The Ace of Spades

I have to agree with the Chimera recc. I have an aged bottle and it's lovely.

Dragon's Milk! Absolutely! It's my 'warm blankie, snuggled with the kitties and a hot cocoa' sort of scent. I love it. Eclipse is also a lovely scent, if you like almond and cinnamon as well -- it's a more amped-up scent but still has that warm sweet comfort to it. If you like a little booziness in your scent too, the LE Spooky is gorgeous, as are both Grog (butterscotch, the booze adds a gorgeous little edge to the sweetness) and the LE Egg Nog.

I was so disappointed - was hoping for playing cards! (Gosh, Ace, wonder why.)

It would explain it, yes...

I'd also consider adding in Dirty - it's such a wonderfully fresh scent, very clean and soft. Also, something that smells natural but not skinlike: Lightning. In small amounts it's very clean and fresh. And of course, I have to agree with the vote for Dragon's Milk. It's such a cozy and wonderful scent!

I it. Blood Amber has a decent amount of throw on me, and lasts a long time, but I tend to use it for days when I need to really feel like a strong and fiery woman. It's a very confident, but not brassy, scent to me. When I first sniffed it, I sincerely thought of Freyja. (I keep imagining her scent-in-the-works will be much like it. Yum.) Dirty is wonderful. It's clean-linen-sheets-fresh-off-the-line-on-a-spring-day. It's really a very fresh scent, and a very comforting one. Weirdly, Wrath turns into a skin scent on me. A very yummy and rich one, but a skin scent nonetheless. O does the same thing, but on me it smells like "just got a little somethin' somethin' with a pot of honey dust involved" skin, and that may not appeal to you. Dragon's Milk is a skin scent when applied lightly, and it's another delicious one, but the vanilla may be offputting. Hrm. I've heard people say that The Lion is a sun-wamed fur scent, but I don't have any yet.

Bella, if you have an Organized Living near you, they sell sturdy little plastic battery carrying cases that are just about right for six imps (I bought the AAA size). I'd put bottles into film canisters or prescription bottles with a layer of bubble wrap, and pack the whole lot in a cosmetic bag with a few other things as a 'See, I'm not a terrorist, I just like to smell good' thing.' I'm only bringing what I can fit safely and need for wearing - probably two bottles and six imps.

Once I get my hands on a copy, I might try and hack together an Access database from it. I need a little practice with my database skills, they're getting rusty.

First sniff: Like Dana O'Shee's spicier, badder sister. The almond could have been cloying, but it's tempered beautifully. Mmm. Smells so good right in the imp… On application: This isn't very strong, but it morphs nicely and quickly, and the small amount of floral actually adds to its scrumptiousness. Only one problem - a stray drop on my forehead started to burn and get red! A cold-water cloth got rid of the problem, but I was surprised, as every other place I applied it didn't have any bad reactions at all, and I've never had a bad reaction to a cinnamon BPAL before. After drydown: Oh, oh, oh! This loves my skin - loves it so much, in fact, that it sinks in and becomes a second-skin scent. Note to self: Apply liberally. The combination of foody, spicy, incensy, and a touch of floral is just wonderful on me - it smells complex, and clings like a warm memory. It also has a lot of lasting power, even if the scent doesn't throw very far, because the application I did at 9 AM is still there like a warm and slightly provocative memory. Verdict: Big bottle. As soon as possible. I want, want, want to slather this (keeping it away from my face, of course).

I wish Dragon's Milk had a lot of throw on me! It's not quite a 'second skin' on me, but it doesn't seem to go too far. It lingers, though, like nobody's business. This makes me a very happy Ace. Blood Amber, Red Moon, and Samhain definitely have a lot of throw on me. O doesn't at all - it's a close-up scent on me. Vice was somewhere in the middle ground.

I tend to get between 10 and 15 applications from an imp, but then, I started with very conservative applications. Once I started getting bottles of my favorites, I started slathering more because I didn't feel like I had to conserve. I refresh during the day, too.

In the bottle: Tintagel smells, on first sniff, like spicy berry pie and mulled wine with some herbs. On application: This one made it to my Favorites list on first wearing. I got several compliments on how scrumptious it smelled on me, and it took on a very diverse selection of notes, all of which smelled wonderful. It lingers, but it's not strong -- it's a very comfortable, warm, spicy scent on me. This smells how I always imagined Samhain would. It morphs as I wear it, and all the notes make their voices known, but the slight sweetness of the dragon's blood stays with it throughout. Dragon's blood loves me, and I love this.

First sniff: VERY strong lemony/eucalyptus scent. Very potent. On application: It does mellow a bit, and some of the licorice scent comes out, but this is very, very bright. A touch of lavender peeks out after a few moments to help, but this doesn't work on me at all. It smells like Lemon Pledge even after drydown on my skin. Typically, my husband liked it, so I'm passing the imp to him.

I don't drink Egg Nog, but I love the smell of it. The scent of it is so delicious that it makes me content to just sniff away. When I was presented with something in a bottle that smelled as good, I jumped at the chance – I love sweet and spicy scents mixed, so it seemed like the perfect choice for me for the holidays. First sniff: Thick. Sweet, sweet, SWEET! This may even be too sweet for me, and I have a sweet tooth. It's tooth-achingly sweet... On application: The sweet is still strong, but on my skin, the spice and the booze start to pop up. At first, I wasn't sure about it. It still seemed too richly sugary for me. After drydown: Every time I wear this, I love it more. It dries down to boozy, creamy, spicy deliciousness. A small amount goes a long way. It's soothing and festive at once, a very cozy and warm scent. I'd call it a warm nut brown, with a lot of cream to it – it's very creamy, and the nutmeg scent is enough to cut into the sweetness and give it depth. It's intoxicating just to wear. It makes me crave a dark-rum-spiked chai latte.

I admit, I'm dubious about floral scents, even 'herbal flower' scents, as a lot of them turn to pure nose-rawing ick on me. But since Dragon's Blood loves me, amber loves me, and most spices seem to love me, I decided to take the chance. ...and oooo, am I ever glad I did... First sniff: Tart, with a sharp sweetness under it. Something green-apple-y. I can taste more than smell the faint orange-y undertone, and the wonderful scent of the Dragon's Blood and amber mixed in there make me purr. On application: Even richer on application, the herbals pop out nicely when they hit my skin, and the tartness is very crisp and lovely. While I tend more toward the creamier undertones as a general rule, I'm loving this as a potential summer scent. I feel warmer even as I'm putting it on. After drydown: Some kind of cherry-berry wine with heavy spice, the last furious life of late summer flora, and something rich with that faint sharpness all duel for attention. On my wrist, the herbs come out more, but the bit I put in my cleavage is slightly fruitier and tart-sweeter, which makes me think it will be even more delicious when it's summertime. I keep thinking of woods and picnics, late night heat with that last edge of summer clinging. This one shifts subtly on me, and the more I sniff at it, the more the complexities all show up and slather me in their loveliness. I adore this one. I may save it for warmer weather, but it's so yummy that I don't want to wait! It's red, but a rich red, the red of the setting sun in the heat.

From Encyclopedia Mythica: the Hesperides: hes-pair'-i-deez ...and I pronounce it Bee-Pal too. My husband keeps insisting that Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab sounds like a goth-industrial band name (and has asked me jokingly when they're going to tour).

There's a way to handle it, actually, without putting Beth's formulas at risk. You create a login-only checker, so the labbies have a person to connect to it, and then the user lists allergies in a form. It returns a list of safe blends that contain none of these things. This makes finding the formulae harder for anyone with nefarious plans, and lets the customers pick out the ones that won't make them sick. Me, I have only mild allergies (strawberries and raw tomatoes), and only one of the two actually makes me nauseous, so I suppose I get off easy. The folks with allergies may want to keep an eye on the reviews, too, as some of our forumites seem to have very well-trained noses! That's something, at least.

I hate posting a bad review, but this one is just... not for me. First sniff: Czernobog is STRONG in the bottle -- too strong and too musky for me. On first application: Some of the spice comes out when applied, more so than in the bottle, but it's still a bit too murky and thick for me. On drydown: After about 15 minutes, this turns into Brut on me. The musk is very intense, and makes me vaguely nauseous. I'm bummed -- I was hoping for a good murky scent for those moods, but this one isn't it. Luckily, the person I swapped it to seems to have had much better results!

... Their scent is the crisp, inviting bittersweet tang of cranberry with smoky dark lilies, heady, sensual musk, a tingle of ginger and a brush of Mediterranean spices. First sniff: Musk, spice, and cranberries. Heady. On application: cranberry... ooh, cranberry -- plus spice, a bit of floral, and something deeper (the musk). The lilies are not overwhelming, which is a big plus, and the diverse notes seem to meld in an odd but scrumptious sort of symphony - each comes to the front a little in turn. After drydown: You know, I think I may have to give up on my 'no florals' party line when it comes to BPAL, because I've tried several blends with a floral note and wound up loving them. This one is on the list. Lampades has a sweet/tart edge to it, and a lovely lingery spiciness that floats over the rest. It smells more like flower nectar as a cocktail, mixed with spicy things and a touch of squeezed cranberry. I can see this one being saved for those moments when I really would like to smell a bit unusual, but still lovely. It does tend to be distinct from other scents I've smelled, but it's not in-your-face. ETA, reluctantly: As much as I love the smell, after about 45 minutes, I wound up with raw inner nostrils and a headache that wouldn't quit. Even Advil wouldn't cut into it, until I did two passes with some isopropyl alcohol on my wrists. Blast, rats, damn! I like this one...

First sniff: This one comes off as a soapy floral, with a bit of murky mist or thick air in there. Is that a hint of something weirdly fruity amidst the flowers? On application: floral soap. Very good, French-milled floral soap. The scent is very strong at first application, even with a single drop, for me. Very lingery, very otherwordly. It does sort of give a sense of being in a garden Elsewhere. After 30 minutes: This has turned to waterlogged, overripe flowers and fruit amidst rain and fog, vegetation on the verge of rot. (Note: It's a lovely smell, it just has that tinge of fading beauty about it.) And there's that hand-milled soap again... I wish this didn't make my sinuses hurt, because it's a very unusual sort of floral. Conclusion: I'm sure this is lovely on others but there's just too much soapy scent in it for me, and it gives me a bit of a headache, so I think I'm sensitive to one of the notes in it. Le sigh.

You could always decant off some imps for swapping to people? I have the exact opposite problem - I only ordered imps in my first order, and now I'm desperate for a larger bottle of one of the scents, but i know I won't get it in time for when I need it.

Strong and spicy in the bottle; the rose is quite strong, a bit too much so for my taste, on first application. It mellows a bit on wearing, and fades quickly, but it's a little too musky/floral and not spicy enough for me. It's a lovely scent, but heavy floral scents tend to react badly with me.

Eye-wateringly strong in the vial and on first application; the musks are the first bits you smell. Very complex, and probably a bit more masculine than I like for regular wear. It fades to something warm and fairly mellow with a strong musk undertone, and I think on a guy, this would be irresistible.

Very sweet in a decadent sort of way. Honey, vanilla, something incense-y, and something like sharp-sweet as a counter. It's faintly spicy in the bottle. It mellows a bit on me at first, and it seems to settle with a bit less sugar and a bit more of the soft and sorta exotic notes. It suits me nicely, and gives me a nice happy cloud of mmm-aroma all day. On second wearing, it was just as tasty, and just as long-lasting.

In the bottle and on first application, it smells sort of like a good chai latte with a bit of bite. It mellows to something sweeter, but with the bite still there. It doesn't change as much as other BPAL scents do on me. I love the bite of the pepper atop the cinnamon and clove - it gives it a nice, surprising note of depth.