Imp

[lucy gray]

Devilishly playful: white peach, amber, golden musk and patchouli.

Peach can be way too sweet (I do love it, just not always on me), and patchouli-heavy blends have a tendency to make me smell like dirt and pee (I never, ever love this). So Imp is a freaking miracle: a darker peach that is totally wearable, earthy but not dirt-like, if that makes sense, and with a tiny bit of amber, which is one of the few resins I really love. Between this and Madame Moriarty, I may have to rethink my stance on patchouli!

[Myrrha]

Hooray for the Lab sending me an Imp frimp!

 

WET: A bit too sweet and not very convincing peach. A bit scented-candle smelling.

 

AS IT DRIES: It seems to settle down a bit and the more complex muskyness comes out to balance the peach. It is a golden and lazy scent.

 

DRY: Lovely musky peach scent. I would not have guessed there was patchouli in the blend.

EDIT: Wrong, I can definitely smell the patchouli this time (gently shaking the imp before applying is a good idea) but it is well blended in with the peach and just darkens it up some. It isn't the main note in the scent.

 

I love this, it is perfect for this time of year (late August) and makes me feel playful and appreciative of the sun as the days get shorter.

Edited August 17, 2008 by Myrrha

[hlinspjalda]

In the vial: Strong peach but balanced by something with a lot of depth, maybe the amber? I think this smells amazing, sweet but rich like nectar or ambrosia maybe.

 

Wet: The peach begins to recede almost immediately as the amber takes point. But the amber is better balanced than usual this time. Stronger impression of patchouli than I expected, too.

 

Half an hour: Wow! This is more like what I was looking for: amber laced with sweetness that doesn't give me a headache. The musk is very subtle, more so than the patchouli. I have the impression the peach part isn't going to last as long as the amber, though; we'll see.

 

Four hours: It's faint now, but still very pleasant. Two hours ago I couldn't stop sniffing myself, which is entertaining to do while knitting. I think I'd use this one for special occasions where I needed to smell really yummy for short periods of time. It will be interesting to compare this with Aglaea in a couple of days; that one also has amber, musk, and peach.

[rayvn1]

Whoa! In the imp and on wet I get strong patchouli and amber. Reminds me of Harley Hippies the old Tacoma, WA store. The smell of that New Age/hippie shop helped define my undergrad years. Once it's dry though, there's this subtle golden burst of peach. Sweet and delightful. I wish there was more throw and more delicious peach, but maybe I need to slather a little more. Yummy

[Coldfire]

Imp: Patchouli with tiny notes of peach on first sniffle

Wet on Me: Warm and enveloping. The patchouli is softened

by the musk and peach this smells like golden would smell

Drying Down: Still smells what I think ‘golden’ would smell like.

The peach is playing hide and seek but I get glimpses of it.

Dry: The amber and musk shine the brightest now even over the

patchouli and the peach adds that tempering note from the shadows

it resides in. This is love. This is a keeper

[ReikoSazanami]

In imp: Peach rings! This smells exactly like how they taste.

 

Wet on skin: Mmm, the peach ring scent keeps going. It’s making me want to go out and buy some to snack on tonight. The patchouli and amber are starting to kick in, giving it an earthier and incense-like deepness. Finally, the musk comes out to play. It’s not the powerful musk of Fenris Wolf, but not the deep musk of Troll. It’s something in its own category.

 

Drydown: Warmth. This scent is one of those late summer evenings when the heat hasn’t gone above eighty degrees and the grass is just a bit dry. The peach ring note is still there, sticky and sugary sweet, but tamed down by the deeper scents.

 

Overall: It’s fruity and sweet without being obnoxious. Not quite what I pictured for an imp (unless it’s a candy-drawer raiding one), but a lovely scent on its own. Very good for keeping me awake and alert, and I’ll be using this one in winter when everything is dry and tired.

[plunderparlour]

on wet peach and amber are on top with patchouli and some muskiness floating underneath.

drydown the peach seems to get stronger

dry the peach is still the top note. this smells nice but not something i'd wear a lot.

[sqwook]

Wet: sparkling/peach

 

Dry: Peach spice, a slight pepperiness (is that the patchouli? I can't quite tell, it's faint), with a hint of musk deepness. The peach is overpowering the spice/musk. Good suggestion from Myrrha to gently shake the vial before using- I should remember to do that! Very nice.

 

Comparisons to other scents: Similar to Tamora in early stages but less super-sugary, which I prefer.

[OhioSky]

Ahhh!! My first real fruity scent. I was a huge fan of fruity and other foody stuff before joining BPAL, and then I discovered how wide the olfactory world was and have since been favoring scents containing blood, leather, musk, and other darker things that just feel more sophisticated to me.

 

SO anyways... I ran across the description of imp somewhere and decided to give it a try. I do love fruity scents and have been estranged for a while.

And the verdict is... this is SOOO worth a bottle. I am so glad I decided to grab a few fruity scents. This is deep and sophisticated like all the other scents I've been coveting, but with sparkling white peach right in front of it all. I'm in love. I love it. Did I say this is wonderful?? It also has a beautiful drydown, where something almost tonka pokes it head in for a while, and has great wear time and pretty decent throw. I love it.

 

Sorry for rambling.

[Mousesong]

This was another one of the disappointing ones for me in my first batch of samples. I'm trying to be gentle, here, so that was a bit of an understatement. I actually had this bottle for two weeks before I could man up enough to put it on my skin, since it smelled so rank in the imp. It changed dramatically out of the bottle, but was unfortunately still rank.

 

Now, my skin has a tendency to turn fruits into onions (odd!), but that didn't happen here, and I almost feel like it would have been an improvement if it had. It smelled like very thick, slightly rancid fruit in the bottle, and smelled the same way on my skin, but with less amber and much, much more musk than I'd managed to sniff in the imp--although those were both faint under the reek of the fruit. It was cloying and heavy and frankly stunk. I don't think it was my skin chemistry this time, like it was when I got so much disappointment from Miskatonic U. This time I am pinning the blame squarely on the smell, which was just plain offensive to my nose. Mom took it a little better and said it wasn't bad, but that she wasn't lining up to wear it, either. She agreed with my assessment of "cloying."

 

I think it smells a bit like a winery, if you've ever had the experience of visiting one. Most people tell me that wineries smell quite delicious, but when I visited the one my friend worked at, I had to resist the urge to hold my nose and retch the entire time I was there. It was around Christmas and I was actually trying to subtly drown the smell by sticking my nose into bunches of the greenery they had hanging up.

 

I find the weirdest smells unappealing. Maybe I shouldn't be reviewing this. Please to be taking with grain of salt!

 

The patchouli also came out on my skin, I should mention, and I have a really odd relationship with patchouli. Depending on what it's with, I either adore or loathe it. In this case, apparently, it's loathing.

 

When I looked up the scent notes on the site before trying this on I had really hoped that the amber, one of my favourite smells ever, would star. Unfortunately it's just a trace to me, like a drop of it in a barrel of slightly-turned apples.

 

This was a random imp thrown into my samples so I'm not feeling too much heartbreak over it, but it's definitely off to the swap pile as fast as it can go.

 

To each his own!

[cherryontop]

I must have the worst nose ever because I never smelled peach at all. Upon opening I got chocolate and unidentifiable spice! It was nice nonetheless. After a bit the chocolate smell dissapated and the amber came out with just a hint of patchouli. I hate straight up patchouli but tend to love it in blends, especially when it is singing back-up instead of being the lead. Staying power wasn't too hot. I'll enjoy my imp but probably say goodbye at that point.

[toomuch]

Very nice. The peach combines well with the amber and musk. I like too many better to get a bottle of this, but I'll use the imp and put this on my maybe later wish list.

[morganlise]

I got this as a frimp with my most recent lab order. (Thanks guys! Always an interesting selection.)

 

In the bottle, Imp smells a little fruity, but I mostly get patchouli. Wet, I get straight up patchouli and a touch of incense, but almost no peach! Which is a shame, because I think a hint of a peachy note would really make this one pop. Perhaps I don't eat enough fruit and my body decided to eat the peach through my skin? It's about an hour into the drydown now, and I'm also getting a kind of dusty note from it when I sniff it up close.

 

It is really pretty though, and definitely on the "headshop" side of BPAL scents. I just remembered that it might be a weird time of the month to be sampling new fragrances too... Okay, I'll try it again in a week or so and will give it a good shake before application. If I remember, I'll post my new notes!

[jehrichardson]

At first flush, too fruity. Fruit perfume = stale fruit juice to me.

 

Calms down a touch after a bit... and turns into sweet patchouli. It's quite nice - I never knew patchouli could be so sweet... but there ya have it.

 

Then, it just kinda disappears.. or perhaps my nosie is tired.

 

It's nice, but it's a likes it, not a loves it.

[Seismogenic]

So, I just realized the error of my ways in doing a board search for the review thread for this one. Hahah. Anyhoo, it was one of the many frimps that I received at the December Will Call. Thank you, Lab!

 

In the imp: Tangy and fruity. The peach is definitely the most prominent note right now, though it's backed up by something darker.

 

Wet on skin: The peach is still the main note, but immediately, dirtier things come out - namely, the patchouli. Not so much on the amber or musk yet.

 

Drydown: Freshly dry, it's still a dirty peach. The patchouli keeps it from being too sticky-sweet, though it doesn't dim the warmth at all. An hour later, the patchouli is more on equal footing with the peach; both are the dominant notes, and I'm still not getting much of either musk or amber.

 

Five hours later: It's only now, when the patchouli in particular has faded and the peach is softer as well, that I'm getting anything ambery or musky.

 

End of the day: A faint whiff of musk and a hint of peach.

 

Overall: Peachouli! Har har. Seriously, I like the way this smells. The "devilishly playful" description seems apt; the peach is sort of like something cute and playful causing all sorts of trouble in the dirt. My overall impression, though, is that the peach also makes it fairly feminine, even with all the other notes in there. So while I really like the way it smells, it doesn't strike me as very me.

[awesomeoverlord]

In the imp (hehe), I get soft peach grounded in something warm and earthy.

 

As I put it on, the peach starts to evaporate a bit, but sticks around to add a tarn fruity quality to the whole blend. The amber and musk temper the patchouli nicely and keep it from getting too grungy. A lovely comforting scent, with a bit of mischief.

 

Ultimately, this reminds me a lot of Depraved, but not as heavy on the dirty hippie (read: lighter patchouli).

 

Edited because I can't spell.

Edited January 10, 2009 by awesomeoverlord

[Prism]

Something in this one really does not work on me at all.

 

In the bottle it smells to me just like "perfume" like, the sessence of all that is "perfume" and not in a good way. It's a little overwhelming.

On me, i'm not sure anyone would believe it, but it smells like cheddar cheese and chemicals.

 

Distinctly unpleasant. (Rating 1-10 : 0!)

 

I didnt wait for the dry down, it had to come off NOW.

[asciident]

Wet: Sharp, musky incense.

 

First on: It's all amber and patchouli on my skin.

 

Dry: Unchanged on drydown. A pleasant smell, but I probably wouldn't wear it much.

[ElinaMakropulos]

Exceedingly heavy, indolent peach incense. It's very dark and spicy with just a hint of peach - like flashes of brilliant light amidst pitch black. It's gorgeous and sexy, and is my husband's new favorite on me. I have to be careful because it has crazy strong throw and lasts ages, so if I use too much it's headache city. It definitely packs a punch and is the only "dirty" fruit scent I've liked so far.

[milica]

I thought this would be fenomenal on my skin, but it's not, much to my surprise.

 

Peach is great, but I'm missing on everything else. No musk, no amber, no pachouli, just some strange ashtray smell... like cigarette filters. Yuck! And it stays for hours on skin before it turns to peachy amber. I can't get over that ashtray smell, so it's a swap pile. As this is an old imp, I think it won't get better with more ageing. Too bad, peach smells great in this one!

Edited March 17, 2009 by milica

[catattack]

Imp: Berry wine

Wet: Dried berries and resin

Drydown: During the initial drydown, the berries faded and a peach scent came out. After about 20 minutes, it has now done what many stone fruit/peach scents have done...become bitter! Boo.

Further Drydown: The bitterness has faded and now it smells like sweet peaches with the tart skin. It is delicious! I can smell the patchouli and amber making the scent dark and not foody. This is fabulous on the drydown.

Overall: This scent changes shape a few times. Ultimately, it's a gorgeous, fruity, thick and dark scent. The scent stays fairly close to my skin, but lasts over 4 hours.

[liquidtrance]

In the imp this is really great-- sweet juicy plum, and a smack of patchouli. A good combination.

Wet on skin, it seems even lovelier-- the peachs' headstrong sweetness mellows out with the other notes. Still sweet but it is earthier as well. As its drying, the peach seems to be receeding a whole lot. Maybe too much? The peach hangs around in the background, but the patchouli is slightly more dominant. I can hint at something even a bit sharper which might be the musk.

Overall, this one makes me wish there were a hint of vanilla. Peach always reminds me of gummy candy. Good blend, though-- I would wear again.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

the Lab's peach is pretty much always a dealbreaker for me 'cuz it just never works. but somehow Imp manages to be candy-sweet peach and a drop of deep, aged patchouli.

not something i would have ever thought would work on me, but a nice uncomplicated scent for days when i don't know what i want to wear.

[Monster]

In the imp: Sweet patchouli. Ooh la laaa!

Wet: Earthy patchouli with a fresh peach preserves scent. Something about this reminds me of red musk.

Dry: The peachy/fruity scent is mellowing out and letting the patchouli step into the foreground. Patchouli is one of my all-time favorite notes (and the Lab does it oh so well) so I'm LOVING this one right now. This reminds me of Urds little sister. The ptchouli is a lot more tame in this blend, my skin really sweetens this up. It's bordering on cloying...but not quite. The dry phase still reminds me a lot of a red musk...a VERY sweet red musk.

Overall: Hmmm...this one confuses me. It has all of the elements of a *love* blend for me but...hmmmm...I instantly loved it wet on my skin but after wearing this for a couple hours I think it might be a bit *too* sweet for me. It's a shame. I'm gonna keep it around to see how I feel about this another day.

 

________

 

**October 2014 edit**

 

So I'm revisiting this because I completely forgot I had tried this, received another imp of Imp (heh) and when I tried it on, I completely fell in love with it. I said before that this one was too sweet for me, but that isn't the case now. Instead, this reminds me of a softer version of my all-time favorite BPAL scent, Urd. It's Urds sunnier, gently sweeter littler sister. There's just something wonderful that happens when Beth pairs patchouli with fruit notes. I love love love it. Imp is a new favorite GC scent for me and I'll be including a bottle of it with my next order.

Edited October 26, 2014 by Monster

[bajohnson8205]

In the bottle - Almost pure patchouli, enough to make me sneeze. I like patchouli, but only in small doses. We'll see how this goes.

 

Wet on skin - still strong patchouli, but now the amber, and musk are coming through, and I can smell the slightest whiff of peach.

 

Dry on skin - okay, the amber, musk and peach are much stronger, and blend well with the patchouli. I can more than live with this scent. In fact, it is definitely going on my autumn rotation!

 

Imp is March Hare's perfumed cousin, spicy and fruity without smelling "foody."

 

ETA: It's got a very good throw and lasts for a few hours. My skin eats oil, and I only needed to reapply once, after lunch.

Edited July 13, 2009 by BAJ