Aldercy

I got this particular imp from Caspian Gray, and I do have to agree that its more floral than fruity in general. Yet I hesitate to definitely say it's a mislabeled sample, because I can see where it might be interpretted as the original description... maybe this one's just blended a little differently than most, or the change is a function of age. *shrug* This is pleasant, though kind of traditionally perfumy in the vial. I've had it on for awhile now, and when I get whiffs of it, it reminds me of something very old fashioned and rose-based-- as a kid, I had a little perfume locket thing that I believe belonged to my grandmother, and it smelled just like this inside. But if I really smell my skin, I do sense the wine and berries much more. I was just about to say that despite the rather womanly, adult-sounding notes, this felt very weirdly like a lighthearted, childlike scent to me... and then I realized that's only because of the nostalgia of playing with that locket. Anyway, I'm confused by this scent, as you can probably tell. But I'm enjoying it.

As lilacea mentioned, Envy does have an harsh, medicinal quality in the imp and when wet. Drying down on my skin, however, is mellows into a very green, natural smell, with just a hint of herbal astringency. This is exactly as though I'm lying outside in a bunch of lush clover. The mintiness is there, but it hangs out in the background. I think I need to try this when I haven't just washed the rancid Queen of Sheba off my arms, and I'll probably get a clearer and even more positive impression of it. Nice stuff.

I thought surely I'd like Queen of Sheba (I adore almond) and on receiving it I found its pale pink color so benign and inviting... but on sniffing the imp, I actually recoiled and cried out in horrified disappointment. It is weird and bitter as all hell, with a slight hint of almond extract. It smells... burnt. Yes, there's definitely a "burnt food" thing going on here. It was tough for me to put this one on, but I did and it settled down a little on my skin. There's still a bitter quality to it, and it smells nothing like what I hoped, but it's not gagging me anymore. There's actually a little hint of rose now, and I'm not sure where that's coming from. It's decidedly different from in the imp, but this is hardly a love potion on me, and gives me a little headache. From the other reviews, this seems to be a hit or miss scent. Alas.

This is good, very good. Shanghai is a soothing, meditative scent and I do get at least a little bit of all the listed notes, mostly a honeysuckle base with a light, cold splash of green tea. This gives me a very faint impression of the aquatic for some reason, just as though maybe there's a significant body of water in the vicinity. Overall, this is an all-around inoffensive oil that I think will be a great staple for the summer.

In the imp, I know exactly what savage_rose is talking about with the "bitter lime" effect. I really have no idea where that note is coming from, but it was certainly unexpected. So, yesterday I put on White Rabbit and it immediately turned overwhelmingly bland (oxymoron?) and powdery. I attributed this to my skin for some reason devouring everything but the "clean linen" note. It wasn't a bad smell, but it reminded me of Lightning, which just smells vaguely like laundary detergent on me-- so if I for some reason want a really generic "clean" scent, I kind of already have that covered. However, I decided to give White Rabbit another try today, and I swear it's completely different. Immediately, it smells like... well, nothing, but then I get a powerful aftersmell (like an aftertaste, you know?) about two seconds after taking my nose away from my wrist. I do not get any hint of tea (which is the main reason I bought this, because The Apothecary taught me that I really like tea notes)-- I think it's all ginger and honey. In general, I like the smell of both ginger and honey, but here there's... something wrong. It smells dreadful, like the vaguely sweet smell of something rotting. And, I hate to say this, but my main impression is of vomit. Like when a kid would lose it in the hall at school, and they'd spread that sawdust stuff on it. Needless to say, I'm going to go wash it off, something I've never yet had to do with any BPAL scent. I have no idea what my skin chemistry is doing to White Rabbit. But I'm going to try it again in a few days to see if it undergoes another transformation!

This scent is crazy. It's a very... neon yellow smell, if that makes sense. There's something very citrusy about it, and I'm not sure what kumquats smell like, but I can only assume the rest of the strange fruitiness is that. Tweedledee definitely has a sharp, silly bite to it, and I do sense the pepper. It's invigorating in the way that orange scents are classically invigorating, but there's a little wild spice to it. I've never smelled anything precisely like this before: very creative blend. It does not have a strong throw at all; I can barely smell it on myself without getting my wrist right in my face, but that's okay, I guess. Random sidenote: this imp was almost impossible to open! I've never had so much trouble before. But I think I like this oil (not for everyday wear, but I think it would be good either if I were in a really happy, hyper mood or really needed to be cheered up), so I'll certainly go to the trouble every once in awhile.

Surprisingly, I find this to be a really generic floral. It is tropical-- humid with the tiniest bit of pineapple-- but my main impression is just a mish-mash of artificial perfuminess. With all the exotic, unusual things listed in the description, I thought it would be more distinctive, but not on me anyway. I definitely get a bit of the soapiness some have mentioned after awhile. Interesting frimp to try-- because I'd never have ordered such an intense floral on my own, so maybe it was good for me to try something so far out of my comfort zone, but... it really isn't for me.

Frimp! Yay! In the imp, this was really powerful and heady and I didn't like it, but it calms down after a bit on my skin. Despite these notes not being listed in the description, I really, really smell lilac and hyacinth in this-- both of which grow in my front yard back home, so it has a pleasant nostalgic effect. I'm sure it's just that the other florals in here remind me of those because they're what I'm used to. Unlike some other reviewers, this is a relatively soothing scent to me, so I think it's well categorized. Oddly, though I like this, I don't really think it's distinctively me. I think I'll probably use it on quiet days at home more than as something to show off in company.

I'm really glad this didn't turn out to be a "Country Apple!" sort of smell. I find it quite authentic; The Hesperides is a cool, succulent scent with maybe a touch of the earthy or woody about it. Certainly the dominant note is apples, but it has more of an orchard-like effect than just pure apple. Like sitting in slightly damp grass under the shade of a tree dripping with ripe fruit. I'm really glad my new BPAL order arrived today-- it's been an icky day, and I think I really needed this scent. I hope it has staying power.

This is just a profoundly fun scent. Blood Amber surprised me a lot because its description gave me a sense of the ancient, the heavy, maybe even the foreboding. But it's much, much more alive than that. To me this oil is fruity and even slightly candy-like, without being cloying and while still being recognizable as dragon's blood resin and amber. I get a rather childlike pleasure from it. I'm also unreasonably delighted by its pale candy-apple-red color. I know that doesn't affect the smell at all, but it's really enticing.

Got this one courtesy of Caspian Grey, and I'm really fond of it so far. My first experience with Black Pearl involved an accidental dousing when I too violently uncapped the imp and splashed an all-too-precious amount on my shirt. In large amounts, this was an unpleasant scent, but since then I've tried it (more gracefully) and it's really working for me. Breezy, summery, faintly creamy, with a warm, dark whiff of coconut. It definitely changes on me after a few minutes, and becomes more floral, which is actually an unexpected improvement. Every time I got a hint of it later, I was almost newly surprised each time how much I enjoyed it. My only complaint is that my skin inhales this oil. It fades faster than any other one I've tried.

Oh, this is lovely. Hot and golden and very spicy. An exotic, slightly lazy, very confident smell. It's not extremely potent, which I think is a good thing because it's a powerful, commanding scent when you do catch a whiff of it-- it's one of those things that would be overwhelming if it were too enveloping. I... really can't think of a lot to say, but it's very good. : ) Pretty close to perfect for me. Adding more than a year later: The Lion ages beaaauuutifully. It's very good new, but it oozes sex after a year. And I feel it becomes a little more feral and dark. Today, for the first time, I thought... "wow, could there be civet in here?" and searched this thread to see if I was going insane. Could be a tiny, tiny dash of it, but what do I know. In conclusion-- fantastic.

Yes, definitely the smell of just laundered, still damp clothes. I don't mind that as much as most people seem to, but it's not quite what I was looking for. Reminds me of those "Spring Rain!" sort of air fresheners. So I suppose I smell pleasant, but it's not very intriguing. Wanted this to be... sharper, more electric and oceanic... 2.5 out of 5.

This is a really fun scent, and I think almost certainly on the short list for a 5ml bottle. It's definitely a warm, rich coffee smell, and though I'm not coming across any bookish/dusty/woody notes (yet, at least) it's mostly what I'd hoped for. I don't find it particularly alchoholic, and though I wouldn't mind a hint of that now and then, it's probably good that it's not there since I'll probably be wearing Miskatonic U in class now and again. Just seems like an appropriate scent for studying. Really evokes a dim, quiet, comfortable place where a person can read and think. Lovely. It's rather... buttery was well. This may be what other people are saying smells like caramel, because I can kind of sense that as well in this note. It reminds me very slightly of the Jelly Bellies jellybeans "buttered popcorn" flavor at times, which I think is the only negative thing I have to say (as I really hate that flavor). 3-9-08 Edit: Um... I think I was too quick in writing my review of this. A little while after putting this on the "sickly-sweet popcorn" smell is all there is. It smells like a conglomeration of food scents, kind of like a kitchen saturated with a bunch of different smells that don't go together. I'm really disappointed because I was trying to force myself to like it, but it really bothered me.

This was a free sample. I dashed to look up the description and was almost positive I wouldn't like it after reading it, but I'm just not a straight floral person and I balk at the word "carnation." Really, it's not bad all things considered, but it's not really the scent I want to project to the world. I found this to be very old-fashioned... I felt a bit as though I should be 14 and sitting in a picket-fence-enclosed house in about 1906. Maybe flitting about the musical "Meet Me In St. Louis." Cool, powdery and childishly sweet... a scent to go with white handkerchiefs and demure little gloves. If you enjoy that image, maybe Desdemona is for you, but I just tend to lean toward richer smells. I think it might have induced a slight headache (which is common with me, but I've been really pleased that almost all the BPAL scents I tried haven't been doing that while most perfumes will) but then again I'm also sick.

Wow. I was excited about this one, but I think it's surpassed my expectations. It's quite beautiful. It's definitely got a foody thing going on and immediately reminds me of my aunt's house and her obsessive Christmas baking (though I wouldn't say this is a holiday sort of scent in general)... nutmeg, spice cookies, a hint of the smoky, drafty fireplace... I think the edible smell is a good thing in this case, really like walking through an open market and being struck by all the fantastic, strange delicacies you could discover. I don't get the honey immediately-- the cinnamon is the first thing that hits me-- but now that it's drying down, I'm certainly sensing it. In fact, I opened a jar of wildflower honey I have just to compare and it's really true to that. This is a very warm, sexy smell to me. Mellow, humid, and orangey-red. It might be a little bold for me is my only concern. 4.5 out of 5. I might be getting a big bottle, depending on exactly how sad I am when the imp runs out. : )

Rah, internet ate my post! Okay... I was in love with the description of Apothecary, and I'm not entirely disappointed, but it's not the signature "me" scent I hoped it would be either. In the vial and wet it smelled organic and also somewhat floral (not generally my thing), but it was pleasant. Now that it's been awhile I'm absolutely getting the tea: almost like "Huh, did I leave a box of Earl Grey open and lying about somewhere in the vicinity?" I really, really love that aspect of it and it's mostly what keeps me entertained by this scent. But I'm also sensing the lemon and soap that people have mentioned, and though that smells a little less authentic or rustic than I would like in a scent like this (almost too "new" or "air-freshener-ish") it's not offensive. Quite fresh and wholesome, but I think I might have been hoping this oil would smell a little more... mysterious? 3.5 or 4 out of 5. I'll use it up, but it's not the most likely candidate for a 5 ml.

When I first opened my imp of Jersey Devil, I splashed a few drops on my hand and my first impression of the scent was dreadful. It was just very strong, thick and unpleasant... like if sluggishness had a smell. Now that I've applied it properly (and lightly), I have a much different impression. I ordered it because I was searching for a really earthy scent and though I don't think it's quite fulfilling that role, I like it alright. I'm definitely getting the tangy tartness of cranberries, but I thought the woody smells would be more prominent. It's strange because everyone seems to be commenting on the piney notes, but I'm not really getting that too much. The other reason I ordered this was because I saw the words "tomato leaf." Actually, I do get an impression of that if I carefully sniff it in the vial, but there's no trace of it on my skin. I thought this sounded like kind of an androgynous scent, which is what I was going for, but sometimes it seems a little masculine to me.

I'm the newest of BPAL newbies... and I just got Bon Vivant as a free imp (frimp? is that what we call those?) with my first order. I'm not even close to a perfume afficionado (honestly, this is my first real foray into really and seriously wearing it) and I have a cold, so you might want to take my opinion with a grain of salt, heh. In the vial, it smells very sweet to me, which scared me a bit. The strawberry scent is really striking, but unlike what many people have said so far, I don't think it smelled entirely real. Not sugary-lollipop artificial or anything, but more like the fruitiness you might find in a soap or lotion-- nice but doesn't smell edible. Smells rather... pink. Whenever I would catch a whiff of it on myself while out today, I wasn't particularly enchanted with it. It seemed actually rather generic (which was surprising because I thought it was pretty distinctive in the imp) and even a little old-lady-ish. However, if I actually smell my skin, it's much much better: airier and brighter... I'm probably getting some of the champagne notes. Not something I'm going to buy or even wear very often, but it has its merits. Just not to my personal taste, I think. : )