JazzieCazzie

I remember having a bottle of this awhile back, purchased strictly on the notes, and I no longer have it ... I can't recall if I sold it in a destash or included it in my Katrina auction (not sure of release date). Either way, re-reading the notes of all GCs I didn't have and wanted, I put this on my list of imps to buy in a recent big buy. So glad I did. IN THE IMP: Clean, lovely, perfect lavender. Applied what would generally be a "normal" amount on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Very, very, very lavender with a tiny bit of wisteria softening it. Since these are two of my very favorite scents, the early returns are excellent. Especially since the rose does not amp on me at all. DRYDOWN: The good news is that the scent is divine. Just a happy marriage of lavender and wisteria. The not-as-good news is that, like many have said, it fades quickly ... OVERALL: I think the obvious solution is MORE COWBELL. I mean more Ode on Melancholy. I just need to try to scoop up as many imps and/or bottles of this to allow me to apply it more generously and lavishly and frequently. On a scale of 1-5, a 5 for potential.

Originally I was going to pass, because ... well, I wasn't familiar enough with Sweet Alyssum to make a full bottle commitment. But after reading some reviews and one forumite invoking the name "Wisteria single note" I decided at the very very very last minute to buy a bottle ... and am SOOOO glad I did! This is actually my first SN purchase from the Lab in as long as I can remember (I did buy a bottle of Spanish Carnation from a forumite, because I missed its release when it was live). IN THE IMP: Gloriously sweet and honey-ish and floral without being cloying, in-your-face or soapy. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm from the tiny droplets remaining in my dropped after decanting an imp for myself. WET: This somehow manages to combine the lovely white floral scent of the Sweet Alyssum and also have a fresh spring outdoorsy feel to it. DRYDOWN: Very light, sweet and lovely. Even my hubby, not a perfume fan and not a floral fan, liked it on me. OVERALL: This is a fantastic single note. I can see wearing it on its own and also experiment with layering it with some other blends. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.8.

Hard to believe that I had never tried this before ... or if I did, I didn't review it. Certainly looking at the notes it seemed like it would have been a no-brainer for me at one time or another ... but instead I ordered it in an impapalooza/big bottle buy and am testing from that fresh Lab imp now. IN THE IMP: Hmmmm. Slightly plastic to me, which isn't usually something I get from any of the notes listed. But not unpleasant. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Still plasticy. And very sweet. My first thought is vanilla and myrrh, the two notes that tend to go plastic and powdery on me respectively. That smell is overpowering anything that might be musky, carnation-y or sandalwood-y. Not getting ANY of that. OVERALL: Sadly, not a scent that works for me but still one that is complex and fascinating. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.

Of the six April Fools scents I purchased in a decant circle, this was the one I was most excited about and held such high hopes for. It's the one I tried last, after I had sadly placed the first five into the swap pile. IN THE IMP: Whatever the indefinable note that Stellamaris mentioned that made her go Blergh (which I spell Blerg, just check my license plate) Stinky, I'd like to know what it is too. Because ... just ... blerg. Or blergh. So not what I expected. Pungent. Acerbic. Unpleasant. In most cases it would have been enough for me to cap up the imp and pop it in the swap pile but this was (Redacted) Dragon, it had tons of notes that called my name. I must soldier on. Dabbed on my wrist and into the crook of my arm and prayed that the beloved notes would all amp and change my mind. WET: Yeah, this is fiery like a dragon. But there is SOMETHING in it that smells like Chinese food gone bad when it sits down at the table with my body chemistry. I don't think it's ginger (unless red ginger is a very rare component for BPAL) because some of my best friends, I mean favorite BPAL blends, are ginger-based (Shuuuuuuuuuuuuub). I guess it could be pink pepper. Is that super different from black pepper? I like black pepper though in reasonable doses. I do not get any carnation, no cinnamon, hell, not even any jasmine. DRYDOWN: Okay, I'm hesitant to even write this because I know it will come out wrong but it's more a statement on what my stupid body is doing than the scent itself. As this oxidizes, it does improve but there's still something "off" about it ... it takes me a few minutes to put my finger on what it reminds me of. Then I realize ... it's the zoo. You know, the open-air areas where the big animals like the elephants and stuff roam. And poop. I smell like fresh manure. And when fresh manure is an improvement on what I smelled like a few minutes ago, I know that there is something in here that is NOT my body chemistry's friend. ... About an hour later, all of the stinkies have worn off and it's not horrible. There's something like a deep fruit and resin there. But it's very subtle and faint (hey, the good news is this doesn't have a lot of throw on me). OVERALL: What can I say? I'm so pissed at my body for not making friends with a blend with great notes and a great story. On a scale of 1-5, big surprise, a 1.

The last of my RG Apiary imps, several of which I acquired in hopes that I'd find another one on the level of my newly-beloved Hemlock Honey. IN THE IMP: Verrrrrry interesting. The honey is a secondary note to oleander's floral, yet both are surprisingly subtle in the imp. Applied to wrist and crook of arm. WET: Wet, it's great. If you're down for a super-sexy heady sweet scent, this seems as good as any. Neither the honey nor the oleander takes precedence but rather the two seem to mingle together, dare I say it, sensuously to create a whole new category. DRYDOWN: Sadly, for me, here is where the break-up occurs. As it dries down more and more, the headache-inducing sweetness that I'd feared from the combination of two such potent notes, and which to this point had not happened, slowly but steadily creeps in. At first, it's more like being in an outdoor field of flowers but within an hour, while still very very strong, it's more like being trapped in a small room with them. OVERALL: I am sure there will be others who this works for more beautifully and it is a scent that has SUCH promise for someone bigger and bolder than I am. And of course I will now spend the rest of the night singing Steely Dan's "My Old School." Not that there's anything wrong with that! On a scale of 1-5, 3.

One of the six April Fools scents I purchased imps of in a decant circle. IN THE IMP: Yes, this is SOOOOOOOO sunshine! A very golden scent. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Absolutely liquid sunshine. The lemon peel is predominant on me but it's sharp fresh lemon and not furniture-cleaner lemon. The champaca and sandalwood combine with it in terrific style. DRYDOWN: This is where it starts to lose me. It gets just a wee tad too floral, with the magnolia taking over, and then the bergamot sneaks in behind it. Those two notes drown out the champaca and sandalwood in the dry stages and I never got the cardamom at any point. OVERALL: By the end of the wild ride, the scent on my body was just not where I wanted it to be. Too "perfume" and not enough "fragrance" if that makes sense. I knew that was a risk I took because of the last three notes listed but had hoped perhaps my body would surprise me and allow the FIRST three to dominate. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.

One of the six scents from this line ordered from a decant circle. I wasn't sure if it would work or not ... grass and clover tend to be a game-time decision by my body chemistry, flowers could be anything, breeze is too often laundry-detergent but incense is a favorite. So ... spin the wheel and have some fun! IN THE IMP: Fresh and outdoorsy and quite lovely, but I get the tiniest hint of something vaguely fruity lurking in the background which has me on guard. Applied to wrist and into crook of arm. WET: No fruit. Yay! Grass. Yay! Clover. Yay! It's a lovely spring day, maybe one of those first days of spring when you go out and think "spring!" (at least here in the northeast/mid-Atlantic). DRYDOWN: The fruit I thought I sensed never appeared again once out of the imp, so a happy false alarm. This is a very pleasant blend. It's fresh, clean and vaguely soapy, which I guess is the laundry detergent others noted ... for me, it's there, but not to a dealbreaker degree. On the other hand, not getting ANY incense at all. OVERALL: I'm on the fence with this. I like it. I really do like it. It's a lovely scent and definitely lives up to its description. I can't decide if it's something I would reach for in the box so I'm going to let swap list fate decide once I finalize my swap list (sooooo close to being ready to assemble it). It's something I could happily live and wear occasionally. Or possibly regift to my daughter who likes fresh scents too. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.5 but not a keeper at this point.

One of the two strawberry scents I ordered out of six decant circle selections ... while I know I don't usually "do" red fruit well, I remember liking one of the Strawberry Moon blends and am hoping to duplicate the magic! IN THE IMP: Uh oh. Strawberry and rose combusting into something very syrupy and bad-medicinal (as opposed to what I consider "good medicinal," the resiny old-time pharmacy smell). Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm (knowing I'm going to be showering in a little bit, I am forging ahead to give it every chance to win me over). WET: Not good on me. My body is turning this into cough medicine zero-to-60. DRYDOWN: Happily, and somewhat surprisingly since it so often amps on me, the rose subsides after a little while and I am left with what others are finding, a wild strawberry scent combined with outdoorsy goodness. However, there remains a cloying sweetness which I am THINKING may be the orris? This definitely gained points in the drydown but not enough for me to keep it. OVERALL: For those who don't have the same weird body chemistry that turns roses into old lady powder and orris into sickly-sweet something-or-other, I think this could be a great scent. I love the combination of the fruit and the outdoorsiness. Which according to the red line isn't a word but dammit it is for me. On a scale of 1-5, a 1 in the imp, a 1 when wet, and a 3 overall after drydown.

Thanks, all, for the recommendations! Did some homework, read all the reviews ... I am definitely going to pass on all versions of Boo. It sounds like, regardless of the year, it has way too many dealbreaker notes for me and nearly every review singled out something I know I wouldn't like ... I can't stand the "linen" or "cotton" notes and milk is one of my top 5 "goes horribly wrong on me" notes. Plus, virtually every other scent someone comped it to has been at best a swap and at worst (and more frequently) a wash-off. But I definitely appreciate the suggestion and wouldn't have thought to even look at it! I think at this point the one that will go on my wish list will be Gorobblies. I love burnt toasted marshmallows! Marshmallow Poof sounds like ti would also be too sweet for me. And in the meantime I'll do even more homework and see if there is anything else I can come up with ... Meanwhile, if there are any other Whipped Cream scents other than Boo, that would be great!!! But it's quite possible that none really exist ... I wish I could just take Love and remove the rose sugar and strawberry. Maybe even the marshmallow ... the thing I love about whipped cream is that it's best when it's neither really sweet NOR creamy. Just that light airy taste.

Bought this as one of six imps in a decant circle from the April Fools series ... IN THE IMP: Salty, soapy, clean, as in Dial Soap clean. It reminds me a little bit of how I remember Jolly Roger smelling, one of the very few "aquatic"-themed scents I've liked (though at the time I gave it to my daughter, then about 15, because she really loved it). Applied to wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Okay, this will sound weird, but maybe not that weird to HeyGrayCatbird ... There was a very strong odd note immediately and it took me a few moments to figure out what it was, because it wasn't something I thought of as a perfume note ... It smells like peanut butter. Wet on me, this is peanut butter-scented Dial Soap. Distinctly salty oil. DRYDOWN: I assume the peanut butter scent comes from a combination of the salt from the sea salt and the Snake Oil. Behind the prevailing peanut butter scent, once it's long-dry I get something resembling driftwood, which I guess is combo of the seaweed and the cedar, but I definitely don't get the cedar note per se. It's not a bad drydown in the long run, but it's very very faint. OVERALL: This was an interesting sensory experience because it was certainly unexpected and unusual. But it's not something I think I want to smell like. On a scale of 1-5, a 2.5, giving the extra .5 because at least it wasn't a washoff.

One of my most highly anticipated decants from the lovely Pickman Gallery April Fools update, but I just had to hope upon hope that the rose would not amp on me. IN THE IMP: All of the notes listed are present and accounted for in different little waves. The whipped cream? Yummmmm. The marshmallow? Nom nom nom. The strawberry? Not bad but holding off judgement (I find that strawberry when sweet can be great for me, like in Strawberry Moon, but it's touch and go as a red fruit) ... and ... sigh ... rose. Go away, rose. Dabbed on one wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Rose rose rose. Then the occasional intoxicatingly delightful throw of delicious whipped cream, and sweet luscious marshmallow. Then ... rose again. DRYDOWN: Just too rose rose rosey for me. As it dries, there is less and less sweet dessert-y deliciousness and more and more old lady perfume. OVERALL: Oh well. Sigh. This is what it says it is, and the fact that rose can kill a blend for me is my own problem. It did, though, make me VERY desirous of a blend that is nothing but whipped cream and marshmallow. A girl can dream. I wanted to love this for so many reasons. And I love it for what it is. It's just not for me. On a scale of 1-5, a 2.5 for me.

Bought this in a recent impapalooza spree, because I do loves me amber and cinnamon. Testing from that imp. IN THE IMP: For whatever reason, probably my weird nose, I don't get any amber from this whatsoever. Nor cinnamon. Something vaguely fruity and very evocative of a hair tonic me dad used to wear. Applied on wrist and in crook of one arm. WET: Some resins amp but not the amber(s) I'm used to (I know there are a ton of different ambers). Unlike other reviewers, not getting any sandalwood or cinnamon (sadly, since those are also favorite notes). Juicy and bold and outdoorsy and quite sweet. DRYDOWN: I just can't put my finger on the notes here but I can't identify any of them. To me it's a deep fruity rich scent, very outdoors like in a savannah or beige expanse. OVERALL: Again, there's something about this scent that reminds me of my father from my childhood which is a very positive and loving scent association, but it's not something I can wear. On a scale of 1-5, a 2.5.

Would suggesting the RPG scent "Elf" be too obvious?

Bumping this in case someone else remembers it to help Suzie ... and me! I had forgotten how much I adored Eau de Love but can't quite put my nose-finger on the scent. I'd love to try it again ... I can say, from having tried all of the scents suggested below and not liking any of them, that it's unlikely any of them are a match though well-intentioned suggestions. Two very broad categories with no specific notes listed will be a tough match without someone who has actually smelled the scent. I'll see what I can do to track it down, meanwhile. But thanks for the sensory memory explosion! (I remember the radio ad was something like this ... a geeky-sounding guy with a New York accent saying "Oh de flowers, oh de trees, oh de smell of Eau De Love")

Received a boatload of RPG frimps in a recent purchase from the Lab, and this was one of them -- the last one of the series for me to review. IN THE IMP: Woodsy and nose-ticklingly evergreen. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Sooooo very very very green. I'm getting the aspen in huge doses, the moss, and the berries. And ... that's all. NONE of the other notes are even slightly present for me at this point ... DRYDOWN: ... or at this point either. It's very clean and soapy, like an ad for Irish Spring. There is also an unplaceable note for me but whatever it is, that I can't put my finger on, it's definitely not the amber, honeycomb (sniff, I really was psyched about that!) or musk. There is a very odd berry juiciness that I actually quite like (berries are usually dealbreaking notes for me), almost as if the berries were steeped in men's cologne. But good men's cologne. OVERALL: If I was blind-testing this, I would be unable to pick out any notes other than the green ones BUT I think I'd IMMEDIATELY know that it was an RPG scent. It really captures this feeling of being in an otherworldly forest, hidden away with all sorts of interesting characters. That said, as a scent, I like it but I don't love it. It will go into the swap box. On a scale of 1-5, a 3. Just not for me.

Received this as a frimp in my most recent order, which was awesome because it had been on my longer GC wish list but was pushed back to a "next time" status. I keep thinking I must have tried it in the past at some point but I never reviewed it if I did. IN THE IMP: It must be my week to keep thinking I smell almond when it's not there (did the same thing yesterday with Chimera) but the first note out of the imp was, to my nose, almond. It was followed closely, though, by the rich lush flora. I know this has a lot of promise as long as the notes do not combine to be too heavily floral and "in your face" (in my face). Applied to wrist and into crook of arm. WET: This is one of the most interesting blends I've tried in awhile, especially for something that is so simple, with three distinct notes. Those three combine in the most fabulous way, though ... to me I am getting a very balanced mix of medicinal, sweet (myrrh, for sure) and floral. DRYDOWN: The early drydown continues to delight with a very clean yet somehow not SOAPY floral. Fine line that it straddles beautifully. It's also intoxicating and deep and rich. Finally, there is a resiny throw that is ever so slightly fruity ... it reminds me a bit of the drydown of my beloved Nemesis. OVERALL: This is an absolutely lovely, sexy, intoxicating scent. I don't think I need more of it since I do have similarly-crafted big bottles (Nemesis, Nephilim, etc.) but I will definitely use up this lovely imp. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.5

Being a honey blend lover and having had mixed results on the blends from this particular series, I read over the reviews of the ones I hadn't yet tried and ordered two imps -- this one and Oleander Honey (which still awaits me in my "to be tested" box). Hoping for a blend where the honey is detectable but offset by other notes that I love and that keep it from being TOO in-your-face sweet. IN THE IMP: Sharply green and herbal with virtually no sweetness. In fact, I don't even get any honey in the imp. So far so good, since I know the honey itself will amp on me since it always does. Applied to wrist and into crook of arm. WET: Upon application, it seems to have a great balance of honey (which does amp) and the sharp green herbal scent. Slightly medicinal, very green and gold. I am getting excited ... DRYDOWN: ... and then I return to earth. Within about 10 minutes, the two sides basically combust on me. I have no idea why or how, but the result is unpleasant. Plastic, old lady scent. It actually required a washoff and still lingers on for hours even afterwards. OVERALL: Sadly, this joins several of its RG Apiary brethren in my swap box. I continue to hold out hope for Oleander Honey, and if that doesn't work, well, I'll always have my precious Hemlock Honey. On a scale of 1-5, a 1.5

Placed a pretty big-for-me order recently that included 18 imps, split between old favorites and new-to-me scents. This was one of the latter, because I see the word "incense" and unless I see other dealbreakers list, I'm gonna want to try it. IN THE IMP: I confess. I opened the imp, was hit hard by a truly unpleasant smell, and immediately recapped it and said, "Um, no. Into the swap box with you, stinky imp." It was sour and pungent, with the most prevalent note being red wine (something I LOVE to drink but goes horribly wrong on me as a scent). Vinegary. Acrid. The, I re-read the reviews ... many people had had similar observations (not necessarily as negative, but that it was very wine-y upon application but dried down into a deep resiny incense scent). I decided that, with a hot bath already on the night's agenda, I would give it a shot and see what happened, knowing that whether I hated it, loved it, or something in between, it was going to be washed off anyway ... just a matter of how quickly. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Still wine, but immediately upon meeting my skin, the incense started to amp and offset the pungentness ... Pungence? Pungency? In addition, I could detect some honey that sweetened it and even some ineffable floral notes. It was about 1000% better on than it was in the imp, for me. DRYDOWN: Honestly, I didn't get that deep resinous incense drydown. In fact, as it dried, it reverted to being almost all wine all the time with some honey and possibly a little bit of fig? I love those last two notes in BPAL but they weren't quite enough to turn Cairo into a winner for me. They did, however, keep it from being a washoff. OVERALL: It's one of the biggest differentials between off-body and on-body scents of any of the BPALs I've tried. It's complex and interesting. But it doesn't work for me and, once again, it returns to the swap box but minus the name "stinky imp." On a scale of 1-5, a 2.5

Received a super generous lot of frimps in a recent order, including several new-to-me RPGs, this included. So this test comes from that imp. IN THE IMP: Green appetizers and musk. Kind of like a musky salad bar. Applied to one wrist and in crook of that arm. WET: Very fresh and gourmandy green on immediate application. At very first note, it reminds me quite a bit of something that would go in the Karme category (I love Karme). But the next wave of notes include something that is distinctly red berryish (the rooibos?) and that is one of my dealbreaker scents. There is also something very, very familiar that I can't put my finger on but isn't a note I associate with perfume. DRYDOWN: I really, really wanted to wait this out to see if the fruitiness abated and the green rose again but my stomach rose first and I washed it off. OVERALL: This is very unusual and complex and there is a lot about it to like, but for me the red berries were a dealbreaker that I couldn't wait out. I think people who like Karme and Planting Moon and its family might like giving this a shot! On a scale of 1-5, a 1.5

Received a frimp of this in my most recent purchase. It's something that has always caught my eye at first because of the rare presence of pink grapefruit, one of my all-time favorite BPAL single notes. And pink lime intrigued me. However, my experience has been that when there is peach or nectarine in a blend, no matter how far down in the mix, it jumps up in my face and turns my stomach. So I never ordered this BUT was more than willing -- happy, in fact -- to give it a shot and hopefully be proven wrong. IN THE IMP: Uh oh. Pink and bright but immediately I'm hit with the perfumey department store note of pink stone fruits. I just dabbed a bit on my wrist thinking how bad could it be? WET: Very very bad. ON ME. Not on others, of course. But on me. My tastebuds absolutely ADORE fresh peaches and nectarines. But apparently my nose, skin and stomach do NOT like the scent in an oil. And of course I don't get ANY of the grapefruit, or lime, or rose or sage or patchouli or bergamot or even hedgehog. ALL I get is nectarine. DRYDOWN: I don't get that far. I can't. I've been slightly under the weather and my stomach is more rebellious than usual. Yet even after a wash-off ... even after TWO wash-offs ... this scent still lingers. OVERALL: Sadly, very sadly, this goes with Fae and some of the other peachy-nectariney scents in my absolutely-hate-my-skin category. :( On a scale of 1-5, a 1.

Received this, along with several other RPG frimps that were all new to me, in a recent order and am intrigued. I loved reading Beth's notes about the line and her own experience growing up in the game playing realm. I already had Mage and Gnome but had not tried any of the others. So all of my RPG reviews this week are from that "haul" for lack of better word. IN THE IMP: Deep, rich, green the color of Lush's Washday Greens shampoo (not literally but in the way it makes me feel). This is the forest primieval. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: After the first sharp green foresty and wet dirt scent in the imp, surprised by how lovely and soft and gentle and comforting the blend turns on my skin. Green and floral. I can't put my finger on a single note, only on the ways it makes me feel and what images it evokes for me. It's enchanting an mesmerizing. In fact, to me it smells like what I had EXPECTED HAMADRYAD to smell like way back when, but it didn't. DRYDOWN: As it dries, at first, the incense notes rise and overpower the wet green loam. Something like myrrh (maybe not myrrh but something similar) comes out with its spicy sweetness, almost powdery. Then, by the end, it's like a fine green patina that shines over the whole field. OVERALL: I love how this make me feel as much as how it makes me smell. It's a wonderful outdoors and mystical scent ... I think it would be great to wear to a ren faire. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.5

Received this as a frimp from the Lab just a few days ago. I am pretty sure I tried it way back but certainly willing to give it another go in my quest to try nearly everything I have as I prepare my swap page (admittedly a few scents I got are just no-gos with deal-breaking notes but only a VERY few). IN THE IMP: Spicy sweet and foody. A little nutty, like maybe hazelnut or horse chestnut? Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm, reasonably lightly. WET: Definitely getting hazelnut vanilla, like the flavored coffee blend you put in your coffee. High-end blend, though, not the little plastic peel-off-top cups. Then the fruit rises a bit, the currants, but they're not very strong. More in the background. DRYDOWN: Still ... to me this is hazelnut, caramel, something golden brown burnt sugar. And yet at the same time I'm getting these whiffs of clean laundry. I think that could be the fruit. ETA: Final drydown the next morning is sweet pipe scent. OVERALL: It's confusing to me. A lot of sort of random scents. None of them are bad scents. They just don't seem cohesive in a way that would make them work for me on a regular basis so, indeed, it's off to the almost-finished swap list. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.

I know I tried this way back when but apparently never reviewed it ... my recollection had been that while I loved each of the notes listed, it was just too masculine on me. However, upon receiving a frimp from the Lab in my most recent purchase, at least 8 years later if not longer, I was definitely up to the challenge of revisiting it and am so glad I did! IN THE IMP: A combination of a lilac-citrus tang followed closely by lemon lollipops. Dabbed cautiously on one wrist. WET: A very fresh and springlike scent! Fabulous pure SN-like lilac combined with a wonderful real citrus blend. While I can see the "gentleman's blend" description, it's not a real cologne to my nose but rather the way a very hot guy would smell at the beach with sea spray on his body, while chopping up lemons and limes for gin and tonics. Or something. I actually applied more to my wrist and into the crook of my arm. DRYDOWN: The fresh citrus scent doesn't stay, but the luscious lilac does. In fact, on drydown this could be a SN lilac to me. And that is a VERY VERY good thing, since fresh lilac is one of my favorite smells in the world, but so often lilac perfume does not capture that essence. OVERALL: I am SOOOO glad to have been frimped this and am SOOOOO glad to have re-tried it. I need to keep this blend in mind for forumites who ask about "lilac blends." This is one of the best. Very gender neutral. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.8.

I very rarely, these days, buy a 5 ML unsniffed or untested via decant but The Cat was one I'd had my eye on since the Coraline series was released since I tend to like/love all four notes. I had hesitated on joining a decant circle just for one decant (and you know what they say about "he who hesitates") ... but finally, when I placed a mega-order last week I gave in (opted for The Cat over the new releases) ... this review comes from the imp I decanted for regular use before lovingly storing the bottle with its friends in a cool, dry, smokefree place IN THE IMP: This is one of the nicest "imp sniffs" in a long time ... the benzoin and cedar are definitely predominant but the image to me is soft, comforting and cuddly, just like a kitty in my lap. Dabbed the residue from the dropper and the funnel on both wrists and in both crooks of my arms. WET: The initial wet scent is heavily cedar (and j'adore cedar, I'm one of the people that it works marvelously on, happily!) and benzoin. To me, both of those are what I term "comfort scents" from my childhood. The honey, at first, is much more subtle, noticeable only in the crooks of my arms and not on my wrists. The musk, as it often is with me, is the note that somehow ties everything else together. DRYDOWN: As the blend dries, the honey really rises to the top of the mix. But as Kashmira said in an earlier review, it's a very dark honey, and combined with the musk it's quite subtle and lovely and not "in your face" or overly sweet. My only wish would be that the cedar and benzoin remained more prevalent overall. OVERALL: This is a wonderful, unique and comforting blend on me. I love the BPAL honey note, but there have been some blends where I didn't love the combinations because they were just too sweet. This is one of my favorite honey blends -- the perfect balance of sweet, woody, resiny and musky. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.9.

To me, the R&B scent is pure jasmine oil. I didn't get any of the orange or avocado at all! And while I actually like jasmine (and think there are a ton of GREAT BPAL jasmine blends that would probably make great R&B partners, the one that comes to mind first is New Orleans), for ME, it was just too strong a scent and lasted too long. No matter how little a dab I used, it was in my face for hours and hours and I couldn't deal with it (which was a shame because it really made my hair gorgeous and soft and manageable). I have both a small Lush order and a big BPAL order coming, and I actually bought a bottle of Potion Lotion since I got a 5 ML of Veritas (and recently purchased a 5 ML of Spanish Carnation SN!), and think the carnations will complement each other well. Also got a chunk of Trichomania because it's pretty much the only coconut item that DOESN'T make me queasy (I actually use it as a shower scrub, because it's got the little scrubby bits that exfoliate) so it will be interesting to see if I find it reminds me of R&B ... I don't recall making that connection but who knows? AND some Gentle Lentil (which I also use as a shower scrub instead of hair treatment) to go with my Velvet!