MaidMirawyn

I received this imp with my Dragon*Con purchase. It is definitely not for me, since Eve hates my skin chemistry with a passion! In the vial, it's sweet and fresh, with a fruity-floral fragrance. Despite the description, there's a distinct apple note, rather than apple blossom. Very lovely. However, it all goes wrong the moment it touches my skin. It's powdery, cloying, and sickly sweet. On my skin, it resembles nothing so much as an expensive chemical-laden department store perfume. No fruit, no sweet honey. So sad! The imp is going in my giveaway box. Perhaps I can find a BPAL-ignorant friend for whom it is a good fit.

I apply my oils behind each ear, then to my left wrist. Since it would take a bit of juggling (switching the bottle and wand between hands), I then lightly rub my wrists together. The rubbing has the bonus of speeding up drying time, so I don't have to worry about oil transfer to my clothes, cats, or husband. (He smells much better wearing Troll or Brown Jenkins, not Chimera or Love's Philosophy.) Oh good! I'm glad to hear I'm not the only one disturbed by fragrance imbalance! Thanks for verifying! I'm not a chemistry person, but when I was still a physics major I *did* take a lot of chemistry classes with the chem majors, and I certainly never heard anything like that! Here's my theory on the whole thing: someone somehow decided you should treat the oils delicately. It evolved into "oil smashing". They told other people. The internet happened. Now the universe believes it.

Frankly, when I hear "Mrs. Norris," the first thing that comes to mind is "Hellcat." Granted, the scent notes aren't right, but doesn't it suit her to a T? Many pumpkin patch scents would work for HP, too. Hagrid's pumpkin patch, the yearly Halloween celebration, not to mention the ubiquitous pumpkin juice! And as for The Lady on the Grey, it would also work for The Grey Lady. (Yes, I'm being obvious.) But since she's the Ravenclaw house ghost (and has that other Ravenclaw association), that makes it a good choice for Luna, too! I still need to pick a good Hufflepuff perfume. I'm going to contemplate it while I iron my uniform and polish my wand.

Even with the evergreen-heavy scent description, I had to get an imp of Jabberwocky. I mean, it's JABBERWOCKY! 'Twas brillig and all that! I had forgotten the scent notes by the time I actually gotten around to trying it, though. Upon application, the evergreen scent is far stronger than I expected. I could barely detect the orange. So, it's a no for me, but my husband has agreed to try it out.

I tried this at the Georgia Will Call. It's green and a bit juicy, but with an earthy note to ground it. Wet, the earthiness is barely perceptible, but it develops into something well-rounded as it dries.

As befitting its inspiration, Dia goes on light and stays light. Upon application, you can detect the amber and musk, but it's a subtle sharpness. The coconut, moss, and tobacco flower slowly appear through the sharper notes, gradually taking center stage. Over the next few hours, the amber and musk notes disappear, leaving behind soft, shimmering flowers.

I can't believe it took so long for someone to start a thread; I looked for one when I got home, but wasn't willing to be a thread starter! In the bottle, all I got was dirt. But on the skin? The first few minutes were mostly dirt, but then it changed. The florals came out, but they aren't cloying. It's light, with the earthy support from the dirt note. I can't single out individual flowers, but that suits the blend. It's not like the Roswell Cemetery is a neatly planted garden with carefully tended beds kept within borders! Even this morning, I can catch whiffs of it from its spot in the crook of my elbow! Wish I had bought two bottles. I'm so grateful to Lisa, Beth, and everyone else at the Lab and Lisa's store for their hard work in giving us such a wonderful Will Call scent and experience!

This one is rather unusual on me. I get florals, but a touch of powder, too. I'm hoping the powder fades soon...

Clean, fresh fruits, laid out for a picnic in a dew-kissed, flower-strewn meadow. Gorgeous! Innocent but not naive; there is a note that gives it a touch of depth. I can detect most of the notes, but they blend so well. I feel worry-free!

Wow. Apparently my experience is very different from many people's... Of all the BPAL scents I've tried, The Magi smells the most like "perfume." It is definitely a traditional scent, due in measure to the frankincense, I'm sure. However, it's still not an everyday commercial perfume. It's what so many commercial perfumes try to be, but fall short in the attempt. It's rich with incense, grounded. The scent is ancient yet fresh, as if it were a recipe that had been handed down through the ages and had taken on a life of its own. Breathtaking.

I received the Pumpkin Patch for Christmas from my husband's parents, who had no idea what it was, but were game to buy me the thing I wanted most! Today, I tried Pumpkin II. I didn't have time to check the scent notes before leaving for church, so I had no idea what to expect when I put it on. In the bottle, it smells very similar to Love's Philosophy (at least to me), which is cream and vanilla. I would guess that's the pumpkin and the tonka, since I don't see a cream or milk note. Wet, my first whiff is much the same, but with a sharper, deeper undernote. It must be the leather (an unfamiliar note in perfume) or the musk, or both. Within seconds, it changes: the wood and musk come forward, while the pumpkin and tonka recede to almost nothing. Once dry, it's wonderfully blended, but it smells nothing like I expected! It's musky with a hint of leather, but with a strong creamy, buttery base.

I love this one. It came as a frimp from a decant circle (thanks, dpoulsen21), and it was on my wishlist. It never ceases to amaze me how different all the rose fragrances are. This is different than the other rose scents, especially The Peacock Queen. Unlike Peacock Queen's bold roses, this is greener, with a definite herbal background. But it's still roses, for sure. Softer, more modern roses, not full-bodied heady roses. Beautiful. Though I have NO idea why my husband said it made him think of SweeTarts!

Katrina von Tassel is a wonderfully innocent fragrance. The rose isn't a lush red rose; it's a soft, innocent, blush rose. It's feminine and almost demure, except for the layer of sweetness and the hint of depth from the cream. Very lovely, and quite different from the bold and decidedly more sensual Peacock Queen, my only other rose fragrance.

I tried this one last night at the Whole Foods; it wasn't what I expected! It's complex, even though it was quite sweet. I didn't smell the strawberry or the candy corn in particular, but the scent was subtly different from a straight sugar scent. I really enjoyed it, but I doubt I'll buy it; my husband said it was only "okay." What does HE know? maybe I'll get a decant...

To sum it up: Spicy, rich, warm, and slightly sweet, with a touch of sensual smokiness. I can smell the cassia and pomegranate faintly, but all the notes blend very well. My husband REALLY loves this one on me!

I bought this one because I loved the previous Black Moon Beth made; I figured it was worth a shot! When I open the bottle, it's a strong floral, backed by a hint of subtle light fruits. It smells almost but not quite like jasmine to me; maybe it's the jonquil. It's lovely, but if I hadn't tried Black Moon I would have been apprehensive; the floral is strong the same way the Black Moon is pure jasmine upon application! Wet, the floral backs down more quickly than in Black Moon. The other notes make an appearance almost immediately. There's some other light florals, as well as a bit of subtle richness. The depth and richness must be the the clove, amber, oakmoss, tonka, frankincense, and blue musk, but the scents are blended; I can't pick out the individual notes. Dry, it's wonderful: ethereal and dark, but light at the same time. It's floral, but a touch sweet, a touch musky incense. It feels like a dark night, but not a menancing, dangerous, dark night. It's more of a wonderful night to sit outside gazing at the sky.

Hellcat was a frimp with my most recent order: Boomslang and Lune Noire. My husband absolutely loves it, making it second only to Chimera. It's warm and sweet, with a subtle sharpness. Rich and sensual. Highly recommended by my beloved.

This is my first Snake Oil fragrance; I don't even own the original Snake Oil. (I can't believe I've gotten one as a frimp yet, based on what everyone says!) And...I love it! It's cocoa, yes, but (repeat after me...) NOT FOODY! It's rich, warm, and thick, with a touch of musky spice and a hint of sweetness. (Thank you, Snake Oil!) I think it's interesting that it's so richly cocoa in the bottle, then immediately so much more as soon as it touches your skin. (It always seems like magic, the way scents react with the skin!) The deep, dark oil seems somehow to match the fragrance, even though Boomslang isn't dark in the way we usually use the term with fragrances. I have very fair skin, too, fair enough that people keep telling me to get out in the sun...and my skin is already about four shades darker than usual after the summer! But as long as I rub the oil in while it's wet, there's no stain that I can see. Yay!

Hmm...seems like this one is different on everyone! It's not very foody on me, but I've gotten a very positive response from everyone who has smelled it! It's warm, creamy, rich, and buttery, with just a touch of the pumpkin. I think I LOVE pumpkin!

I haven't found Chimera to be floral. It's different on everyone, of course, but on me it's fiery spice with a touch of sweetness. I've got high hopes for Fearful Pleasure, one of this year's Halloween scents. I adore spiced cider, and make it from scratch at the slightest excuse during the fall and winter. It smells wonderful, and it tastes just as good. I think I'll skip tasting Fearful Pleasure, though.

My husband really likes this one... In the bottle, I smell mainly incense. Bits of something fruity and something just a touch sour come and go. Wet, the incense is barely there. The smell is unusual, and a touch sweet, a touch foody. (I'm guessing that's the cake.) The end result is faint to me, but my husband could smell it even a couple of hours later. It's soft, and it's hard to define. The fruity note blends with the others to develop into something nice and complex. It's not clearly foody, clearly fruity, or clearly incense.

Months of BPAL hoarding, and I've never gotten any Snake Oil. Never bought it, and never received it as a frimp. I never even smelled it straight; listening to the way people talked about it, I assumed I knew what it was, and wasn't interested. I should have known better. Someone waved Anaconda under my nose at a Meet n Sniff, and I loved it! Tried it tonight at the Whole Food in Duluth. Sweet, rich, full vanilla. Not straight foody, though it has a touch of the foodiness people usually think of. But I have decided not to buy any yet; instead, I ordered Boomslang tonight! After all, Snake Oil will be around, but the Snake Pit won't be there forever!

I really love Dragon Moon 2008! I was hopeful, because I love dragons and dragon's blood is good on me. And I was buying the shirt, after all. It's great for a dragon. It's smoky, with a floral undertone. (My guess is that the smokiness comes from the cedar and frankincense working together.) No mintiness for me, and I don't get the bergamot, either. (I love bergamot, but this is so wonderful that I don't mind missing it.) It's like he's resting in a beautiful meadow. Maybe he has a campfire going... Of course, five minutes ago his "campfire" was a dead tree. Whatever.

After the third wearing, I've figured out this scent. THIS is what pirates would smell like...if they bathed regularly, brushed their teeth, and washed their clothes. In the bottle, it has the same smell milk-based perfumes often have: sour. But I don't let that worry me, because Love's Philosophy is the same way, and it smells absolutely divine dry! On the skin, it develops quickly. Wet, it has a touch of the sourness, but that disappears almost instantly... To be replaced by a warm, smoky, tropical scent. Not super-smoky, but the smokiness blends with the rum, coconut, and pineapple. I love it, and I think it could work on a guy, too. I keep sniffing my wrist...

I received this one as a frimp with my Dragon Moon and Upa Upa... In the imp: It's mainly minty, with sharpness that I assume comes from the pennyroyal. Wets: The mint is a bit fainter, with the sharpness a little more pronounced. But...in less than half an hour, I smell nothing, not even the faintest whiff. So that makes it all moot.