Imp #15: Florence
"The pearl of the Italian Renaissance. Elegant iris, bright berries, gilded amber and velvety spices."
Note: Mid cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales.
In the bottle: Sweet berries take the front, but I can smell the amber and I think iris, with a hint of spices.
On me: My left wrist is very iris while my right wrist is stronger on the spicy amber. How odd. It is thankfully not as sweet on me. Not a very strong throw.
1 hour+ later: Very faint iris & amber with a hint of vanilla.
Imp #9: Tintagel
"Spicy mulled wine flowing through the musky heat, warm leather and bright clash of armor, the damp branches of Cornish hawthorn, blackthorn, juniper, English elm and bayberry, and the magical tingle of dragon's blood resin."
Note: Late in cycle. Imp straight from the Lab, but about three months old.
In the bottle: Dragon's blood, bayberry, & juniper jump out at me. I don't get the leather, though there is a brightness. It is rather potpourri like at this stage.
On me: I think that the leather & hawthorn are coming out. I have no good way of identifying the blackthorn. I'm getting a slightly forresty mulled cider effect. The metal has gotten sharper.
1 hour+ later: It had decent throw for a little while, but now most of it is gone. Now it is mostly dragon's blood again, I think, with a little leather and metal. Not terribly exciting, but nice and clean in a woodsy sort of way, like a wood maintained by a forrester, not a rolling around in the dirt sort of way.
Imp #11: Swank
"Simply cool, the essence of Lounge: the scent of a crisp pomegranate martini."
Note: Late in cycle. Imp straight from the Lab, but about eleven months old.
In the bottle: This smells much sugarier than pomegranate. I should know, it's my favorite fruit. This smells like SweeTarts to me.
On me: I'm getting some more of the booze now. As it dries, the sweetness is falling back. (Thank the Goddess!) It's still sugared, though. Not a lot of throw. And not sultry. Crisp, yes.
1 hour+ later: This doesn't scream "pomegranate" to me, . it's pretty sophisticated for a sweet scent, and it's kind of pomegranaty. It's very light, but it does last a long time.
Imp #7: Prague
"Crocus with snowdrop and three lilies."
Note: End of cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.
In the bottle: Very sweet. I think the crocus and perhaps the snowdrop are coming out the most. It smells very much like the taste of honeysuckle nectar.
On me: The sweetness dies back some & I get more of what I would deem an aquatic feel. The crocus is definitely still speaking up, but the rest more smooth & unidentifiable.
1 hour+ later: I think it sweetened back up a little, but crocus stays as the top note. It doesn't have a ton of staying power, but it does get a little more throw than it has initially. Still doesn't have tons of throw, though.
Imp #18: Eclipse
"All the glory, warmth and majesty of the sun -- darkened. A delicious blend of bitter almond, vanilla, frankincense and heliotrope, with a drop of cinnamon."
Note: Late cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales.
In the bottle: Red KoolAid in the package before you add the sugar. I'm sorry, but that's what I got from the first hit. I smell something fruity and I can smell the cinnamon. I'm not sure I can identify the other scents.
On me: The cinnamon steps back and the vanilla and almond step forward. This has a spicy almond cookie scent. It is definitely foody on me.
1 hour+ later: Bitter almond and vanilla have a strong staying power. They were still there after many hours, but the spices eventually faded. I smell like a Madelaine cookie.
The Firefly thread might be useful.
I'd follow the pattern of Zoe or Inara. According to the thread, that would give me:
Zoe:
O
Snake Oil
Dead Man's Hand + Bastet or The Lion
Anne Bonny
Dirty
Dragon's Heart
Loviatar
Inara:
Kurukulla
Silk Road
Lust
Scherezade
Snake Charmer
Queen of Clubs
Seraglio
Hetairae
F'54
Aglaea
Imp #14: Penny Dreadful
"Also called Gallows Literature. A dime novel rife with melodrama, horror, madness and cruelty; a ten cent analogy of vice and virtue in conflict. Soft perfume evocative of noir heroines over rich red grave loam."
Note: Late in cycle. Imp from littleone101701.
In the bottle: Slightly sweet and also woody, like leaf mold. Damp earth in an old cemetery with drifts of decayed leaves and dried crumbling rotten branches.
On me: Sandalwood and cinnamon. Amber? Spicy and autumnal. Hot tea with a stick of cinnamon. Not at all like in the bottle.
1 hour+ later: quality potpourri
Imp #10: Blood Kiss
"Lush, creamy vanilla and the honey of the sweetest kiss smeared with the vital throb of husky clove, swollen red cherries, but darkened with the vampiric sensuality of vetiver, soporific poppy and blood red wine, and a skin-light pulse of feral musk."
Note: Late in cycle. Imp straight from the Lab, but about eleven months old.
In the bottle: I am not sure what vetiver smells like, but I am getting something green, and musk, and poppy, I think. Cherries.
On me: There's the honey & vanilla. They're all I smell now. I didn't smell them in the bottle. At this point, it seems like it could become too sweet before long. I have yet to smell the clove, or the wine, really. As I type, the honey is already backing off. I am smelling a green sharpness, now. The cherries are gone, I think. It seems to be going light & crisp.
1 hour+ later: Now I've got the honey & vanilla, plus some green crispness, and a faint hint of musk. These last two keep it from being too cloying. It doesn't have a ton of throw -- or I've just gotten used to the throw -- and it isn't as dark as I expected. It's rather mild, and personally I like it, though it wasn't what I was expecting.
Edit: This has major staying power. I can still smell it after17 hours!
Imp #16: Temple of Dreams
"For use when working with the many Gods of Sleep, Dreams, and Nightmares."
Note: Mid cycle. Imp from fruitycake's sales.
In the bottle: Lavender & some savory spice that gives it an herbal tinge. Unlike others, I don't really think it smells like rosemary.
On me: The lavender receeds and the blend becomes less sharp and astringent. It smells cool. On drydown, as my body warms it up, the smell warms. I smell like sitting in a dry cedar paneled sauna; the soft smell of dry wood and faint smoke. This is very warm and relaxing.
1 hour+ later: I went to sleep pretty quickly, but upon waking I smelled faintly the same as upon initial drydown.
Impact on sleep and dreaming: I used this the night before election day, hoping for better sleep. Despite sleeping for only 5 hours, I was quite rested and I felt that I remembered more dreams throughout the night. The thing that struck me the most was that when I woke up, the covers were pristine, whereas I normally toss and turn quite a bit.
ETA: The main herb may be sage, given that others have noticed it and I associate it with sweat lodges, etc.
Imp #12: The Bow and Crown of Conquest
"And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
Nobility and haughtiness befitting the Antichrist: sage, carnation and cedar with lavender, vanilla, white musk and leather."
Note: End of cycle. Imp straight from the Lab, but about eleven months old.
In the bottle: I get vanilla and somewhat peppery carnation, maybe sage.
On me: This pretty much disappeared on me/became a second skin with no distinguishable notes. I can tell that it's there, but it's only a tiny bit more vanilla and maybe musk on the right hand and carnation on the left hand than my actual skin.
1 hour+ later: Slightly sweeter & muskier second skin. Still there. For some reason it sticks around longer on my left hand than the right. Go figure.
Unlike the Firefly post, there are few suggestions in the Tolkein post for what actually exists. I am trying to revive the thread & steer it that way, though.
Imp #3: Neo-Tokyo
Note: Mid cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.
"Urban metallics and an ozone-tinged breath of electric light mingled with reedy bamboo, crisp mountain air, cherry blossoms, delicate orchid and a splash of playful, wet fruits."
In the bottle: This smells like French double milled soap! (In a good way.) The cherry is coming out a lot in it. I am getting the metallic, too. Like wet, fruity, finely milled soap on the side of a steel wash tub, in the cold mountain air, where you poar fresh water over your head from a pitcher.
On me: Cherry is moving back on drydown. Yay! (Why does my right wrist smell totally different from my left? It's cherry +5.)
1 hour+ later: Clean, metalic. I think that clean sharpness is the ozone. The fruit is gone, except maybe as the faintest hint of sweetness. This is a very clean scent on me. Not what I was expecting, but I think it will be good for work wear. Also, it's very light.
I finally realized that there was something in the swaps forum for me, even before I got my first order -- the sales area.
From fruitycake's sales:
Bewitching Brews
Eclipse
Ouija
Séance
Diabolus
Black Phoenix
Phantom
Love Potions
Libertine
Salomé
Somnium
Temple of Dreams
Wanderlust
Florence
[Edit]Received 1/12/07.
Why the big gap between trying new imps?
It was my perfectionism taking over. I couldn't try a new imp in public -- what if it went putrid on my skin? I couldn't try it when I had put one on earlier -- what if the previous one impacted the scent? I had to not wear a scent all day and then do it at night, when I didn't have plans. As my schedule filled up, that plan failed. Plus, I had to remember to do it, and log all of my reactions. No new scents if I couldn't note it, etc. I'm not going to be so perfectionist about it from here on out, and get more scents tried and used!
Imp #6: Hamadryad
"Seven dry woods with mossy lichen and a gentle breeze of forest flowers."
Note: Mid cycle. Imp fresh from the Lab.
In the bottle: Faint and hard to capture. Sweet, mossy...
On me: Licorice! OMG LICORICE!
1 hour+ later: The licorice has gone away, and it is now a mild, vaguely spicy, unitentifiable second skin scent. I like it, but I'm afraid to put much on and have to wait out the initial stage.
Thanks for your help, zankoku_zen.
I am now placing my first order for the following imps:
Bewitching Brews:
Anne Bonny
Blood Kiss
Hamadrayd
Scherezade
Swank
Love Potions:
O
Sin & Salvation:
Lust
Sea of Glass
Sin
Wanderlust:
Neo-Tokyo
Prague
Tintagel
Bewitching Brews
Aeval
Anne Bonny
Blood Kiss
Eclipse
Hamadrayd
Ouija
Penny Dreadful
Scherezade
Séance
Swank
Diabolus
Black Phoenix
Djinn
Phantom
Excolo
Pannychis
Queen Mab
Funereal Oils
Dance of Death
Limited Editions
Beltane
Love Potions
Libertine
O
Salomé
Seraglio
Whip
The Muses
Melpomene
Sin & Salvation:
The Bow & Crown of Conquest
Lust
Sea of Glass
Sin
Tzadikim Nistarim
Somnium
Temple of Dreams
Wanderlust
Athens
Delphi
Florence
Neo-Tokyo
Prague
Tintagel
Order from littleone101701's for sale.
Bewitching Brews
Aeval
Penny Dreadful
Diabolus
Djinn
Excolo
Pannychis
Queen Mab
Funereal Oils
Dance of Death
Limited Editions
Beltane
Love Potions
Whip
The Muses
Melpomene
Sin & Salvation
Tzadikim Nistarim
Wanderlust
Athens
Delphi
[Edit:] Received today 1/20/07.
I am new to BPAL. Yes, I have been signed up for quite a while, but I agonized over what I would choose for my first order. Then I got laid off, concentrated on a new job, etc., etc. Now, I'm still overwhelmed by the vast selection and my lack of olfactory knowledge, and a large dose of perfectionism.
I had narrowed it down quite a bit, but now I can't remember my conclusions. So, I had the (not so) revolutionary idea of chronicling my search here. If I'm lucky, maybe I'll even get some input from more knowledgeable noses.
My known preferences: I am not a girly girl. I do not like flowery perfumes or fruity or sweet scents. The prospect of smelling like food scares me; I am not a snack! I like the smell of the woods after rain. I am drawn to nature, and I plant flowers and vegetables; knit, spin, and dye yarn; make candles, bake from scratch, and have intentions of making soap from scratch as well. I also paint watercolors, draw with conte crayon, sculpt clay, sew, make chain mail and venetian masks. I am drawn to Native American traditions, medieval knights, & the exoticism of the Marrakesh Market or the holy Ganges. But I also like steampunk. I like the simplicity, asymmetry, and elegence of ikebana. I ride bikes a lot and hang out with indie hipsters. If that makes any sense to you, then you are starting to develop an idea of me.
I wish to first develop a framework to hang my further explorations of BPAL on. I plan to start by trying some musky scents, some earthy scents, some aquatic scents, some exotic scents, and some bohemian scents. This blog will chronicle my plans & reactions to the scents.
