-froo like I'd feared it would be based on the description, it's more natural and woodsy in a feminine sort of way. I love this. The bottom line: I'm going to have to track down a bottle or two of this. So beautiful!