Chimera

[sixthsentinel]

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

Oh.My.God.

Why did I wait so long to try this?! I think "cinnamon" scared me away. I was thinking of a woody, dry cassia cinnamon scent.

But this?--- Took me right back to the doughnut shop where I used to work. I would come in at 2am to fill/ice the doughnuts, & by the time I got there, the baker would already have trays upon trays of them sitting & cooling on the racks where he kept the cinnamon crunch he made for the whatchamacallits (silly name, yummy pastry ). Chimera is what the little shop would smell like when I walked in the back door. Cinnamon sugary. So good. Haven't you tried it yet? Whassa matta wit ya? I'm getting a bottle for sure.

[kourika]

I was so excited when I got my imp pack with Chimera from the lab because the reviews made it sound like one of the GC Holy Grails of BPAL. I eagerly dabbed some on to experience the magic and...nothing. There was virtually no scent on my skin at all. I don't know if my imp was a bit off or if my skin chemistry just didn't do anything with the stuff in the blend, but I passed it along to someone else for her sniffing pleasure.

[Ryvre]

In the imp: Very foody. It's sweet and kind of reminds me of some sort of cookie.

 

On me: Very sweet. Almost like vanilla, which isn't good on my skin. The cinnamon isn't sharp like most of the cinnamon blends I've tried- it's more soft and sugary.

 

Drydown: It gets weird and sweet, like all sweet scents do on my skin. Everything else is drowned out except the weird sweet note.

[valentina]

While I found Chimera to have a nice, robust cinnamon note, to me it wasn't that foody or cinnamon bun-ish. I was actually rather afraid to try this scent at first, because of the honeysuckle note. Sweet florals often bloom and overwhelm my body chemistry. But that's what made it wonderful -- the sweet floral of the honeysuckle warms up the cinnamon and myrrh and gives it a sweet edge that is a little floral in nature. I enjoyed this scent so much that I'll probably have it on the short list to order a bottle with my next order.

[pickman's model]

In the imp: Nothing. Seriously, can't smell anything but maybe a hint of sugary water. *confused face*

 

After a disastrous first try involving redness, burning and "Oh God the cinnamon!", I was determined to try again. This time on the back of my wrists.

 

Wet: Cinnamon hearts and honey. Yummy!

 

 

 

Dry: Pretty much unchanged. I've no idea why my skin would have freaked out over this, I wear tons of cinnamon-y BPALs all the time. Try it on somewhere less sensitive if, like me, you think cinnamon hearts and honey seems a brilliant idea but have crazy skin.

[BrightRedScream]

In the imp I smell: honey....and...well...that's it?

 

On my skin that cinnamon smell comes out more, but oh, it's not cinnamon like candy type - this blended with the honey is DIVINE!!!

It smells like some kind of pastery or dessert without it being foody...

 

 

As someone else already said - this is Dana O'Shee, with some attitude

 

I LOVE this and I want it in a 10ml.

 

WOO HOO!

[miss_rynn]

Review in brief: Lovely thick, sweet cinnamon. The spice is most likely sweetened by the honeysuckle. Thankfully, there is no nasty myrrh smell. It seems to be very reminiscent of O, but with a strong cinnamon note to it. It's very nice indeed, and goes right into my top scent list.

 

Another one I need to get 5mL of...

[sookster]

straight sniff from imp this is a freshly baked cinnamon roll with thick creamy icing

upon application i get a hint of some almond but the cinnamon roll scent remains forefront and mouthwatering....some of the sweetness fades after awhile and i am left with sweet and spicy goodness....a winner

[RavenVelith]

In the bottle: YUM YUM CINNAMON This makes Raven a happy panda, it does. Thankfully, no myrrh...yet. Please myrrh...don't ruin this happy cinnamon.

...

P.S: I have no idea what copal is

 

Wet: OO it even feels warm and tingly on the skin! Definately the cinnamon. Oh yeah. All that is cinnamon. And I'm guessing that bit of sweet floral is the honeysuckle. Oh honeysuckle. ::.serenades it.:: I love yooouuuuu....Oh this is so spicey and sweet. I adore this. Oh yes.

 

Dry: Very little myrrh is there. Thank the gods for that. But that cinnamon is leading the way hardcore on my skin.

 

I adore this scent. Happy happy.

[Mayati]

In the bottle: Mmm . . . spice cookies and cinnamon imperials.

 

Wet: Strong cinnamon with a hint of something floral, and something in the background that reminds me of marzipan. Very nice!

 

Dry: That myrrh is really coming out now. I can still smell the cinnamon, but the incense is taking over. This one smells very sweet on me.

 

Apparently my skin really brings out myrrh, because this scent is starting to smell a lot like Nefertiti on me -- although it is more sweet and warm. This is a nice one. It has a bit of a candy-like aroma. I do wish that marzipan note had stuck around a little longer.

 

And now the myrrh is fading back into the background again. This one is interesting . . . it seems to be a scent of many moods (hence "Chimera"?). I like it.

Edited May 23, 2006 by Mayati

[gwyllgi]

Chimera is the first of the BPAL cinnamon scents I'd tried and, while not one of my favorite scents over all, it's a lovely example of the note. On my skin, it's definitely cinnamon, but not Red Hots or cinnamon sticks, but rather like mulled cider. It flirts with an almost cloying sweetness, but the myrrh and copal rein it in.

 

It's a very warm scent - or, rather, a very warming scent. I think it'd be perfect for autumn, less so for summer, unless it's summer in a much more moderate clime.

 

Strangely enough, Chimera is one of the few oils that actually stain my skin. It doesn't have a particularly strong color in the imp, but it turns my skin a sickly orangey-yellow color that just doesn't scrub off. This usually ensures that it's relegated to lockets, but the scent is still just as lovely there.

[kakiphony]

Test site:

Right elbow.

 

Wet:

A light, subtle cinnamon. It's warm and pretty.

 

Early Dry Down:

Red hots. There's a faint floral undertone that tempers the cinnamon.

 

Late Dry Down:

Sweet, a little syrupy and very cinnamon. None of the other notes are detectable except as background. It's a very warm, comforting scent. It feels like a big, fat wool sweater on a cold, damp fall day.

[HennaFairy]

bottle:

a little cinnamon

 

wet:

vanilla and cinnamon!

 

dry:

ok, so there's no vanilla in it, but it smells like a spicier O!

 

overall:

love it!

 

rating: 9/10

[graycat]

wow, foody?!? this was a smell i glazed right over and then got a imp some how and just tossed it aside.

 

so one day i decided to have a imp testing night, you know armed with a bullet box, a pen and lot's of clean skin. as i worked my way through a handful of imp i kept smelling something at kinda reminder me of the creaminess beaver moon or midway . when i got my nose on chimera i found it! creamy cinnamon but not the burny welty kind, nice!

[Ciircee]

In the imp: Myrrh with a little honey.

 

Wet: cinnamon--but not a dry, powdery cinnamon. A wet, sweet cinnamon.

 

Dry 10 minutes: Very warm and spicy cinnamon, but sweetened with a bit of something sweet.

 

Dry 30 minutes: A very sweet cinnamon. Not foody, by a spicy, sharp sweetness. There's a golden tone to it--honey and amber, with a touch of bitterness--which is probably why it doesn't smell 'foody' to me.

 

Dry 1 hour: A honeyed spice, warm with a slightly bitter-resin note grounding it. The weetness of the honeysuckle is just right with the golden amber scent of the copal.

 

Dry 2 hours: Now down to a spiced honey-amber but still neither foody nor flowery and I'll chalk that up to the somber note of myrrh. It's a very warm scent.

 

Final note: I really love this one. It's fiery and sweet, warm and golden and backed with the down-to-earth myrrh.

[filigree_shadow]

At first it's a lot of cinnamon, but there's a syrupy feel to it, kind of like that sticky frosting on cinnabons. As it dries down it's still quite a lot of cinnamon, more than I generally like. And by the time the cinnamon fades out, any other scent that was under there is gone too.

[edenssixthday]

Chimera – Now this is a BPAL that will put hair on your chest! Cinnamon Play-Doh. Ick. And it burns my skin. Not only that, but it has the most incredible throw and no amount of time makes the scent go away! I tried it both in my hair and in a scent locket, and it doesn't smell any better than it does on my skin.

[Katinka]

Ooey gooey sticky buns! Absolutely yummy, and I've got a 5ml on order.

[Eunice]

Very very sweet Big Red chewing gum. This smells really good even if that isn't the best way to sum up this oil. Very deelish!

[catrinella]

Imp: Sweet and spicy, but not particularly cinnamon.

 

Wet: Cinnamon and - is that butter? Ah, it mellows out into copal/amber almost immediately, but for a brief moment I smelled like cinnamon toast.

 

Drydown: Spiced honey/amber - O with an assertive twist. The honeysuckle dissipated almost immediately (yay, I hate honeysuckle's insistent syrupy sweetness) and the myrrh has warmed up.

 

1 hour: Yummy! Spicy and warm and honeyed. Extremely sexy. The myrrh peeks in and out to ground it.

 

3 hours: Heresy, but I like this better than O (and that is saying something!).

 

Verdict: Keeper. I put off trying this because the mix of cinnamon and copal sounded a bit intense and possibly allergenic, although my skin likes myrrh a lot. Silly me! Big bottle list.

[elfmaiden]

Imp: A hard-up cinnamon smell. Rather strong but nice 'n spicy.

 

Wet: Once it hits my skin the cinnamon is still really strong, but in a great spicy way. It's got hints of the myrrh and honey, oh man....

 

Dry: HEAVEN! This is so warm and sexy and bad-ass cinnamony. It doesn't change much over all just grows slightly more complex. Urgh, definitely a 5 ML is coming home with me next order.

 

 

Jenn

[midnight_aeval]

Cinnabons!

 

I swear this is the scent of Cinnabons hehe Incredibly appetizing, but my skin doesn't agree with this heavy amount of cinnamon

[whitecrow0]

In the bottle: Okay, first, we all know that I totally my first imp of Chimera. I it so much I ordered another imp a few months ago, 'cause I couldn't afford a bottle. My first imp was undoubtedly my favorite scent evah. However, I am reviewing it again for three reasons: 1) How stable are BPAL's formulations? Will this be exactly the same or drastically different? 2) My nose is a bit more educated and I'd like the reference for picking new imps and 3) I'm totally anal-retentive and my goal is to (alphabetically *'.'*) review all of the imps currently in my possession because records are nice, particularly for buying and swapping purposes. Oh! And 4) I don't wanna smell like Cathedral and Cathode any more.

OHGODYES! Thank heaven! This is the same Chimera! !!! WUB WUB WUB!!! *Grins like a fiendish fool, shimmies in joy and pleasure.* This is sooo The Best. I don't really smell cinnamon; it's too powdery and sweet for me to identify it as such, at least in its pure form. I'm assuming the other notes are significantly changing it. Some people say, somewhat sadly, that this scent is "play-doh." I get a "play-doh" reference, but I'm not sad about it at all. It's cheerful and comforting. OHGODICAN'TWAITTOPUTTHISON!!! I can not stop smelling this stuff. I can not get enough of it.

 

Wet: I am now willing to try almost every BPAL scent featuring any of these ingredients. This is the happiest, most uplifting, comforting oil I have ever smeared on myself. This imp actually seems to showcase the cinnamon a bit more on my skin (the last one seemed more blended) so I'm getting just a hint of Red Hots. It is sweet, somewhat creamy and delicious. There goes the "pulse point vibration" I seem to get when a BPAL imp works perfectly for me. I am excited and bouncy; since I am relaxing at home, I have no need of masking my moods, and I feel completely, delightfully delirious.

 

Drying: I feel I may have a different definition of "fiery" than does Beth at BPAL. To me, fiery is spicy, dry and aggressive. I don't feel that Chimera is a fiery scent; it's not dry and it's not that aggressive, though it's powerful. It's confident. It's thick, sweet and rich; it would be dreamy except for the fact that it is so vibrant. This scent is very alive. It's sweet, somewhat foody, with a delightful gloopy, buttery creaminess to it. I'm wondering if either myrrh or copal smell vaguely ambery-vanilla? Oh my stars and garters, I don't just want to lick my arms, I want to take bites out of them, they smell so good!

I have sensitive skin, and I am ever so grateful that it tolerates cinnamon, which I take can be a very irritating oil for some. I did notice a very faint tingling, but it wasn't that bad. If I ever started breaking out because of this, there would be tears. Chimera is another definite mood-altering scent. I put it on when I am afraid I am going to have a rough day, and I feel more calm and buoyant. I feel protective arms around me, a pillar to lean against (which is probably one of the reasons I associate this oil so much with Rook.) If I put it on when I'm already feeling good, it makes me a bit mischievous. The scent is deep, intense and lasting with a strong but not overpowering throw. It is utterly perfect. I guess I like foody scents?

 

Afternotes: I've tried two of Beth's imps containing honeysuckle, and neither one has given me honeysuckle yet. I am sure that the honeysuckle is affecting Chimera on my skin; I get a ghost of an impression, which I think is contributing to why I keep calling this scent "sweet." But as far as "Honeysuckle! Yes!" - er, no. Honeysuckle is one of the few florals that I know I can stand, and for some reason I associate it with Rook (which irritates the character no end; he doesn't want to smell like flowers, like a "girl.") But in summers past, I've walked past vines so thick they looked like bushes and smelled the blooms wafting on the air ... and have just been transported into a universe where he exists. I originally picked this scent to try because of the honeysuckle. And even though that note doesn't come out to play much on my skin, I still completely this combination of notes with Rook, because it surrounds me and flows through me and makes me happy, gives me strength. It's my tea and Ted E. Bear. I can imagine the character smelling like this (much to his chagrin; you should see the grimaces he's pulling in my mental vision - quit it, Rook, and let me rub my face against your chest! ;}) even though it doesn't seem like a masculine scent. It's warm, thick, slightly syrupy, mellow and bright. Strong and somewhat sexy, but not in an overt, vampy way. This sex is luxuriance, joy and confidence; it's kind of innocent kittenish. Okay, okay, it's 'crownip! ;D

Ye Gods. If I never smelled another scent ever but could have this every day, I think I'd live. ;}

 

HahaHA! Tallie won't stop licking me and trying to lick my sweater!

 

Scott-sniff: "It's okay."

 

Verdict: I don't care if they like it less than I do. This is mine and I it and I'm getting a 5 ml as soon as possible! (Since I can't afford the 10.)

[fairy]

In the bottle this smells wonderful. Very clean and airy. Has an almondy scent to it with a hint of a spice, which I assume is the cinnamon.

 

On...it's hit and miss. Sometimes I smell my wrist and think WOW, that's amazing.. Sometimes I smell too much spiciness. That said, I wouldn't dismiss this scent. It's a very interesting blend and definitely one to wear if you want to be noticed

 

I like it but probably not enough to upgrade to a bottle. But I will definitely keep the imp

[shadesong]

Ooooh. Has cinnamon, but does not turn to red-hots like Wrath did. Turns out to have just enough cinnamon, over copal and honeysuckle. You're dirty sweet and you're my girl. Lasts like crazy, too. Keeper.

 

Later: The honeysuckle is the main component of this, on my skin, with just a twinkle of cinnamon. This is also my daughter's favorite. When she wears it, she just keeps sniffing her wrist all day and saying "Ooooh, honeysuckle," all blissed-out.