In the imp: Sharp, almost bitter sandalwood, and the lilac air freshener scent that is dragon's blood to my nose.
On wet: Sharp and bitter is duking it out with woody, almost peanutty sweetness. Ah, and here comes the detested DB...
Drydown: The sandalwood's totally taken over (yay!), and I smell divine! I'm getting the sweet, pink-gold sandalwood that's present in Tushnamatay, another that's dry and woody, and another that's almost spicy - although I suppose the dragon's blood could be contributing to either of those effects. DB's only ever made me smell like a bathroom spray, so I can honestly say that I'm absolutely clueless as to what it might be doing at this point, lol!
Overall: I fully expected the dragon's blood to kill this blend for me (because it hates me with a fiery passion), but thanks to my beloved sandalwood, I smell fan-freakin'-tastic - something I *never* thought possible where DB was concerned. I am positively delighted at finding my first wearable dragon's blood scent. 4.5/5
In the imp: Sweeeeet reddish-purple-fruity-berry-ness. A hint of what I think is thyme.
On wet: Kool-Aid!
Drydown: 10 minutes in, and it's faded quite a bit. It's lost a lot of that berrylicious/fruity edge in favour of just pure sugary sweetness - it's actually making my teeth hurt every time I inhale! There's also a soapy, shampoo-esque thing going on now, too. I'm reminded of the "perfume" I used to get as a kid - the kind that wasn't much more than scented pink liquid in a pretty pink-capped bottle. I can't recall exactly, but I think the brand was called Tinkerbell (no relation to Disney). Not getting anything even remotely boozy or herby.
Overall: WAY too sweet for this grrl - though I'd definitely recommend it for the junior BPALers out there. A kid-friendly scent to be sure - and SO much nicer than that chemical playtime crap I'm sure is still being sold today. As I am no longer a kidlet, however, this ranks a 2/5 on my skin.
In the imp: Mmm...smells like buttered rum lifesavers!
On wet: Lightly buttered rum. Coconut. A dry, almost herbal bitterness that I'm thinking is the tobacco. Strangely enough, I'm also getting a hint of something...minty? Weird - and yummy!
Drydown: The caramel-esque rum and sugary coconut are both deliciously straightforward. I'm not getting tobacco (or that phantom mint note) any more, but I'm sure it's helping cut the sweetness and ground the other two components.
Overall: Edible! Drink Me and Obatala's love child. Definitely a warm weather party scent - also perfect for those cold days when all you can think about is escaping the snow by jetting off to the Caribbean. Elegba is that 'one sniff and you're there' scent. 4/5
In the imp: Sweet fruityness - almost apple-like - and a touch of something floral.
On wet: Nothing distinct beyond sweeeeet and frooooooty.
Drydown: Blackberry at first, then that dark berry vibe gets even darker - definitely the plum. A floral haze sorta clings to the edges of those two emo fruits, and the lilac is the most notable. Still an incredibly sweeeeet blend with just a *hint* of something spicy/cinnamony underneath. Lovely.
Overall: I don't really enjoy blackberry scents as a rule (they tend to not like me very much), but this one works thanks to the plum (one of my favourite fruit notes). The fruit/light floral/spice combo makes for a very warm n' wearable blend - and it's not going potpourri/holiday candle on me, either - another bonus. My nose says it's reminiscent of Frumious Bandersnatch. I rather enjoy these plummy-spicy scents, but don't really wear them very often (just because *I* don't get candles or an Xmas sachet from them doesn't mean others don't - like my DH ) - even still, I'll be keeping my imp. 3.5/5
In the imp: Straight-up cocoa beans - powdery and almost bitter.
On wet: Chocolate. Then the sandalwood tries to peek through - not enough to be distinct, though, so I currently smell like a Reese's PB cup, lol!!
Drydown: Mmm...starting to get a little sweeter (vanilla), a little woodier (sandalwood), a little smokier (myrrh). Hey you - myrrh - yeah, you! I think you need to calm down a bit, buddy - you're getting to be a tad too acrid for your own good. We really don't want to pull another Priala-fiasco, now do we? I want to amp choco-vanilla-sandalwood, darnit - NOT smouldering erasers.
Overall: I still smell...burnt...and somewhat sweet. I am a blackened campfire marshmallow - my charred exterior is hiding all that perfectly edible vanilla goo underneath. Not what I was looking for. I blame this unsatisfying result on wonky-PMS-skin chemistry, and will keep my imp to test again when I am *not* all hormonally unbalanced. At the moment, though, this ranks a majorly disappointing 2/5.
In the imp: An almost golden-sweet vanilla. Something bright and a little sharp, too - like a high-end, citrussy hairspray.
On wet: Sweet creaminess. Jasmine. The nailpolish-remover scent of champaca. Oooh...but here comes the sandalwood, already starting to ground everything. Very, very nice.
Drydown: Complex and lovely. The vanilla and sandalwood make for a wonderfully sweet-yet-stable base - creamy, warm, and golden. The champaca - a note that never fails to hate me regardless of how many times I try it out - has finally decided to pull back and play nice, making friends with the jasmine, tag-teaming to become this general haze of pretty floral-ness. I can smell an undercurrent of spicy smokiness, too - opium and ginger making the scene at last. There's the leather - it's slightly sour against the other notes.
Roses, lily, hay, tobacco...I'm sure they're all in there too, but I can't pick them out specifically - that's how busy and well-blended this scent is.
Overall: I'm really enjoying this! It's an almost syrupy sweet floral, saved from being too heady or too generic or too frou-frou (ie. only to be worn to expensive restaurants or similarly classy engagements) by that deliciously smoky, lightly spiced, golden cream combo of the vanilla-sandalwood-opium-ginger (and possibly tobacco). It *did* start off a bit...louder...than I usually like, but within 5-10 minutes, it settled down into the gorgeous, darkly playful skin-scent I'm getting - and can't stop sniffing! - now. A unique composition (to my nose, at any rate), one that might need to be upgraded to a bottle in the near future. 4/5
In the imp: Cinnamon-scented bonfire - wooo!
On wet: Sweet, earthy cinnamon. It's making my skin tingle, too! Weird!
Drydown: Myrrh. Burning myrrh. Sweet n' spicy myrrh. I am pleased...except when I catch faint whiffs of something vaguely play-doh-y. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, my nose can't help but wrinkle. I am also reminded - much to my dismay - of a carpet treatment powder my grandmother used to use years and years ago. It smelled really good, too, but I never felt the urge to dab a little behind my ears, if ya know what I mean.
Overall: Big disappointment for me, this one. In addition to loving warm, spicy myrrh blends, I'm a HUGE Phoenix fan (the mythology, the gorgeous art that goes along with it, the X-Men character - hell, even the city!), so I fully expected to add another firebird to my well-stocked stable of Phoenixy scents. Instead, I get grama's carpet cleaner, and another imp for the swap pile. 2/5
In the imp: Sugared mint tea!
On wet: Mmm...sweet, fresh mint - green and growing. Lovely!
Drydown: I smell like pure honeyed tea leaves! No mint, no citrus (never got any noticeable citrussy notes, though), and the sweetness is more mellow, no longer sugary. It's gone drier, too - hence the tea leaf vibe, rather than the beverage.
Overall: This is quite nice. I rather enjoy all the notes included in this blend, but it's incredibly faint, and only lasted about half an hour on my wrist. If it was a bit more intense, I would definitely go for a bottle. As it stands now, I'll just continue to enjoy my imp. 3/5
In the imp: Wow - it really does smell like gingerale!
On wet: Ginger, woodiness, a touch of sweetness, and something else - something almost powdery underneath all the other notes.
Drydown: Boo...it's gone to pure soapy powder! Soap flakes with mixed with dusty plastic, at that - reminiscent of the icky drydown I get from orchid scents.
Overall: I've had this decant for almost two years now, hanging on in the hopes that it would age into something that liked me ('cause I rather liked it!), but, sadly, this has not happened. It's STILL not for me.
In the imp: Uber Almond! Yum!
On wet: Nothing but almond at first. A few seconds later, there's a tinge of darkness from the myrrh, a lighter sweetness that I'm attributing to the mandarin, and a delicate slither of snake oil. Mmm, I smell like a complicated amaretti cookie!
Drydown: Snake Oil + something smoky + a weird herbal peanut butter (wtf? where did *that* come from?) = a very strange, almost savoury version of my favourite GC fragrance. Not what I was hoping for, and not a scent I'm enjoying at the moment. It's actually kind of turning my stomach...
Overall: Well, I've found the first Snake Pit scent that doesn't work on me. It had to happen sometime, I just wasn't expecting it from one of my most anticipated combination of notes. A disappointed 2/5.
In the imp: A fresh, sweet scent - there's an almost dry sharpness to it that reminds me of the white sandalwood in Kuang Shi.
On wet: Mmm...a soft, sweet, unassuming citrus cream.
Drydown: Wow, has this ever gone perfumey! It's reminiscent of a scent I used to wear in high school, but I can't recall which one - Volupte? Tresor? I'm still getting whiffs of fresh orange cream underneath that intense headiness, though.
Overall: Quite a nice blend, even though it's completely different from what I expected. Not something I'll wear very often, but I'll definitely be hanging on to my decant. 3.5/5
In the imp: Sweetness, a lick of butter, and a sharpness that reminds me of nailpolish remover.
On wet: Hmm...even though this doesn't share any notes with Dr. John Seward (that I'm aware of, anyway), with the not-so-pleasant, sweet, almost flowery-butter thing going on right now, I'm instantly reminded of that blend.
Drydown: Again, as with DJS, the drydown is a vast improvement. The sweetness has deepened and even darkened slightly (it's somewhat plum-esque to my nose), the butter has finally abated, and there's a vague spiciness underneath it all. Not exactly what I was hoping for, but not bad, either.
Overall: Even though I'm not a foody grrl, I was expecting more of a straight up cake scent - an *evil* cake scent, actually, with the addition of the incense. All I ended up getting, however, was a holiday candle-like incense (the fruit and spice combo can sometimes go that way on me) after the icky butter stage. I'm rather let-down that this didn't work on me - not only had I been wanting to try it for ages, I assumed it would become one of my new favourites. Sadly, my skin chemistry says otherwise. 2/5
In the imp: Mmm...minty snake oil - delicious!
On wet: Oh, this is yummy. Aside from the *slightest* whiff of something chemical that comes and goes, I smell like minty vanilla cookies - SEXY minty vanilla cookies.
Drydown: Still pure minted snake oil - and I think it's the tea (of all things!) that's acting out. It's not putting me in mind of something chemical anymore, it's just not interested in sitting nicely with the other notes.
Overall: I'm not sure how old my decant is, but this scent is so slinky-nummy, I'll definitely give it another go at a later date to see if aging improves it. Hopefully the tea or the bergamot or whatever's being naughty will calm down enough to warrant a big bottle purchase. At the moment, though, this rates a very respectable 3/5.
In the imp: Sweet, sweet flowers.
On wet: HOLY Florals! Like I've just tromped through a wet garden at night - a garden FULL of uber heady blooms. Nothing 'purple' to speak of - this is more a damp, greenish scent so far. It's somewhat overwhelming, but not wholly unpleasant.
Drydown: Jasmine. Maybe moonflower. There's a high-pitched sweetness - candy-like, almost - that usually means violets to my nose. I think I've located the plum peeking out from between the flowers - it's that same deep, more-crimson-than-purple sweet-tartness I got from Frumious Bandersnatch and Bathsheba. The light lick of incense underneath everything is almost nonexistent, but it's there when I inhale and concentrate, nicely grounding all those rioting flowers and swirly plum fumes.
Overall: Perfumey. Sweet. Rich. Heady. Definitely an evening/cold weather scent (for me, anyway). Floral-heavy blends are definitely not my bag, baby, but this one, thanks to the plum and incense, has quite a bit more depth than a typical, straight-up floral. There's a tempering warmth that adds both interest and a somewhat addictive quality - I keep huffing my wrist to seek it out! Not a fragrance I can see myself wearing, but a very classy, elegant composition, to say the least. 3/5
In the imp: Dirt...something faintly sweet...an almost spicy underbite - taken all together, I'm reminded of pickled beets!
On wet: Beets in a cellar! The dirt note is still very strong, and there's also something that totally reminds me of what the basement in my childhood home smelled like.
Drydown: A dry, almost burnt woodiness and a soft vanillic undertone has taken over. There's still a hint of beet dirt lingering, but it's in the backseat now, more than happy to be chauffeured around by its fellow notes. Hmm...strangely enough, I'm reminded of hot erasers! That smell you'd get after furiously scrubbing your pink-tipped pencil butt against an incorrectly answered math question? On my skin, Death Cap Drydown IS THAT SMELL!
Overall: Well, I like the scent of dirt well enough, but I'm not much of a beet fan (I'm the only non-beet eater in my family, actually), and this blend is seriously screaming BEEEEEETS!!! - when it's not reminding me of one too many nightmarish math exams, lol. Too bad that woody-vanilla drydown wasn't more intense! 2/5
In the imp: Intense melon - like a honeydew, cantaloupe, and watermelon salad!
On wet: Sweet, melon-y, something that I *think* is grape, but I can't be sure...
Drydown: Pure fruity candy! The kind that's all innocent sugar on your tongue...just before it gives you that full-mouth-pucker-blast of surprise sourness. There's definitely a swipe of tartness buried under all that bright melon, and a slight floral softness, too. Makes for an interesting mix, if a tad too sweet for me.
Overall: A very youthful, fun scent - perfect for warm, sunny days. I'm not much of a fruit-fan - at least not the uber sweet, somewhat girly variety - so this isn't quite right for me. My sisters, on the other hand - sugary and melony scent devotees - will likely adore it. 3/5
In the imp: Almond and a touch of sweet, almost effervescent citrus.
On wet: Pure citrus - sweet, lemony, sort of powdery, too. Very bright and candylike!
Drydown: The citrus has faded almost completely, and all I'm left with is a touch of thyme.
Overall: This blend started out quite nicely - I'm a fan of citrus, almond, and various herbs - but it faded within minutes! And I didn't get anything beyond lemon and thyme - no lavender, mint, or even the usually dominant almond. So, yeah...a bit of a disappointment. 2/5
In the imp: Minty Mint and sweet violets...
On wet: Oooh...herbalicious! What a lovely blast of minty eucalyptus freshness! It's great, and slightly tempered with an underlying sweetness - not overpowering at all.
Drydown: Mmm...mint - it's almost vanillic, thanks to the violets. This has totally softened, sweetened, and deepened into such a pretty scent - and it's weird, but I'm almost getting a whiff of something...coconutty? Whatever it is, it smells *fantastic*! The eucalyptus is still lingering by way of a slightly dusty herbal edge - it's pleasant, almost tea-like - that I can pick up on if I really sniff around for it. I can't detect any neroli.
Overall: I really like violets, and I quite like mint, too - combined, however, I thought they'd smell quite...icky. This blend - which ends up incredibly soft and delicate - has *totally* surprised me! It started off as cool and bracing, then mellowed into this almost creamy sweetness that is just SO gorgeous - I can't stop sniffing myself. I'm reminded of a lighter, cleaner version of Snow-Flakes - Snow-Flakes falling on pale, pale violets. This is a wonderful scent, and one I'd consider upgrading to a bottle! 4.5/5
I likewise got this as a frimp from the lovely shelldoo!
In the imp: almost identical to my much beloved Bunny Musk - sweet, clean, and slightly powdery.
On Wet: Mmmm...so delicious - like I've dabbed my wrist with liquid candy. Again, incredibly similar to EBM (the same base, I think), but with an extra dash of powderiness. I'm not detecting anything overtly lemony, but there is a light citrus vibe going on.
Drydown: Still clean, sweet, and pleasantly powdery. There's a hint of that same light spice that I get from EBM. This lasts for ages, too, and the throw is perfect - just enough for me to catch a whiff every once and a while, reminding me of how fantastic I smell.
Overall: I'm a huge Bunny Musk fan, so I'm not surprised by how much I'm enjoying this scent. It's fresh and feminine, sweet and sunny - it's absolutely lovely. I think I prefer my gorgeous bunny blend more, but only by a...hare? (Hardy-Har-Har!!! ) An easy 4.5/5.
In the bottle: A sweet hint of pear, something a little perfumey (jasmine?), and the faintest touch of dustiness I always seem to get from orchid notes.
On wet: Peaceful, soft, watery - a lovely, mild scent so far.
Drydown: Still soft and sweet, but with a more pronounced perfumey edge. I'm able to smell the fruit (or perhaps it's the lotus?), what I'm thinking is the mottia attar, and the crystal musk underneath. No distinct hint of cucumber (though I believe it's contributing to that watery vibe), the orchid is either gone or smothered under the other florals, and I'm not familiar enough with the other listed notes to be able to pick them out specifically.
Overall: When I closed my eyes to dissect this blend, I was immediately assaulted by some of the most vivid images any BPAL blend has evoked to date:
An ornate outdoor bathing grotto filled with cool water, generous handfuls of fragrant, exotic flower petals floating on its surface, a mild breeze - faintly scented with the sweetness of recent rain and growing things - raising gooseflesh when it brushes up against naked skin, a blue-black sky overhead. I can envision a fey queen or nature-loving goddess bathing here, floating on her back, eyes closed, long hair fanning out behind her, soothed by her surroundings, completely at peace...
I honestly didn't think I'd like this scent - too many floral notes, too much potential for aquatic mayhem (I can't seem to pull off watery schtuff), and while pear/cucumber-type scents are pleasing, I don't often find myself reaching for them - not with so many spicy/creamy/sexy combinations available. Now that I've actually *tried* it, though (instead of just sniffing the bottle's contents, promising to try it soon, then passing it over in favour of something else), I can't believe how incredibly pretty it is. Pretty AND wearable! It's got this softness to it that sort of mutes all the potentially louder components - almost as if each note went blurry at the edges and was bleeding into one another - like a watercolour painting.
An evening, special occasion, or spring/early summer fragrance (for me, anyway), and an impressive 4.5/5. Gorgeous.
In the imp: An almost watery, sweet-tart freshness.
On wet: Clean and vaguely lemongrass-y.
Drydown: Fresh, clean, and faintly citrus. There's a green edge happening, too - something almost minty or grassy. Very pretty.
Overall: Not a fan of the bamboo element (I did detect a VERY brief, polluting whiff of it during the wet stage), but this is such a fresh, clean fragrance otherwise, that I can hardly complain. I almost wish I'd sprung for a full bottle rather than a decant - this would be lovely addition to unscented bath products! 3.5/5
In the imp: A clean citrus-tea scent. Slightly sweet, slightly floral, slighty aquatic.
On wet: Bathroom air freshener.
Drydown: Sweet, sweet floral. Faint citrus. A sharpness reminiscent of ozone - perhaps the bamboo? (I'm discovering that I'm not a fan of bamboo in certain blends.) The sandalwood's underneath everything, lending an almost incensey quality to the overall experience. Still reminds me of something you'd use to clean a public restroom, though.
Overall: I heartily agree with some of the previous reviewers who mention similarities between this scent and Neo-Tokyo. Unsurprisingly, since I absolutely LOATHED Neo-Tokyo (it was the very first scent I needed to wash off immediately), I'm not exactly loving this one, either. A shame, really - I haven't been able to pull off any blends with dragon's blood so far, and this one - with all its exotic ingredients - had me hopeful.
In the imp: Something sharp and fresh - I'm thinking it's the bergamot and juniper.
On wet: That same bergamot-juniper freshness, and a strangely overwhelming powderiness that I'm attributing to the orchid.
Drydown: Spicy, somewhat powdery, slightly sweet. It's driving me crazy at this point, actually, because it reminds me of something I've smelled before, but I can't remember what! (Don't you hate it when that happens?) There *is* a faint soapy element underneath the other notes, but it has an airy-clean quality to it, rather than an unpleasant cleanser/detergent vibe.
Overall: An interesting blend. I love white musk, so I was a little disappointed that it wasn't a stronger presence in this fragrance. This scent's not exactly 'me', but I think it may be gender neutral enough to pique the hubby's interest. Against my skin, however, it rates a 2.5/5.
In the imp: Sweet cherry cough syrup.
On wet: Mmm...cherry-almond-marzipan goodness. Uber sweet, but very yummy.
Drydown: The cherry is long gone. A musky, slinky-sweet, somewhat dusty/ powdery floral is what I'm getting now - that is, until the strawberry rears its massive fruity head. Wow, not only did it just appear outta nowhere, it's surprisingly strong, too. Hmm...unlike other Lab strawberry scents, this berry blend doesn't smell fake on me. It smells darker and richer than it should - almost plum-like - making me wonder if the cherry's really gone after all...
Overall: I don't care for strawberry scents. Amber is not my friend. Red musk is hit or miss with my skin chemistry. Guess it just goes to show you how the right balance of notes can work miracles - I'm finding HB not only wearable, but deliciously sexy to boot! Not certain it'll rank big bottle-love (not yet, anyway), but I'll definitely be using my imp. A surprising, but well-deserved 3.5/5.
In the bottle: Cocoa, vanilla, lavender - yum!
On wet: Mmm...the same as above. The lavender is really singing, too - such an amazing melange of notes.
Drydown: A complex jumble of subdued deliciousness that is SO incredible. It's saved from the 'too foody' category thanks to the fresh zip of lavender and the rounder sweetness I'm attributing to the starfruit. As the day progresses, the scent smooths out like a river of warm, creamy goodness - less lavender, a more pronounced vanilla/sandalwood presence. And YES! This is definitely reminiscent of Underpants.
Overall: I was another who couldn't wear the previous 13, so this reformulation was such a welcome surprise! Not only do I LOVE this new interpretation, there wasn't a single aspect or stage of this scent that I didn't enjoy. A most certainly well-deserved 5/5.
This will likely smell amazing on the right guy, too. Not too sweet, not too feminine, that smidge of lavender that is so often found in cologne = 100% edible manflesh!
