Chimera

[smokey188]

The fiery, volatile scent of cinnamon, thickened by myrrh, honeysuckle, and copal.

chimera smells very spicey and sweet in the bottle but on my skin it starts out slightly spicey and a hint of honey suckle and than all but disappears. i guess it's just not strong enough for me.

[WickedQueen918]

I bought an imp of this because I love the spicy smell of cinnamon...unfortunately it doesn't feel the same way about me.

 

In the vial: Cinnamon laced sweetness.

 

Wet: Spicy...and...oh my, is that my skin burning?

 

Drydown: Why yes, yes it *is* my skin burning.

 

Conclusion: I had to actually wash this one off because it started burning my neck almost instantly. Perhpas it was an allergic reaction to so much cinnamon oil? In any case, Chimera and I were sadly never meant to be

[Alarine]

I bought an imp in my first order, and then sniffed it from the imp a few times and didn't try it on my skin... liked the smell in the imp and I figured I've never had cinnamon blends turn odd or hurt my skin, so I ended up ordering a 5ml without checking that it'd be fine.

 

 

In the bottle: cinnamon with a hint of sweetness, but it's surprisingly faint in the bottle for such a strong cinnamon scent.

 

Just dabbed on my skin: mostly cinnamon bark with a little smoke - already it's not sweet and not quite as much like inhaling-over-a-bowl-of-freshly-grated-cinnamon as I'd expected

 

After about 20 minutes: this is dry cinnamon bark (weaker cinnamon than when I'd first dabbed some on) with something very sour and more smokiness... and this stage lasts until it vanishes on my skin, a total of maybe 3 hours after applying it.

 

I've tried it at all times of the month and the same thing happens every time on me, sadly. I'm so glad Priala's wonderful on me all the time, so I can stock up on that, still, 'cause Chimera doesn't like my skin...

 

However, a few days ago I got a belated birthday gift of a clocket, and I tried Chimera in that yesterday morning, and it was wonderful all day - the very strong cinnamon and hint of sweetness stuck around, finally. Another reason to love my clocket.

[caitilarkin]

I originally found BPAL while doing an internet search for honeysuckle scents, and Chimera was part of my first order. Honeysuckle is one of the very few floral scents that does well on me and I was intrigued by its partnering with cinnamon in this blend.

 

In the bottle: First whiff=honeysuckle! NOM NOM NOM

Second whiff=thick, honeyed cinnamon

 

Wet on skin: Cinnamon to the nth power, sweetened by the honeysuckle (which is more honey at this point, as others have said) and the myrrh/copal notes (which I can't detect seperately at this point).

 

Dry on skin: The notes are blending beautifully on me. It's not at all foody (and I love foody scents, too, but am not getting the cookie/cake notes that others have described). This is definitely a strong one, especially on a warm day. The cinnamon is giving me a slight rash where it was applied on my wrists and forearms, but it's worth it.

 

This has lasted six hours so far today; yesterday it lasted even more.

 

I'm in love.

[angelicruin]

Imp: fruity sweet scent

 

Wet: Spicy musk

 

Dry: Cinnamon, Myrrh, and Honeysuckle notes emerge

[Sapphiremo0n]

This HAS to be my number one top most favorite scent. With my chemistry, Chimera is not volatile, fiery, burning cinnamon hot. Instead I get a warm sensual blanket of everything blended together in a ''warm oven after baking cookies'' scent that envelopes me completely. The cinnamon is like maybe two fine particals for the whole imp, not enough for me to say "I smell cinnamon in this" Myrrh and copal dance delightfully over my skin, while the honeysuckle lightly hovers in the backkground. Overall, the resiny scense of the copal and the Myrrh are the strongest but the most delightful. The whole blend makes me smell Yummy!

[tacey]

The monstrous Chimera is a sweet, slightly floral, cinnamon? Okay...I'm surprised, but it's a great scent. Not foody at all -- just yummy.

[isis33]

This is a lovely scent. I can find cinnamon a bit sharp, but this one very soft and nice. It also lasts a very long time- I've worn it for 9 hours now, and still feels like I sit in a cloud of yummy smells.

[gchris]

In Vial: Mellow, Sweet. Smells like fall

 

Wet: Oh this is really good. Smells like dark vanilla and maybe some sort of cider.

 

Dry: Smells like dark vanilla and wood. This smells alot like snake oil to me.

Edited November 9, 2008 by gchris

[Coldfire]

Imp: Myrrh and Honeysuckle

Wet on Me: cinnamon sticky buns

Drying Down: cinnamon…but not spicy, sweetened. Perhaps by the honeysuckle. The myrrh does wonderful things to it as well

Dry: mostly cinnamon and myrrh now. Not bad. Prolly won’t buy a bottle tho. But not bad.

Edited November 13, 2008 by Coldfire

[blacklacestatic]

Oh, Chimera, where have you been all my life?

 

In the imp: Sweet cinnamon and Myrrh.

 

Wet: Oh so cozy, cinnamon wrapped in a warm fuzzy blanket. I don't think I have ever encountered a more comforting scent. This is going to be my new sad mood/insomnia/insecurity scent. This is like when I was little and having nightmares and my babysitter used to come in and just stroke my head as I fell asleep. This is that in a bottle. Sweet comfort in liquid scent form.

 

Drydown: The same as above, this doesn't morph at all on me. I want to slather it all over. It's my Bpal teddy bear.

 

Overall: Thank you labbies for blessing me with this frimp. A bottle will need to be coming my way soon.

[V294]

So my first thought was of course CINNAMON when I first smelt it. I stuck it on and thought...hrmm I have become a snickerdoodle. This is of course not a bad thing...I love snickerdoodles. It was really strong when I put it on...I would say red hot, but it was a bit warmer than a readhot so more like a really cinnamon snickerdoodle. When it dries down it goes very quiet on me and you have to sniff the wrist to smell it. It's all cinnamon on me, but I still think it's nice. I'll be using the imp when I need some warmth but I doubt it's a big bottle for me...I prefer to eat snickerdoodles rather than smell like them...though it would probably make a fantastic winter room scent.

 

ETA: so I think the cinnamon has faded to the point I can kinda smell some of the other notes a bit, but it's pretty faded and fast (which happens a lot to me, my skin EATS smell). This also could be due to the age (around a year old).

Edited December 3, 2008 by V294

[iiinterstate]

I don't think I've review this one before, sorry if I have!

 

Chimera is myrrh and cinnamon on me, really delicious. Cinnamon tends to go plasticky candle on my skin (although I love it in an oil burner). This smells almost nutty.

 

After awhile, the drydown has almost a salty edge to it. I like this a lot!

[devilbunnyart]

Huh! I could have sworn that I received an imp of this at some point, rejected it and got rid of it. That I didn't like it. But I received two free imps of this scent in the past week or so and decided that I was supposed to give it another chance. I don't remember it being this nice!

 

I have a bottle of Bengal and a couple bottles of O. I kind of see this scent, Chimera, as a mid-point between those two. Very cinnamon, but with a hint of powdery sweetness. I guess there's no amber in the blend, but that's how it smells to me. O with cinnamon.

 

I don't think I'll need a bottle, but I like this quite a bit and I'll be holding onto my imps. See how they grow on me.

[crebbsgirl]

I was a little scared of this blend, but I was determined to try it, after hearing one forumite's theory that either Eclipse or Chimera will work for anyone, and those that don't do well with one, will do well with the other. And since Eclipse was such a massive fail for me, I figured "what the hell?". Chimera is the blend that defies the odds for me. The only note in here that ever works for me is myrrh, and even then it's usually 50/50. Copal and honeysuckle are typically deal-breakers for me. This blend however, was wonderful! The cinnamon and myrrh balanced well with the copal and honeysuckle so that the overall effect was a sweet, spicy scent with a depth to it and a very very faint floral hint. Breathtaking!

[mommy2gabe]

This is a warm cinnamon scent on me - I'm not sure I'll wear it a lot but it's not unpleasant.

[tajana]

Oops, looks like I never reviewed this one. I tried it a long time ago and liked it, more or less: it smelled like cinnamon rolls. Well, either my tastes changed or only fresh Chimera works on my skin, because a slightly more recent test was much worse. Upon opening the imp I was already worried: a sickly sweet smell. Cinnamon rolls, alright, but ones suspended in a vat of honey and general sweetness. On my skin it was also too sweet. Cinnamon is in there, but the copal is just a grounding presence. Honeysuckle amps WAY up and I just have to wash it off. I wish I could also throw a positive review onto the pile... if only honeysuckle behaved itself.

 

ETA: Oh my. I got a scent locket and it's SO much NICER that way! I keep getting wafts of myrrh and copal tinted cinnamon. Warm and comforting and not too foody!

Edited January 22, 2009 by tajana

[Champagne]

I put Chimera on my wrists and for 5 minutes I smelled nothing, it was like fresh air. Slathering a little more and waiting other 5 minutes, The miracle: buttery and golden cinnamon with a sugary note lingering in the air. It`s definitely sweet and slighly spicy and a skin scent type, but its golden throw is delicate and unforgettable.

[kjirstiben]

Right away, this is cinnamon and vanilla. It reminds me of Pickled Imp, only I've got a little less of the "cookie" quality at first. There's a slightly plasticky overtone right when I first put it on.

 

As it dries down, it becomes straight vanilla and cinnamon, a soft cookie scent.

 

Oh, this is sooooo good! (I smell baked.)

 

Supposedly there's honeysuckle in here, but all I ever smell is the vanilla and cinnamon, which is a lot like Pickled Imp but a softer, less spicy combination. It's very yummy and very sweet.

[ami226]

Oooooooh! This is the first GC bottle that I have ever bought without having first sniffed an imp...

 

In the bottle: Sweet cinnamon! So lovely!

 

On the skin: it completely changes and the cinnamon immediately takes over. While this isn't a bad thing, I do miss the honeysuckle... Anyways, I can still smell the cinnamon with a hint of sweetness still lingering in the background to keep it from being a cinnamon sn. I believe that I will keep this one It is the perfect scent for the holidays/winter! Besides Ho, ho, ho! that is...

[femmefatale]

So I retried Chimera today. The first time I tried it was an aged bottle and for some reason there was virtually no spice it in and was very faint. I was so sad.

But today I tried an aged imp a forumite kindly scent me and omg, what a difference. The spice is there, but it isn't a spicey scent. Nice and sweet and yummy. I love this. Seriously. I need a bottle soon because I don't think my imps will last long.

 

Usually Shub is one of my main go to spicey scents, but while that is sexed up, Chimera is the playful back seat make out session.

[CynicalPink]

Imp: Smells like a cinnamon candy

 

Wet: Still cinnamon-y goodness

 

Drydown: Still cinnamon candy, but with a little something special. I have no idea what copal is, and I don't think I'm getting a honeysuckle note, but something is keeping me from calling it a cinnamon single note.

 

Overall: It's fun! I'm not in love with it, but it's certainly a good time. I'd definitely recommend it for a cinnamon lover or anyone who really enjoys some spice

[LizzyLies]

In the imp it smells a tad like... tea?

 

On:

Oh hey there cinnamon! But ah, where'd everyone else go? You smell an awful lot like Red Hots, did you know that? Props for not burning my skin or leaving red blotches, but ah oh wait! Honeysuckle! There you are! Granted, I think cinnamon is trying to beat you down but, come on! You can stick! Ah, much better.

It's an interesting blend, not one I would've chosen for myself since I'm not usually a foodie but I do like it.

[TPOD]

Speaking as an unabashed foody whore, I have to say that Chimera is a fabulous example of the perfumer's art. In the imp it smells of wonderful fresh baked sweet pastries. On the skin it blooms into an even sweeter, faintly floral and very warm cinnamon extravaganza. To my nose, it is much more reminiscent of 'true' cinnamon than the stronger, darker, cassia cinnamon that is commonly referred to and sold as cinnamon (at least in the US).

 

Someone above compared it to the lovely, gingery Shub-Niggurath and I think that's a very apt comparison - they both have a similar sweet and soft tone. Actually, they may be the Yin & Yang of spicy foody scents. Shub has a decidedly cinnamon component to me, but ultimately I'd describe it as GINGER-dark chocolate-cinnamon, dark, sensual and slow Yin. Chimera is more like CINNAMON-vanilla-floral, bright, perky Yang.

 

I ask you, who the hell gives this much thought to perfume? Oh yeah, you do. Dear reader, I'm drunk on cinnamon, forgive me. Chimera, I love you man, I really, really love you. You know I love you, right??

 

Too often, cinnamon comes across as Cracker Barrel gift store candle ---> Tintagel , but this is really, really wearable as a perfume. It's by far the most cinnamony of the 20+ blends I've tried that contain cinnamon.

 

I applied it to my neck and was rewarded with stinging red welts. You might want to test on thicker skin, in your hair or in a locket, but you must try it.

[chimera87]

This is one of my favorites. I cannot get enough of this. It makes me hungry and aroused at the same time

Everytime I sniff this, I get the urge to bake cinnamon buns, eat them, and then have hot raunchy sex with my man.

It's mostly a musky cinnamon on me...mainly cinnamon and myrrh, but yes there is a hint of honeysuckle there and it

blends perfectly with everything else. There is quite a bit of cinnamon in here, so just a heads up for those that are

sensitive to it. For anyone that loves cinnamon and sexy scents...you've gotta try this!