arcadelane

all the notes in this sounded so great except for the coconut, which is something i can never deal with. i eventually got an imp from a swap gave it a try. i was hoping for the best and really wanted to like this one, but once i opened the imp i got a blast of coconut.. suntan lotion super sweet coconut. i couldn't bring myself to even dab it on to see what would happen. coconut is the one smell i just can't do (that and nag champa).

Bruised Violet Compound turned out just as I feared it would.. it was all patchouli with no violet at all.. it was kinda sweet ..but still patchouli which i hate. Violet Ray is a lot like Faith but with more depth, still very soft. it's hard for me to pick out the different notes at first but it smells exactly like something from my childhood that I haven't figured out yet. hrmm.. the mint is barely noticeable, just enough to make it more interesting and the sandalwood makes it a bit earthy. i'm really glad this works better on me than Ultraviolet did.. the mint scared me a little. uh oh. i think skunk smell from outside is invading my room.. kinda ruins the smelling process. .. or at least I hope thats skunk and Violet Ray turning on me.

I can't wait for Bruised Violet Compound and Violet Ray! I have imps of both on order. is patchouli root similar to regular patchouli (leaf?). it's scaring me away from Bruised Violet Compound a little bit.. but the red currant and spanish moss sounds nice. and i'm hoping that Violet Ray doesn't end up like Ultraviolet with the mint. ultraviolet was instant headache on me.

i couldn't smell much in the bottle so I just slathered this on my wrists. took a few minutes for anything to surface but now im smelling it. a base of slightly sweet vanilla and amber which is getting stronger by the minute. i can also smell a little bit of honeysuckle and violet popping out here and there. i don't smell any lily which is great for me, but i think im getting a bit of a headache which usually happens with it. after a few more minutes the rose is coming out (but not too sharp thankfully) and the jasmine is just barely noticeable underneath. still no lily, honeysuckle is getting stronger. awesome. i'm not a HUGE fan of florals but i'm warming up to them more because of blends like this. this one really morphs a lot and gets stronger over time, really cool. it doesn't have a very strong throw but this is wonderful and very wearable, glad i have a whole big bottle of it.

i recently discovered my love for violets because of a frimp of Sybaris. its so sweet and rich and the clove never gets too spicey. since then ive been on the hunt for more violets and found a couple... Ultraviolet - eucalyptus and mint made this too strong and headachey. Queen Gertrude - the wisteria in combination with violet is really nice, neither get too strong, just a soft sweet purple floral. a bit old lady-ish.. but thats okay with me. Faith - soft lightly sweet violet. maybe a little too light, but very pretty. Morgause - i get a little violet, but this is more incense, white floral with some fruits. Antique Lace - violet isn't listed, but i definitely smell them. its like a sweeter more feminine version of Dorian with a good amount of violets! love it! I'm really wanting to try the Raven, Le Serpent Qui Danse, Marie, Nocturne, Ephemera and Melisande the Puppet Mistress and Purple Phoenix and the Darkling Thrush.

wowwee. this smells like a sweeter more feminine version of Dorian! with.. violets?! does anyone else get violets? im loving this!

i got this frimp with my first order and was super excited. duh. but when i smelled it i got mostly pathchouli which i do not like, at all. no sir. i also smelled amber and vanilla and something very astringent. I definitely didn't like it so I sent it off to my friend. i regret doing that now. i've been reading reviews and really wanna try it aged when its less astringent.

I thought this was gonna be my BPAL holy grail so I was searching a long time for it.. and just recently I acquired three decants of it! woot! im testing it out now for the first time. I definitely smell the honeycomb(!) vanilla and sweet pea but i dont smell the pear so much, maybe very fainty. I thought I had a blindspot to BPAL strawberry because when I tried bon vivant all I smelled was the champagne and maybe strawberry LEAF but no berry.. hollywood babylon and beaver moon only give me cherry (cherry lifesavers to be exact) ... but now this strawberry note smells like the that BPAL cherry. is my nose confused? anyone else smell cherry? im also getting something a bit like dragon's blood, makes the vanilla smell a bit musky, just a teeny bit. not what i was expecting. it reminds me a little too much of hollywood babylon (ie cherry lifesavers).. gonna have to wait and see if it morphs at all. edit: okay, three hours later and im smelling the pear finally. the cherry lifesavers has gone away. i really wish this scent was stronger, but im liking the way it morphs.

french love smells like the Healing Garden Jasmine Therapy Sensual spray that i used to wear a lot in high school. im glad ive found a better quality non-alcohol smelling alternative to that. i smell dragon's blood, but not overwhelmingly so, and something like violet and a bit of jasmine. very sweet with a tiny bit of spice, but not sharp. its a bit heavy and syrupy at first but then dries a bit lighter and muskier. i really like this one, makes me think of a dark fucshia color.

i've had this imp for a while but haven't tried it yet.. don't know why. once i smelled it i immediately remembered my love for violet. i haven't smelled it in years! to me violets smell the way red dye #5 tastes... like red and purple jawbreakers, but only those small colored ones.. not the big white ones. love it! i smell mostly violet. it all blends together well. i can smell a little of bit of the clove, tonka and other spices.. but its more of a soft smell, nothing sharp or really spicy.. nothing in particular sticking out besides the violet, just gives it a nice base. its a round almost fluffy smell, slightly sweet, very purple. i love it. definitely need more. and more violet scents of all kinds. i just wish there were a violet and honeysuckle out there!

in the bottle and on my skin this smells like a coke float with very vanilla ice cream. its making me crave one too. it doesn't morph at all and lasts fairly well. still not decided on how much i like it.. but will have to try burning this one. i'm still on the hunt for my perfect vanilla.

in the bottle: this smells exactly like warm mexican hot cocoa. realllllly nice. the cinnamon isn't too sharp which is perfect for this blend.. and i think i smell some of that brown sugar in there, but I get no coffee. wet and dry down don't smell much different than in the bottle, sweet and creamy cocoa and soft cinnamon. It's quite strong, lasts very well and super cozy... my only complaint is that I never smell any coffee. I'm gonna try layering it with Miskatonic University and see what happens.

cucumber, grass, green tea come out the strongest. so fresh and green but with something a little darker underneath, must be the musk and sage. the mint is just minty enough without being overwhelming (but fades too quickly) and the papaya and lime rind give it just enough sweetness to be really wearable. it goes a bit soapy.. but not really in a bad way. i'm gonna test this one again because i may just have to buy another bottle before its gone.

The essence of innocence shattered: glittering Egyptian amber and heliotrope, infused with the sweetness of strawberry and vanilla - dragged into debauch by lusty red musk and a dribble of black cherry. at first this smells just like cherry lifesavers, very strong, yum. then after the dry down the red musk comes out strong over a base of amber and heliotrope.. and eventually the vanilla comes out a bit on top. i never got any strawberry from this, BPAL strawberry is always nonexistent on me, sadly. overall i think this is nicely sweet and rounded but maybe a bit too incensy for me. must test this one again.

milk, honey, sweet grain and lots of almond. so lovely. it stays true on my skin and lasts well but its not very strong, i have to slather this one. It smells exactly like a milk and honey hand cream I got from a mom and pop apiary in ohio while visiting my best friend. its a lovely sweet and comforting smell that i can see wearing all the time. Definitely jumped into my top ten and not just because of the association.