butcherbaby

this has been in my husband's imp pile for months and he hasn't touched it, so i snatched it back on a whim. HE'S NOT GETTING IT BACK. well, not until i get a big bottle at any rate. very simply, this is Czernobog Lite, buffered with plump spicy mulled raisins. Slightly foody, all sexay. i don't know why all these hot manly scents smell so sweetly delicious on me, but hey i'm not complaining....i LOVEZ them. 100% winner and i'll gladly take any imps off the hands of those who find it too stank.

this starts off on the wrong foot for me..in the imp i get a screechy gold metallic brine, followed by sour wet hay hot on it's heels. it's such a shock i have to go back and reread the notes to see if i made a mistake ordering this. nope, got the right one. the quivering saw blade of scent quickly settles down into a much warmer hay, and i can *just* catch the edge of the amber wafting up throw the grass. mmmmm...a *bit* like a much softer, lighter version of lion, perhaps? now i'm getting a scent i find hard to describe, though it is very familiar to me in life. it's the scent of being outdoors, perhaps early fall, or in the late dry summer after a rain. a scent that is dry and moist at the same time, fresh but just starting to crumble & decay. the throw is lovely, delicate, but not airy...it's grounded in the old spinning shack, the sheep wool, and the burlap & rushes that line the floor of her chamber. slowly, the girl herself starts to emerge.... a light, sweet rose, shyly wending her way through the paths created by the other scents. it's utterly lovely. and quite a subtle treat for one who usually likes IN YOUR FACE POW!!! scents. all the marchens i've tried so far have this subtle otherworldly quality, and i am enjoying them very much. i think i may have to order them all, just for the experience.

this is just lovely- very much the essence of a fresh cut rose in full bloom. i big, crisp, dewy one, dark red with perfect velvet petals. no sharp edge, no pungency, and no "candied" sweetness like i've found in a few other blends. in fact, i'm trying to compare it with rosy bpals that do work on me, and i'm contemplating de-stashing some (at least the backups) just to get this. going to have to play with this one for awhile i think...experiment with layering. all in all a beautiful scent picture and one i predict will be a best seller, at least in the rose blends.

in the imp this is tea with lemon. musk with floral. somewhat astringent, possibly some lavender in there. not bad at all. on the skin the astringent citrus amps for just a minute, or less, then settles down, either gone or so far in the background i can't detect it at all. now i am getting the tea, quite strong, creamy, and sweet. oh my gosh, SO sweet. and i mean in a *swoon*ey way, not foodie or sickening. it smells like a fresh cup of strong tea with lots of creamed honey and a dollop of vanilla. yep i said honey! my nose interprets the sweetness as honey. and that's a damn good thing, as i think honey is probably my single favorite note ever. the throw on this is amazing. it is light and strong at the same time. i gets wafts of sweet honeyed tea for hours, but it is not in your face or cloying. it is gorgeous! i kept thinking that lovely smell was the combined essence of all the imps on my desk but no, it was theo, as i realize once i move away from the compooper and can still smell it. and it lasts for hours. i tried it initially on the insides of my wrist, then the back of my hand so i could review the fresh notes again. i notice a slight difference between the two. on my wrist, during drydown, there is a slightly sour milky smell when sniffed right on the skin. it goes away in a few minutes, then it just smells powdery musky and floral - jasmine?* back of hand test skips the sour milk funkiness, and i can *almost* pick up a fleeting bit of what others are calling the 'masculine cologne'....but it is fleeting and never for sure. i do scratch my head over all the 'masculine' references....i don't get that at all, but i wouldn't say it's feminine in any traditional way and yet not unisex either. it's like a tearoom scent that is strong enough that little old ladies couldn't wear it, but a strong, confident woman could. yet i wouldn't think it was girly if a man wore it. very tricky to pin down in a category. and, now i have to get around to trying that imp of dorian. so far, all i know is that they don't smell the same in the imps. oh, and i'm definately getting a bottle..or maybe two. *a lot of my favorite oils are jasmine-y, but to be honest i have no idea what it smells like on it's own. except for the night blooming variety, i couldn't pick jasmine out of a single note lineup to save my life.

i bought a partial of this on ebay on a whim because the notes sounded good. in the bottle i get a sharp woody note and a very earthy patchouli, and maybe a touch of booziness from the bay rum. wet on the skin the wood peaks pretty quickly, and i get a pungent burst of patchouli. within a few minutes both of these settle down and i start to get a whiff of the amber musk, a slight sweetness that slowly gets stronger & blends with the patch for a lovely deep sweet spicy throw. i think the bay rum is coming out as well, that seems to be a particularly good note for me. the wood notes remove themselves to the background as supporting players for the earthy spice fest going on in front. i am reminded a little of madame moriarty, if only because this could be in the same scent category- a brother or cousin (yes it is somewhat masculine, which in no way will stop me from wearing it ) as it dries down the throw just gets sweeter and spicier, it's really gorgeous! i think i'm going to wear this tomorrow instead of testing another decant. after a couple of hours it is softer and i can begin to smell the rose.....mmmm, creamy delicious rose, with the spicy bay rum backdrop. the throw is good and wear length seems average to long. i'm really glad i picked this up and i will be looking for more!

i had developed a headache as i was getting ready for will-call, that three 800mg motrins and a vicodan didn't quite manage to kill all the way. once there, i sniffed this on a whim, and the last remnants of my headache VANISHED, almost immediately. as i liked OOF as well, i may get the imp pack first, but i should just buy a bottle as my husband tends to get some debilitating headaches. not much i remember of the notes, but wanted to put in my .02 that it works.

just a very quickie review here. i sniffed this at will-call last week, where i was inundated with so many scents i couldn't pick out any particular notes in this. it wasn't pleasant smelling and it didn't smell like vicks to me. it did, however, clear out my allergy ridden sinuses almost immediately after taking a couple of deep whiffs. i'll probably get an imp pack til i can afford the bottles, but i did want to mention, that this works.

sweet pickles.....and nothing else. O_O not exactly what i want to smell like. i'm envious of those who get all those yummy ambers and hays and spices. *SWAP*

ah, you rule! now i know what year my mystery bottle of sugar skull is from! All of the Halloweenies are on my flickr page. Samhain is here.

in the bottle: very sweet, slightly herbal, incensey. sweet enough to make me wonder- dragon's blood? smells like a pack of juicy fruit gum, which is not a bad thing. on: it just EXPLODES into a cloud of very sweet musky incense. there is a darkness to it, and a redness. it's beautiful, yet despite the sweet it is dusky dark red. i think "this is what demonesses must smell like". the throw is magnificent, like i'm surrounded by sexy infernal smoke. this fades fairly fast on me, though i still do get some throw and skin scent. for only this reason i am hesitating about buying a backup at will call- the oil itself is gorgeous! decisions decisions....

this was an impulse purchase on ebay for me. i'm glad i took the chance because this is heavenly! i don't usually do fruit scents at all, but this one is gorgeous. initially, quite WOW strong vetiver, but settles down into musky incense sweetness with smoky fruits behind- ah such mesmerizing smoke! the fruit notes are deep and dark and don't sour on me. this would a be a beautiful scent for soap or a candle too, i'd love for my house to smell like this! since my computer is down, i'm testing it in my roommates "vampire bordello" themed bedroom (leopard rugs, deep wine walls, plum curtains, dark wood furniture, witch dolls, dried roses etc) and it's a perfect accent to my surroundings. keeper? YES- backup needed? probably....at least for room scenting!

wow. this one almost works.....and it's so close to being *it* that it makes me sad. it smells weird in the imp, like freshly curing leather, a little chemical-ly. once on that changes to beautiful sweet musks mixed with a brand new leather jacket smell. it's almost reached it's musky peak- then WHAM the leather comes back up and whacks me in the face. ouch, that wasn't nice! the strong leather smell never goes away and i have to wash it off because it makes me a little ill. i'm not giving up yet...going to try it on hubby and age it too, and see what happens. that all too short but delicious heavy musk is just too awesome to give up on.

popcorn! he got it. there is a distinct popcorny note in this. wait, back up: in imp: foodie, spicy, pumpkiny, smells like a candle at michaels. not impressed, maybe the man will like. wet: buttery pumpkin spice popcorn that almost immediately turns into something light yet foodie, maybe the kitchen just after everything's been taken out and the ovens are cooling. wow. i did not expect to like this at all (again, it's for the man) as i don't like foodie smells *especially* pumpkin. this ones light, and kind of buttery, warm, and cheery...without crossing over into a sickly sweet hallmark moment complete with holiday scented candles. i think the light throw is what keeps it in the realm of yummy for me. i'll try it on hubby tomorrow but if he's not into it i'll keep the amp and think on whether i need a bottle, or just a couple more imps. mmmmmm.....

dang...in the imp i get the vetiver and blood notes. it's kind of, eeyew, maybe not so fresh blood. and kind of pukey too. it make me queasy, on it turns into a heavy and i do mean HEAVY man's cologne, pretty overbearing, like the ones that sell at department store counters.........IN HELL. no i won't be trying this again. BUT since it wasn't meant for me but my hubby, lets hear what he has to say :"hmm,interesting, what's it supposed to be" i look it up and read off the notes. "well, it smells like soap" soaP? *sniff* well i'll be damned, it DOES smell like soap on him. so i got the evil twin vetiver and pukey blood, he gets SOAP. can you tell our body chemistry's are VEEEEERRRY different? either way, not a keeper ETA: i really wanted this to work because my man loves all things sleepy hollow and i was planning to enable him for our anniversary. *sigh* maybe goblin rider & shattered pumpkin will work out better.

PEPPERY!! then a beautiful rich scent with amazing throw. this is full of notes that are iffy for me, i don't know how it works so well. the amber is just so gorgeous here and i think that + the vetiver (the kind that likes me) are what ground this and also make it soar. it's rich thick gooey resin amber, hot spicy delicious amber, breathtakingly juicy citrus amber, dark sultry seductive amber- all at once. if this is what gorgons smell like, sign me up for a hissing hairdo STAT. no wonder they were irresistable. i'm thinking that the "turning men to stone" thing may just be a thinly veiled sexual metaphor ;-D if this ever gets discontinued, i'm hoarding. it's just too damn good.

i'm going to be repeating some already listed, so bear with me :-) not all of the bizaare scents are ones that i actually *like*...YMMV number one on my list: the newly re-released GRAVEYARD DIRT! it really, REALLY smells like wet, slightly fungal dirt. really. it is incredible. i bought it for my husband who is probably going to go apeshit when i give it to him, so i'm getting a second bottle for him as well while it's still around. if you can't get a decant, just buy it, i don't think you'll have any problem re-selling or swapping if you don't like it. WORM MOON is an LE, and a more perfumey version of dirt. FAUSTUS: this one is heavy and really unusual, and beautiful, though it didn't work for me. i realized i don't like violet, but in this blend it's awesome. violet is an unusual floral- to me they smell dank & rotten and not floral at all. SATURNALIA: likewise on the violet. i think this is an either love it or hate it one. i hate it, but the blend is SUPER heavy and deep. UMBRA- ditto on the underrated, though it smells better on my husband than me. SLOTH- another underrated scent. on me it smells like hell at first and then turns really lovely. absolutely like nothing else i've tried STEAMWORKS- smells like it was distilled like actual metal. amazing. OBSIDIAN WIDOW: wine flavored incense. wine doesn't work on my skin, butthis scent is utterly gorgeous anyway. NO 93 ENGINE: another great steamworks. SCHRODINGER'S CAT: not one for me, but it's weird and it works. MANIA- also weird, also not my style. ZOMBI- works on my husband, not on me, earthy with slight floral. for the really heavy scents try: CZERNOBOG: i've heard this called cat pee, poop, vomit, bad breath, urine, and every other horrid name you can think of. on me it smells sweeter than heaven. another love it or hate it scent, but well worth a try. VOODOO: again a heavy scent, doesn't smell like any other's i've tried. vey sexy too. one of the few i was sure of the instant i put it on. SCHWARZER MOND: LE- any year. heavy, almost dirty musk. just wonderful. SMUT (LE) falls into this category but doesn't smell the same. BLACK ANNIS- heavy, and very weird. smells just like the story makes me expect it would, but i didn't know evil could be this sweet. I second LAUDANUM not because i like it, but because it smells exactly like a brand new rubber tire on me. so does GOBLIN. my husband says goblin was "too floral" on him. ummmm, what? DEPRAVED- dirt and apricots. not your everyday scent. INTRIGUE- almost chocolate/coconut candy, but not quite. unless candy can be sinister. earthy as well. RED LANTERN (LE): i hated it, others love. unusual either way- tobacco & burnt caramal & opium. DIA DE LOS MUERTOS (LE): another that bit the dust for me, but it smelled wonderful in the bottle and again, not like anything else. THREE GORGONS- peppery! and then a bunch of other things that shouldn't work together -fruit, pepper, tobacco-but smell beautiful and rich together. this is full of notes that are iffy for me, i don't know how that works. salon imp packs are a good choice- you get to try some of Beth's most complex, mature and unusual scents, and if you don't like them they are highly swappable. i may think of others later, hope this helps some!

i bought this for my husbands halloween present (we don't do xmas, and this year it's our first anniversery too!) because i know he loves any scents that smell like trees, forests, or earth. well so far he's got his EARTH right here! i opened the bottle and my first sniff gave me kind of a "GLURG" reaction, because it just so much smells like the real damn thing! this IS earth! wet dirt, after a rain, with a little leaf mold. it smells like the dirt filled boxes my mom used to raise worms in when i was a kid. moist, earthy, with even that slight undertone of decay that real, fertile earth actually has. i would absolutely not wear this (unless i was dressed up as a zombie hahaha!) but i think my husband will be THRILLED, and i should definately purchase a backup bottle as well.

i was generously frimped with about a fifth of a bottle of this by a forumite who saw it on my "want to try" list. it's taken me a few applications to get used to it...but on my skin it needs to be liberally slathered to get the right effect. i'm not individually familiar with most of the notes (and i grew up with a beautiful large hibiscus tree in my backyard, but have no memeory of the scent) so i'll just have to describe the impressions it gives me. in the bottle: both pungent and sweet. rather medicinal wet on skin: SHARP penetrating frankinsence. woodiness, a little bitter. not unpleasant at all though. this softens down and a smokiness begins to show. it is almost to much but then settles with the frankincense to become a lovely spicy resinous insence. i can imagine the smoke of this wafting from a slowly swung brass censer, or burning in an egyptian queens chamber. it sweetens up as time passes, but doesn't lose the smoke or the subtle, pleasant bitterness underneath. it has a beautiful throw, and medium wear (could be longer now that i am marinated) wow. i'm really glad i persevered with this. i love it and am going to be picking up at least two bottles, since i need to drown myself in it.

in my experience it doesn't smell anything like the pervious reviews (skin chemistry? aging? not sure). i get a quick burst of sweetness that quickly fades into the green/white notes of gardenia, in a much stronger background of dark, wet greenery....not light and fresh, but probably how a new orleans garden smells in the warm humidity of summer.....not quite swampy, but close. it's much too green for my taste! glad i had the chance to try it, but i'll be passing it on.

it took me a few tries to realize how much i *really* like this scent...at first it seemed way too light for my scent slurping skin but slathering and layering did the trick. this is such a well blended scent it is difficult for me to pull out any single notes. the pear is evident in the bottle, but when i wear i swear all i can think of is *blueberries*- not so much the smell or taste but the *color*. just and endless deep indigo blue. too dark to be blue moon, yet not dark enough to be quite black this might also be my mind making the "logical" assumption that blue musk MUST smell blue. so it smells like blue musky pears and dusky evening florals, in a surprisingly light, yet long lasting scent. i fear that this scent may have suffered from being released at the same time as the resurrected schwarzer mond, and was overshadowed by it. it is, however, a goregous and masterly blend in it's own right, and you can be sure i'll be snatching up another bottle or two as soon as i possibly can.

my thing right now is picking a totally random imp from my "untried" box, wearing it for abit, then lookinf up the scent descriptin and reviews. i hazily remembered juke joint being something boozy, but not the exact notes. in the imp is smells a little strong, and now that i've read the description, a little boozy. nothing like taking a whiff of real bourbon though, which would make me gag. and i don't notice the mint at all til i read the description and sniffed again. i don't like mint, so this is good. on the skin it incrediby warm and actually amber-y. no mint at all, and no booze, but something that makes the amber have more of an edge, than a softness. it's probably the bourbon note, but it doesn't smell alcoholic at all, just warm, fragrant, and lovely. it's the way bourbon might smell in a perfect world, where it was smooth as butter and sweet as ambrosia. and it wouldn't make you pukey or hungover ;-) this is a delight and most likely going on the big bottle list.

a frimp....not something i would have tried by description. smells interestring and spicy in the imp, soooo, i try it... and i smell just like freshly baked cinnamon rolls! and really good homemade ones too. hahahaha! i find this really funny, for some reason. it smells warm, it smells delectably spicy, sweet, but not overly so, and with something -musky?- desparately trying to be heards under the clamor of spice. spices, i amp them, but this is not at all overpowering. i have it on for a good while before i even check the lab description or reviews...ginger huh? i still get cinnamon. but now i can guess that the herbs and resins were the underlying scents that never made it quite to the fore, no even after the spices fade somewhat. i guess they just got tired of trying. while it is a beautiful scent and exceptionally well blended, it won't be one i try again, as i like to smell like whores, harems, & magic, not baked goods. ;-)

got this as a frimp from the lab and decided to try it even though i don't really go for fruit or wine notes. it smells good in the imp- red fruits, and not fake or sickly. on my skin it's actually quite nice! very candylike but not in a cloying way. it's candy for adults. i'm not getting any of the sourness i usually get from wine notes. there is something making this slightly warm and...smoky?spicy? just a little though. it's yummy. if this were a wine, a juice, a compote, or a candy, i would ingest it wholeheartedly; if it were a candle i would burn it endlessly. but as delicious as it is, i'm going to pass the imp on because though wonderfully blended, it's just not a "me" kind of scent.

this was a frimp with a 5ml i purchased. i tried it even though i am not to keen on green scents and it smelled very green in the bottle. (actually, it smells like christmas trees. the way the whole lot of them smells when you walk up to it.) so i put on a *teeny* lil' bit. and almost gagged. it smells like mint, and cut grass- two scents i HATE and RANCID cut grass to boot. so minty rancid grass did not go over too well. it also has a bit of that generic shaving cream scent. i really couldn't take it and wiped it off PRONTO. notice i said "wiped", not "washed" -there was still some oil left on my skin. so then i throw it in the swap pile and forget about it because i'm testing something else on the other wrist....look up a few scent descriptions, read some reviews & pm's, la dee da... at least a half hour has gone by and i notice that the offensive minty grass shaving cream smell is gone....it now smells......GOOD! wow, what a morph! now i'm getting pine, and some herbal or spicy notes, very faint, but it is quite pretty now. similar to Black Forest in the pine department, but lighter, and spicier. It's really playing nice now. i think anyone who likes a good woodsy or herbal scent should try this. i'm reapplying another drop & giving it a second chance, mostly to see what it's like at full strength. i don't think i'll keep the imp though; i prefer Black Forest for when i want to smell like a pine tree.

this one seemed like a sure fire winner....yet, i can't seem to make up my mind. in the imp it is a very sharp, delicious smelling blood orange. i love it, i think i would even wear it as a single note. on the skin the orange predominates for just a bit, then that's when things get weird. this scent just goes morph-morph-morph on me. one whiff is a yummy insence scent, the next is sweat...but a clean sweat, that i can only compare to the way my palms smell after i have been driving on a sunny day with a warm steering wheel. (i get that sometimes with other BPAL's, and i haven't yet determined which not causes it.) the next sniff i might get nothing, or a distinct "vanilla" even though it's not in there at all. i like it, though i'm still on the fence.....i might put it away for awhile and see how it does in a month or so.... ETA three months later.....2nd and 3rd testings have confirmed...i REALLY like this. it satisfies my incense tooth AND is unusual to boot. definately going to be a big bottle purchase.