steffanina Report post Posted October 21, 2007 (edited) Regret born from ceaseless longing: wisteria, white grapefruit, neroli, green tea, jasmine, white ginger, honeysuckle, iris, and tonka. Vampire Tears-(Am excited to get to try this! I got this as a frimp in my Halloween order. Jasmine's not for me but I'm still keen to see how it goes.)In Bottle: Ginger and tea and a bubblegum sweetness. (No diaper-jasmine scent on first whiff, yay.)Wet: Bubblegum and ginger tea. Prettily fragrant.Dry: This has become kind of acetone-y on top of the bubblegum, and that jasmine undertone that I don't like (why why why? I LOVE jasmine tea and jasmine rice--it just does not love me in fragrance oil) is kind of lying about now. Not so noxiously, though! But it's kind of a cloying floral undertone. I am very happy I got to try it but it will probably not be something I want to wear. But, mission accomplished!Overall: Probably not for me. Edited October 23, 2007 by Shollin Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
porcelina Report post Posted October 22, 2007 note-by-note, i really should hate this, but it's not bad at all. i am not sure about the neroli, but the grapefruit (super tart) and green tea are really nice. this is quite tangy and fresh... there's nothing sad about it to me, haha. the lab, in its infinite wisdom, sent this as a frimp and, lo and behold, i love it more than midnight kiss (which i ordered a 5 mL of). Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
ajcj213499 Report post Posted October 22, 2007 I LOVE this oil. I thought it would be one I'd like (I'm fond of grapefruit, honeysuckle, and green tea), but this has far exceeded my hopes. The grapefruit is light and sweet and tangy, it doesn't overpower the blend and isn't super tart like Phobos. Jasmine is another note that can overwhelm a lot of blends for me, but it's very, very light. The honeysuckle and tonka give this blend a bit of sweetness- even a bit of foodiness. Bottom line, this blend is amazing and is probably my favorite oil that's been released since Leo 2007. Also, the label is awesome! It's a bat on a purple background- what could be better? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
brownbear Report post Posted October 22, 2007 (edited) I can't believe there's jasmine in this. Usually jasmine is terrible on me, but in this it's so great! It is cool and icy. I love it. In the imp it smells foody, but on my skin it's lemony and cold. I think I need a whole bottle. ETA: :'( It's a little later and now it's doing that thing that jasmine does on my skin. I really liked this one. grrrrr Maybe I'll try it with a carrier oil and see if that helps. Edited October 22, 2007 by brownbear Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
hkhm Report post Posted October 23, 2007 imp: this smells like honeyed grapefruit. i think i'm also gatting a hint of... of... iris? not sure. wet: sweet and sharp gingery grapefruit. this blends smells very yellow to me. like brilliant august afternoons that are more warm and comfortable than hot and tiresome. dry: softer citrus, still a lemony grapefruit but less sharp. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lethran Report post Posted October 23, 2007 VThis one is extremely weird. It is like they kicked Kumiho up several notches. It is sweet and flowery and very juvenile with a complex foody edge. It is not aweful, but I think it is way too much for me. it is like tea with flower cookies, but really intence. Insance tea with viscious flower cookies maybe. It is not making me think of regret or longing, though it is very manga somehow. Very girl's perfume, very teenaged. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Court Analyst/Strategist Report post Posted October 23, 2007 (edited) Vampire Tears = weirdness on me and I am unsure why. First sniff from the bottle is sort of buttery/creamy with a sharp undertone This applies with sort of like a lemon frosting/cakey note (as another review or two mentioned) in the forefront with something creamy/heavy added that does not belong there. No grapefruit but there is a feel of candyish lemons in there. It must be one (or more) of the florals that's turning this into something cloying and unidentifiable with candy lemon flavoring added. Overall: I expected a clear tea and floral scent, but I'm getting a thick, almost stomach-churning frosting/foody smell with the aforementioned candied lemon flavoring. This gets better after it dries down and becomes more like a creamy + non-descript faint lemon scent, but I still find it unpleasant. Will retest after a few days (in case it's a freak skin chemistry problem), but I immediately disliked this one. Still not sure what went wrong - grapefruit, green tea and ginger sounded like a possible winning combination! Verdict: Bottle will probably go to swaps or the land of Ebay, off to the home of some lucky vampire who's skin doesn't turn the good-sounding notes in the description into something unpalatable. Court Edited October 23, 2007 by Court Analyst/Strategist Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
waternight Report post Posted October 23, 2007 In the bottle: Buttery, creamy, cakey. What? Really? Maybe slightly lemony cake, but this is not the crisp citrus I was expecting. Wet: First on, still wierd and buttery, then a very sweet lemon note comes out (neroli, I'm guessing). I was hoping for grapefruit, but I'm not getting it at all. No tea. No ginger. Then it takes on a strange plasticky quality, and I feel like I'm smelling a My Little Pony. Dry: Yup. Like others, I'm getting a very sweet, frosting-like, lemon-candy scent, with that plastic note. Wierd. And disappointing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
xoe Report post Posted October 23, 2007 Received Vampire Tears as a Frimp. It is very much like Phobos or Baobahn Sith on me. So if you like those, get this! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
aersi Report post Posted October 24, 2007 My first Review! Let's see how I do: I was excited to get a frimp of this, since I'd wanted to try it but couldn't afford a whole bottle, and I'm still new enough that I don't have maby BPAL friends. In the Imp: Citrusy. Sickeningly so. Horrifically grapefruity enough that I'm almost scared to test it. Wet: A nicer grapefruit, slight floral once I get used to the fruity. Dry-Down: More floral coming out, I think its the Jasmine and Wisteria. Very subtle. Dry:........Cake? Where did cake come from? Still smells really nice though. And ocasionally a floral or citrus note hits me when I sniff. Didn't have serious throw, but sniffable from the person sitting next to me. Oils, especially BPAL scents last a very long time on me. I put this on at 7:30 am, and could still smell it at 10pm. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Aurora Celeste Report post Posted October 24, 2007 In the bottle, straight from the lab, this is very cream and butter, almost chocolate. 5 minutes is lemon and butter cream, which is maybe the Tonka? After 20 minutes it's all floral and soft citrus love. I just wish the butter cream stage wouldn't make me have a headache, I'd love this more. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dawndie Report post Posted October 24, 2007 Wet: lemony cheesecake On skin: sparkly lemon, zippy with the grapefruit Half-hour later: a bit more creamy, still very sweet and foofy In conclusion: this is a sugary girly blend, which isn't what the name implies in my head (i.e. dark 'n' spooky). Not very long-lasting, flighty and fleeting. I'm glad I got to try it. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
slave1 Report post Posted October 24, 2007 VAMPIRE TEARS In Bottle: Citrus floral On Skin: The grapefruit jumps out right away. Hello citrus! Very tart and very strong at first. The florals are second in line and decorate the grapefruit nicely. The ginger and tonka help sweeten the scent and give another dimension. I also smell some lemon. The neroil helps soften the sharpness of the fruits and gives a nice base. All in all, it’s a very bright scent, and yellow in tone. It doesn’t remind me of Vampires at all, but still it is pretty. I have quite a few citrus scents though so I may swap this one. But if you love grapefruit or lemon scents, give this one a try for sure. Light to medium throw, average wearlength. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
folledesmots Report post Posted October 25, 2007 Well, crap. I knew that I amped tonka, but...WOW. All I get from this is tonka, with a whiff of grapefruit at the back, jumping up and down like a kid who wants to get picked for the sports team, but just ain't gonna. hepkitten, think you could describe what tonka smells like? Because I'm pretty much getting something that smells like light patchouli, and tonka & neroli are the only things in there I haven't smelled before. It's really really weird. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Nightgaunt Report post Posted October 25, 2007 Unlike everybody else, I didn't smell citrus at all in the bottle. Only when I put it on my skin can I detect the grapefruit and neroli--and with heavy-duty flowers like wisteria, honeysuckle, and jasmine, you need that citrus astringency. It goes on almost overwhelmingly sweet, but after a minute or so the citrus appears, and then it becomes lovely. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jolarocknrolla Report post Posted October 25, 2007 a Citrusy-tea mix fading to inscence-y floral. What i smell first is the grapefruit, it's almost as strong as in June Gloom, only less lemony and with a note similar to the very light inscence in Cathedral - there is something just slightly sweet and something subtley floral in the background. In the drydown the citrus/grapefruit tone way down and all those background notes come forward. It's a soft complex scent that makes me think of Kumiho mixed with Cathedral, but fading to Cathedral and some minor floral notes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
sedona Report post Posted October 25, 2007 This was a frimp from the lab and I wouldn't have ordered it as it contains my arch enemy, jasmine. In the imp this is very light and ultra lemony. When applied the lemon/citrus kick is very strong but not tart, rather like those sherbet lemons I liked as a child. It takes a little while for the spice to pop through and warm this and the florals (I couldn't tell you what they are, very well blended) bring up the rear. This didn't turn foody on me at all. This, for me, is more of a summertime scent, and as someone else said earlier in the reviews, it gives off a very melon/pale green vibe. I'm amazed that the jasmine behaved, Beth surprises me yet again! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
QueenFae Report post Posted October 26, 2007 This is SWEET, sweet sweet!! My actual first thought is bubble gum! The grapefruit in this is covered in sugar; and it's smooth and sweet and a little tart all at the same time. The honeysuckle is the second strongest note, with a yummy base of neroli and tonka. (god I love tonka!) This is sooo girly, it's almost ridiculous! A very pink, bubbly bouncy litle scent; certainly not what I expected for Vampire Tears! This is very unique and interesting, I'm not sure if it's for me, but I do like the strength and lasting power of this blend. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
any_old_actress Report post Posted October 27, 2007 hmm...interesting. i don't get a whole lot of grapefruit personally, it's more sweet like red licorice with a hint of dusty floral, a drop of sadness and a splattering of the colour yellow. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lirion Report post Posted October 27, 2007 In the botte this comes out as exceptionally sweet overtones , I'm not sure what it is, looking at the ingredients. It's smells richa dn creamy, caramel/vanilla. with undertones of the ginger On, however, that would be the grapefruit, that would be the grapefruit, sharp and zingy. It's coming in to Summer here in Australia, so it's a really refreshing bite. Unfortunately it doesn't last, that initial zing faded within minutes it felt like The jasmine comes out- I like Jasmine so this is fine. But something in this blend doesn't love me as it fades down to soapy smelling in far too short a time. oddly enough a few hours later, the soap smell is gone and I've got the warmth of the tonka just dusting my skin. I'm not sure about this blend - that soapy stage was prolonged. But I'll try it again and see. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
girlygirl Report post Posted October 27, 2007 Vampire Tears: In the bottle: citrus floral, vaguely sweet Wet: grapefruit and tonka Drydown: (after 5 minutes) the florals start to come out. I can barely smell the jasmine in the blend. So far no red welts of doom from the ginger - I applied sparingly and waited an hour after showering. A few minutes later, I can smell the green tea a bit mixed with the florals. Five minutes later, the grapefruit is popping out a bit again, but I can still smell the florals and the tea. Very feminine and soft. An unusual floral. I think the green tea and ginger cut the floral quality and make it more wearable. I am surprised that I really like this one. I think it is bottle-worthy. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
eleventhousand Report post Posted October 27, 2007 I got this as a frimp...I like it and I wouldn't have ordered it for myself. Initially this smells warm and strongly of lemon poundcake. It becomes sharper before it mellows into soft florals...like Black Moon a little. Curious, but tasty! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
La Fee Verte Report post Posted October 27, 2007 (edited) I got an imp of this with a previous order of mine, and the first thing that came to mind as soon as I smelled it on my skin was... Lemon shortbread? I don't know. It smelled crisp, sweet, and citrus-y out of the bottle, then turned into a "lemon shortbread" smell on my skin for the first hour or so. It then began to give off soft floral hints and something like tea later on. This is a strange scent, but I can't say that i don't enjoy it! Edited October 27, 2007 by La Fee Verte Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
dluszcz Report post Posted October 28, 2007 Maybe I'm just wrong or incredibly stupid, but I didn't get from this one anything that it was supposed to be! I'm glad that I received it as a frimp with my Raven order and didn't pay for it. In the phial, I thought it smelled really cherry lollipop with undertones of almond oil. On wet, it continued the cherry/almond thing and then immediately developed a chocolatey whiff. At this point I thought it was a really sweet, childish, joyful fragrance. In about 20 minutes a very citrusy soapy note developed, evocative of lemon scented dish soap. Eventually it resolved itself into nothing but candied cherries and citrus fruits, the kind that are unnatural shades of red and green, sold in plastic containers in the raisin aisle, and that are stuck into the middle of cookies for x-mas. I got sick of this, literally, rather quickly. I had to ride in the car with all the windows open to try to get the stink out and the headache to go away. Unfortunately, this stuff has incredible staying power on me. Several hours later, I resorted to scrubbing it off with rubbing alcohol and soap. The smell of a 12 year old, dipped in fruitcake, lingers.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Josh Report post Posted October 28, 2007 Sweet butter cream (cake?) underneath a kick of bold citrus. Very bright-yellow smelling. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites