Category: Bewitching Brews
This blend went through an interesting transformation during the period of time that I wore it. The first day, it had this horrible fake vanilla smell. It was awful. But on the days after that, it somehow transformed from that sharp, vile scent to a sweeter, creamier vanilla. As it dries, it gets a powdery air to it. I'm glad I was persistant with it.
Vanilla is predominantly what I smell in this. Any florals that are in it are very, very light and dusty.
This is such a pretty scent. It seems like something my mom would like, as she likes vanilla, but often ends up with candles and lotions that have that nasty plastic smell to it. So I'll probably keep this imp around just for her. She doesn't wear perfume, but perhaps I could incorporate it into some lotion or something for her.
Category: Excolo
In the imp, it's pretty light and unobtrusive...but once you lift that wand up and expose it to the air, it reaches out and latches onto your senses. It has a very sweet, almost candy-like scent to it, yet there's also an herbal touch to it.
As it goes on, it morphs rather dramatically again. To be quite honest, my first thought as it touched my skin was, "Oh god...it's mummy parts and wet jackal butt." Not exactly the most charming scent...and yet it seemed so appropriate, somehow, to the theme of this particular god...and don't worry, it gets better.
The scent becomes dry -- still pungeant, but there is a sandy sort of air to it. The incense and herbs are quite fragrant and there is the sweetness of the balsam all around the edges. This scent has a pretty healthy throw -- the first day I wore it I may as well have worn a sign that said "HEY, COME MEET ANUBIS!"
As time passes, the scent retains these same qualities, just with gradually-decreasing strength. The sweet tones are at times reminiscent of sacrificial wine, left in a bowl on an altar all day long.
Now, when I say that those rather unflattering components are appropriate, I mean that it really does conjure up funerary rites, an ancient temple, bandages scented with myrrh and packed with spices. It is *very* evocative.
I'm reluctant to set this scent aside, but ultimately I don't think it's for me. I would highly recommend it to any Egyptophiles, however, or to anyone who likes to conjure up a little sweet, dry decay now and then. And I definitely give it kudos for its strength and longevity.
What I liked: It's an incense scent with throw. And really, if I were to somehow meet this god, this is what he would smell like.
What I didn't like: Something is just off, and I don't know what it is! I'm really conflicted about it...I hate the thought of actually getting rid of it. It's not a bad scent by any means, it's just...not perfect for me, somehow.
Category: Bewitching Brews
I could not wait to try Absinthe today. I was worried that I would either not wear enough to scent it beyond initial application, or slather it on and overwhelm everyone around me. But I think I did okay.
In the imp: Very lemony. Oddly enough, when I sniffed the applicator, it had that very strong "Lemon Pledge" scent, while in the imp itself the lemon was more subdued and woody...it reminded me of the inside of a wooden cabinet that had been maintained with, perhaps, lemon oil.
Wet: When first applied, it was still quite lemony, though not in an obnoxious way; it quickly toned down to more of a lemon-drop sort of smell -- sweet and sugary. As it dried, the anise hints came through, in a very soft, sweet way; and very quickly, these two scents blended together into a very pleasant amalgam.
Dry: The scent was delightfully subtle, and yet deceptively strong; I couldn't necessarily smell it on myself, but I would find myself scenting just the faintest hint of it if I would walk back over an area I'd just covered. It lasted all day. I would say that the scent was more 'woody' than herbal -- perhaps that's the wormwood? And around the edges, there was that faint, sweet snap of citrus from the lemon.
I really, really like this scent. I'm trying not to make it my favorite just because it was my first, but hey...shouldn't your first time be a sweet, wonderful experience that you *want* to repeat? Preferably, yes. I'll consider buying a bottle of it later on.
Notes that I liked: The lemon. This may mean that I like citrus scents.
No notes that I particularly disliked. I was afraid about the anise, but it was subtle and behaved itself quite well.
Qualities that I liked: The faint woodiness of it, definitely the citrus snap around the edges, the subtle strength and lasting power.
Oddly enough, this is not 'cold' on me at all. Quite the opposite...I get the 'warm' notes of amber, sandalwood, balsam, and musk. There is a hint of pine/fir, sweetened vaguely by berry. It's pleasant enough, but somehow just doesn't do it for me. Alas!
I will vouch for the fact that cedar at no point comes out and bullies things the way it usually does. So if you are usually very leery of cedar, you may want to give this a shot.
When first applied, I get frankincense and a hint of amber -- very lovely. I can see how people get the 'fizzy' feeling, though, because I quickly detected it there, as well. Then the incense morphs quickly to something sweeter; while I didn't get out and out 'grape' scent from the wine, it was vaguely there. After a bit, it just goes generically perfumey. Just not my thing...
Oh...gods, this is beautiful. So pretty, that even this brief sniff that I'm indulging in to reacquaint myself with the scent is bringing tears to my eyes.
The lavender, geranium, and (I believe) the benzoin mingle to create a heady, floral scent that is clarifying, instead of being cloying; it is *almost* medicinal, but without any sort of nasty astringency to it. It's more like a scent you'd expect to find in an old-fashioned sachet. Beneath these, the poppy creates a soft, caressing sweetness; and even though I don't get oodles of the black amber and black incense, there is *something* there that creates a very dark sort of tone; so that even though there are those head-clearing notes atop, there is also a sense that this perfume is bottomless, that you could get drawn into it forever and ever. It is deliciously moody and dark and beautiful.
Definitely worthy of a bottle.
In the imp: Whoa, butter!
I get a lot of butter when it first goes on...then it calms down into more of a toasted pastry sort of smell. There's still a 'brown' edge to it, as there was with Butter Rum Cookie, but without the out-and-out burned smell...it's more like cookies that have been perfectly, thoroughly baked.
So, if you're looking for something just a touch lighter than Butter Rum Cookie, or *really* like butter (), give this a try.
My verdict is still out on this one. I originally really liked it, but now that I'm giving it another sniff, I'm just sort of 'eh' on it. Then again, I've got like seven scents on this hand, so it may just be an overloaded nose. I'll wash off, give my schnozz a rest for a bit, and try it again before deciding.
The good news: It smells exactly like it says it's supposed to. One instantly gets an air of fine, misty rain, permeated by the dust on one's sandals, and the incense burning in the sheltering temple atop the mountain. It's beautiful, and it sums up the concept of 'rain' perfectly. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it smells like a purifying, Oregon rain -- the kind you'd feel sweeping in straight off the ocean, as you stand on the beach.
The bad news: It lasts about six seconds on me, then evaporates.
I can see how some reviewers get a 'Sprite' vibe from it. There's definitely a citrus/lime tone to it, probably to preserve that fresh, purifiying aquatic quality of the perfume. I rather liked it.
Hm, odd. The first time I tried this, I got all clove and spices and balsam and a hint of orange punch. Not wicked at all, but certainly yummy. Over the day, it morphed into something woody, and by the end of the day was getting a bit soapy...but it behaved so nicely for the majority of its stay that I was willing to forgive that.
Now that I'm sniffing it again, I get primarily bitter mandarin orange, with some balsam or cypress...something sweet but woody. That's a bit more...wicked, I guess. Perhaps things had settled -- I didn't really bother with rolling the imp or anything, this time around.
In both cases, however, I very much like it. I'll need a bottle.
Category: Bewitching Brews
In the imp, there is the sweetness of the lavender, spiced around the edges with the prickly sharpness of rosemary.
As it goes on, there's still that very sweet tone with the herbal note throughout...I think I can detect the neroli now.
As it dries, it gets light and peppery...herbs and perhaps frankincense.
While I'm not exactly a huge fan of lavender, it's a nice, soothing, pretty scent, and would make for a great room scent IMHO. Unfortunately it evaporates pretty quickly on me. But if you're a fan of lavender, well, here you go.
Category: Mad Tea Party
In the imp: Honey, with a very warm tone to it.
Wet: Thick, sweet, honeyed cream, with a bit of spiciness to it.
Dry: The floral scents come out to me as it dries, and it 'cools off' as in the honey note becomes more subdued, though it never quite disappears...more like it coats the petals of the flowers (and I'm wanting to say that I smell more carnation than rose). And yet, there's a powdery note to it, as well...I'm wanting to call it 'baby powder' only because it's a very light, feminine, innocent sort of tone...not soapy or strident at all.
Verdict: I can see why this is a popular scent; it's *really* lovely, and very feminine, very elegant in an innocent sort of way. Unfortunately, it has *no* throw or lasting power on me at all, which makes me very sad. I'm reluctant to get rid of it because it's so pretty, so hopefully I'll be able to find another use for it.
What I liked: The honey and the floral scent.
What I didn't like: It's too weak! Sadness.
I have to wonder what sort of lotion this would make.
Category: Picnic In Arkham
In the imp: Wow. It really does smell like an old person's house. Like...cleanser and very artificial air fresheners trying to cover...something gross. Eeek.
This scent morphs quite a bit. When first applied, the florals are predominant, in an almost sickly-sweet way, though having them in open air on the skin does wonders for the geriatric-home smell. Then, there's pine, trees, woodsy scents...perhaps the moss as well. Definitely a sense of earth and loam and undergrowth there.
When dry...it actually smells a lot as if you'd come to a halt on a forest path, and were scenting the trees and ferns around you. I'm not familiar with Eastern US trees, but there's definitely a pine smell like Douglas Fir, cedar, redwoods...that's what it reminds me of.
I don't believe it's for me (and it didn't last long on me at any rate), but if you like nature scents perhaps you should give this a try.
I rather like the way that it morphs around, as it's an interesting phenomena. However, the florals are just too...artificial-seeming, to me. I compare them to something like Aeval or even Amsterdam, and they just don't stack up.
Category: Discontinued Scents
I pretty much get patchouli from this, with a bit of lavender around the edges. Unfortunately, it didn't get any more complex than that on me. Will pass it on to someone else who can appreciate it more.
I do like that patchouli. This is saying something, since I'm used to suffering exposure to it via people who seem to bathe in that instead of hot water and soap. Usually, it tends to crawl up into my sinuses, summon little knife-wielding dervishes, and then dance back and forth up and down my nose. Normally, only pollen does that.
There are other incense-like scents in the GC that work better on me than this did, so I'm not too sad about it.
Category: Bewitching Brews -- The Conjure Bag
In the imp, it smelled warm and spicy, like cinnamon and other spices, with a sugary hint to it...as if someone sexy were baking something sweet in my kitchen! (Hey, one of the many ways to my heart is through my stomach...)
If only it had remained like that. As it went on, it immediately smelled like red-hots, or Big Red gum. Not really my idea of sexy, now.
An hour later, it's gone. Not even a remote trace of it left to sniff.
So, no...not for me.
Category: Bewitching Brews
I smelled mostly cedar and patchouli in this one, with some other vague incense smokiness going on around the edges.
Aureus is golden in the way that a chunk of amber is golden; you get that lovely deep aura of radiant wood and patchouli, dark red-gold and bright orange-gold; and then there are those dark swirls and flecks of smoke and leftover incense embers caught up within it. If you are blessed with skin chemistry that highlights incense and smokiness, I suspect that your senses would be going over and over it, like polishing a smooth stone in your palm.
I, alas, am not one of those people. As seems to be the norm with incense, this faded quickly on me, though the cedar stuck around for a bit.
Category: Illyria
In the imp, it smells very strongly of tea and ginger, with some sugar thrown in.
As it goes on, a more herbal sort of tone comes through. As it dries, though, I smell the tea/ginger again.
It's a lovely smell -- I really like the smell of tea. Unfortunately, this scent is so light and fleeting that it will not work for long on me.
I think I actually like this better than Aizen-Myoo. The grapefruit in the other scent isn't necessarily unpleasant, but I rather like the gentleness of the ginger in this one better. Just wish my skin didn't suck up tea so well!
Category: Sin & Salvation
In the imp: A very heavy, dark scent reminiscent of incense.
Wet: It honestly smells like a really, thick, resin-based incense to me, with a floral sweetness around the edges. I'm not familiar at all with opium, but perhaps this is what's producting that? Very interesting.
Dry: It softens down pretty drastically to a leftover sort of flower scent. I'm wanting to associate that with the honeysuckle.
Verdict: This scent intrigues me even more now because I could have sworn that this was an 'incense' scent...but no, it's florals. Which is amusing because I was comparing it to other incense scents I've worn, and thinking that I'd found my happy medium there. My only criticism of this scent is that it didn't have the throw that I desired. It tends to last a while, though, and it's just lovely all-around as far as I'm concerned, even if it doesn't quite justify a bottle.
What I liked: It combined sweetness with the smoky quality that I love about incense, and yet had a nice, thick, sticky body to it, as well.
What I didn't like: I want to reek, dammit! In the good way! I'm strange.
I'm scratching my head about the vetiver. Maybe that wasn't the problem with Alecto, then? Because I didn't detect anything sour about this, at all. I'm just not sure. It's really a shame about Alecto, because I really liked the leafy quality that it had...but it made me smell like I was on my period or something. Ick.
I'm tending to ramble today, apparently.
Category: Discontinued Scents
Oh, dear. I *like* this. It's a nice, light floral -- not sweet so much as...natural and a little earthy. It's much like leaning into the buds of a flower that have just opened, that soft velvety odor that you get from a flower that derives beauty more from the shape and color of its petals than from an overwhelming fragrance.
That, and it was long-lived in addition to being pretty...so now I'm sad that it got discontinued!
Category: Wanderlust
Initially, I smelled the myrrh and wine, with perhaps the honey thrown in...it had a very sticky, tart, juicy sap-like quality to it.
As it went on, the stickiness of it went away...just becoming myrrh and wine, with perhaps an herbal tint around the edges.
I'm thinking that myrrh is going to be one of those hit-and-miss things with me. This time, it was a miss, and I think it was the wine note that did it...the blend had a sourness to it that did not appeal to me. So, nope, not for me.
I liked Anubis better than this, and I'm guessing it's because of the mixture of herbs that was in it...the wine note couldn't come out and outright trash things like it did in Athens.
Category: Bewitching Blends -- The Conjure Bag
In the imp, it had an almost licorice-like quality to it, with lemondrops mixed in.
Wet, it smelled like bubblegum -- fresh, pink, juicy sugary gum.
Oddly enough, as it dried, there was a sort of...flowery note to it...or perhaps an herbal one...rather powdery and faint and intriguing, after that straight-up sacchirine candy goodness...almost as if Aunt Caroline is revealing her true talents behind that candy-coated mask! Unfortunately, as time went on, it turned plasticky. Very disappointing...
Had it stayed in the candy stages, I probably would have liked it a lot more. It does have a soothing quality to it, but quite frankly, *all* the BPAL scents do that for me. If I encounter a bad smell or am having a bad moment, I'll sniff at my wrists and feel better for a bit.
Category: Excolo
In the imp: Oh my goodness, this was a beautiful scent. It actually brought tears to my eyes for a moment because it was so lovely. Very sweet, definitely redolant with peach, though I could also smell the warm tones of the musk and, I am assuming, amber around it as well.
Wet: Very sweet and peachy. The fruitiness and sweetness predominated.
Dry: The muskier tones come back, but the peach is definitely not to be undermined, and conquers all. It is *almost* a little cloying.
Verdict: I really like this scent, though I am almost thinking that it would be better as a room scent, as unfortunately I think it tends to get a little sour and cloying on me. I'll be willing to try more of it, though.
What I liked: The peach, and I think I liked the amber.
What I didn't like: The fact that yes, I think musk likes to misbehave a little on me. Though thankfully it's just a little.
Overall, I can live with this scent, I just don't feel like it's *perfect* on me. It's so gorgeous, though, that I can't give up on it. I wonder if it would work in a locket, where it is warmed by me but not in contact with my skin. I'll keep the imp around but hold off on getting a bottle for a while, I think.
My very first BPAL order came today! I brought in the mail just a few minutes ago. I was excited, but made myself linger over the box, because I love to do so when opening any kind of present.
I had ordered six imps: Absinthe, Aeval, Aglaea, Agnes Nutter, Aizen-Myoo, and Akuma. (Yes, I meant to do that.) Agnes is not available as an imp, as I found out soon after I had placed the order, but whoever had packed my box had kindly substituted Al-Azif for it instead. Hee! Thanks for understanding my wacky system, whoever you are!
I received 3 frimps as well: Fruitcake (I have heard much talk of this scent), Tushnamatay, and Wrath. I love how Wrath is so cutely furious inside its vial, bright cherry red compared to the others.
Mmm, and the very sweet, faint scent that caressed the packing materials, as if to reassure me that these were not going to be like any perfume I had yet smelled. Lovely...
Thank you, oh BPAL dieties. I can't wait to embark on my explorations...what a wonderful way to celebrate the Solstice...
Category: Bewitching Brews
In the imp: Very, very sweet and floral, with a haze of warm, herbal scent about the edges. When people describe this scent as smelling like a garden, it is very apt.
Wet: The sweetpea comes to the forefront, resonating with a very strong sweetness. It seems like a feminine scent, but one that is more sweetly seductive than powerful and sensual.
Dry: The other notes return; I can definitely smell the musk, and I am assuming that warm tone that envelopes it is the tonka? Now I begin to see why this scent is named after such a fae. It sneaks up on you, but once you become aware of its power it is inescapable, and a little overwhelming.
Verdict: It's very interesting; certainly not a bad mix of scents by any means. I don't know if I would go for a whole bottle of this...I'll be wanting to try other floral-type scents and see how those strike me. It will definitely be a standard that I compare the others to.
I'm a bit relieved that it seems to smell good and 'appropriate', i.e. like the notes that are supposed to be in it, rather than melon-like, sickly-sweet, or just plain icky, as other reviewers had experienced. I'm a little torn on whether or not I like the musk of it...on the one hand, it's nice and warm and strong, and on the other hand it comes dangerously close to turning into 'old-lady' perfume. It may be one of those things that will be iffy on me.
What I liked: The warmth; also the sweetpea was surprisingly good. I will have to keep an eye out for that and tonka in future scents and see if those are the exact notes that I liked.
What I didn't like: The fact that the musk is iffy...almost dangerous, like it could turn on me at any moment. It's less of a dislike than something I'll try to be aware of.
Category: Excolo
In the imp: Whoa, that grapefruit is aggressive! I could smell it as soon as I took the stopper out of the imp.
Wet: Very citrusy/fruity, though it quickly had a mellowness to it, which I am assuming was brought on by the tea.
Dry: This is a very fresh, clean, crisp scent; I detected the grapefruit throughout, and also fancied that I smelled the tea...like I was near a fresh, cold glass full of green tea on ice on a summer's day. It's really lovely! Unfortunately, I think my skin eated it, pretty much...it lasted the majority of the day, but now I have to get my nose to my wrist and huff forlornly to get any residual nummy smell. Strangely enough, now that it's been quite a while, I smell a sweet cherry scent, mostly.
Verdict: I like it, really I do. I wish that it came in some form of spray, though, or a lotion...it would be a really great scent to slather on in the summertime, when you're showing lots of skin.
What I liked: Citrus! Whee!!
What I didn't like: The fact that my skin seemed to slurp it up; it didn't throw very much. But hey, maybe in summertime, with short sleeves? I might have better luck.
Category: Excolo
In the imp: Very herbal and 'green'.
Wet: Very strident and medicinal in tone. As time passed, it morphed into a really musty, sour odor; perhaps that's the vetiver? I've never worn anything with vetiver in it before, so I'm hesitant to pass judgement right away, but whichever component was at fault, it was not a very nice smell.
Dry: I was definitely throwing something sour and nasty. Which is a shame, because if I sniffed up close to my skin, I could smell the leafy components of it perfectly, as if I were bending low into a garden and letting the leaves brush my cheeks. If it *all* had ended up smelling like that, I would have liked it a *lot* more, as that particular feeling was lovely.
Verdict: I'm going to have to pass on this one.
What I liked: That leafy scent; I'll try to keep an eye out for scents with olive leaf and see if that evokes a similiar feeling.
What I didn't like: That musty nastiness. I'll have to keep an eye out for vetiver, as well, and see if that was the culprit.
