JazzieCazzie

Received as a lagniappe imp in a purchase, I did not have high hopes for this when I read the notes -- in fact, I assumed it would be an "open it, sniff it, and recap it and stick it in the swap box" based on the fact that rum and aquatics are both notes of doom for me (no blame placed on the supplier, who was generous enough to provide any extras at all ... it's the rare swapper who actually checks your wishlists or good/bad notes!) So imagine my surprise when ... IN THE IMP: Sweet wood with a tiny touch of salt. Very light, slightly cologne-y but no booze or aquatics at all. Still cautious, dabbed on wrist. WET: Hmmmm. Very light. Sweet wood. The perfume is fragrant rather than department-store. NO booze at all. Salt air is refreshing, not aquatic. I decided to proceed further and dabbed a wand's worth into the crook of my arm, where scents go to amp. The perfume was the note that did amp more, in a white floral but not LUSH floral way. I do not have a sophisticated enough nose to identify the note but it's very pleasant. I guess I must have been a prostitute in a former life. DRYDOWN: Floral, sweet, woody and very very subtle. NEVER got the booze or the aquatics at all. OVERALL: A surprising keeper. Not something I'd buy more of, or reach for often, but unique enough for me that I'll keep it unless I happen to see someone searching for it who has something i want to swap for. On a scale of 1-5, a 3 but a keeper 3 because I don't have much else like it.

Purchased an imp of this from the Lab on a recent impapalooza spree which was part restocking dwindling imps and part trying scents I had not tried. I am sure I must have tried this in the past, based on the notes, but no longer had it and had not reviewed it, so what the heck, right? Working my way through the alphabetland maze of ALL of my BPAL so I can finally come up with a comprehensive swappable list with which, I hope, to further expand my collection. IN THE IMP: Sweet and deliciously spicy with some woods but not a deep dark green-type woods on first sniff (despite the color). Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: I really, really like these wet notes. Very sweet and woody when I bury my nose in my arm or to my wrist, yet I somehow get a slightly fruity throw. Not sure what it's from. Maybe more foodyish than fruity per se, so it could be the saffron. When wet, this is just a lovely light resiny/floral blend. DRYDOWN: This is where it starts to lose me and I'm not sure why. It just goes a little ... off. The musk, which so often is a great note for me, amps up and it all goes a little too perfumey and less spicy/labdanum/saffrony. OVERALL: This could qualify as a potential keeper were it not for the fact that I have SO many scents I do love that I know, realistically, I would simply never wear this. And so instead it goes into the swap box for future listing. On a scale of 1-5, a fair 3.

Working my way through my BPAL box, reviewing and revisiting scents old, new and new-to-me in alphabetical order (give or take an added frimp or acquisition that allows me to double back). When done, I will have a comprehensive list of imps and bottles to swap away ... safe to say that Old Demons will NOT be on that list (though getting more more more WILL be on the complementary wishlist!) A little background. When Cazzie Lite moved to West Hollywood after she graduated college, the fact that she was now 2000 miles and three time zones away from me was made slightly more palatable by the fact that she was also just a short ride up the 101 to Burbank and Dark Delicacies. On our first visit out, in January 2012, I made my first pilgrimage there with a few hours on my hands. I had a list of every scent I ALREADY had or had tried so as not to "waste time" with anything except those scents that were "new to me." This? Blew me away. Because money was tight and there were several scents I wanted to acquire, I only bought two imps instead of a bottle. Testing from one of those imps here, dated probably late 2011. IN THE IMP: Pure and simple -- Coca Cola. And I ADORE the cola note. I believe it's been suggested that it is the opoponax and since I have no idea what opoponax actually is but find that it is always a winner for me, that makes sense (hmmmmmm ... opoponax single note would be very high on my wish list, I think). Dabbed on pretty generously on wrist and into crook of arm. Only applied on one arm because my initial plan had been to double-test-drive this with Oblivion on the other arm ... but, see below. WET: Just. Absolutely. Blow-your-socks-off-DIVINE. Coca Cola with a slightly medicinal touch (which makes sense since IIRC Coca Cola was originally medicinal anyway ... and by the way, if I use "medicinal" it's usually a positive adjective for me in the BPAL sphere). It's really hard at first for me to put my nose-finger on a single note, unless of course the Coca Cola is the opoponax. It's just lovely deep yet light resins and spices ... SO divine, in fact, that I decide to postpone the Oblivion application so I can simply savor Old Demons by itself ... DRYDOWN: The pepper rises more in the drydown, making it just a little less sweet but still savory and delicious. That savory note only lasts for a few minutes before it subsides into the complex blend that is Old Demons. It's a deep golden brown scent, spicy, sweet but not TOO sweet, comforting and enveloping. OVERALL: This could totally be a signature scent for me. A big bottle purchase has been added to the to-do list though I am on a no-buy for now (it will certainly top my GC wish list once I finalize my swap page). I would call this a Top 10, though those are so hard to narrow down. CERTAINLY among the most amazing GCs ever. On a scale of 1-5, pretty obviously a 5 for me.

Working my way through my entire BPAL collection, A-Z, reviewing or revisiting every scent in the box. This morning has been a double-O Excolo test drive of Odin on one wrist and Ochosi on the other. I know I had this at some time before and never reviewed it. This imp was a lagniappe from a lovely forumite swapper! IN THE IMP: Very sour, pungent, even bitter. If I were not testing EVERYTHING on my skin for the sake of a complete experiment, I would just pop the cap back on untested and put it in the swap box. Dabbed very lightly on one wrist. WET: Still sour but fading a bit to more of a tanginess. The overriding "category" for me is fruity. I am not getting any of the creaminess described by others unless it's sour cream. Definitely green citrus though. DRYDOWN: This dries to a slightly tolerable level on me, more like a green lollipop. It's not completely unpleasant but it's a little nauseating. Green. Tangy. Acrid. Very fruity. And very perfumey. OVERALL: This just doesn't work with my body chemistry, obviously. I don't think I've ever ordered anything with shea in it, so that could be the culprit but since notes aren't listed, who knows? I do know that I've never been a fan of the "commercially produced" shea products so I'm guessing that's the issue. On a scale of 1-5, about a 2.

... His scent is dry elm bark, amaranth, warrior’s musk, and Odin’s Nine Herbs of Power. Test-driving my way alphabetically through my entire BPAL collection over these weeks, the better to finalize a full "swappable" list and figure out what I love, what I don't and, ideally why. Odin was either a frimp from the Lab (which is what I THINK it was) or a lagniappe in a swap. Double-O-ing it this morning with Odin on one wrist and lagniapped imp Ochosi on the other. IN THE IMP: Much sweeter and lighter than I expected, sweetly woodsy. Not getting big "masculine" vibe. Dabbed on one wrist. WET: It remains, light sweet and woodsy yet I can't put my finger on a single note. Quite feminine on me, really, but not in a girly-girl way. Definitely getting something slightly floral, even ... perhaps the amaranth? Don't really know what that is supposed to smell like. DRYDOWN: This was almost a potential keeper until now. Dries down into a very powdery scent, slightly wonky on me -- though I know myrrh isn't listed in the notes, whatever note is doing this is reacting on my skin EXACTLY like drydown myrrh. OVERALL: It's not a washoff, but it's not a keeper. I would not say it has to be a guy scent. I find it very gender neutral. On a scale of 1-5, about a 2.8

Received an imp as lagniappe in a recent swap. I knew I had tried it in the past (although I apparently never reviewed it) because there were many notes in it that I knew, early on, I loved, whereas the notes that turned out to not work for me were ones I didn't realize were problem children until later. However, as I work my way through my entire collection, A-Z, I am reviewing and revisiting EVERY scent I have in my box and so Namaste, you're up today. IN THE IMP: Pungent. Acrid. Even sour. An earlier review (maybe more) used the term vinegar and that works for me, too. Sweaty socks. I have to imagine it's the lemongrass and jasmine, even though the former seems to be the last note listed. Dabbed a little fearfully on one wrist. WET: For a brief blessed moment my lovely woods, sandalwood and cedarwood, amp and sweeten the blend to make it tolerable. But that lasts for mere moments. Then lemongrass and, I guess, jasmine (which often DOES work well for me) fight their way back up, like the girl bullies from gym class, and throw their nasty socks all around the locker room after a nasty game of prisoner's ball. DRYDOWN: (Yeah, I got there). Guess who joined the game? Wonky rose. Annnnnd with that it was time to take a post-gym shower, because they're just not playing nice at all. OVERALL: Still not a winner for me. And definitely, ironically, doesn't evoke the peace and comfort I think of with the word Namaste. Damn my chemistry. On a scale of 1-5, about a 1.5. (And that's only because I save the 1s for scents that make me physically ill).

This was a very last-minute add to a decant circle order, when I was intrigued by some of the early reviews and the person running the circle had a few spots left on this scent. Having memories of the scent of a store in midtown Manhattan that sort of a Japanese superstore (not Azuma or any of those, more of a supermarket, including a lot of tea and a lot of wood), I figured it was worth the extra splurge to see if this might match that sense memory. IN THE IMP: Just, no. Not getting any of the green or woods or leaves or anything. Just getting a powerfully acrid, pungent, sour smell. Dabbed very very lightly on one wrist in hopes of a magic morph. WET: Strong, acrid, sour, like old sweat on me. I have no idea which note is causing this because I do tend to play nicely with a lot of woods, but these are new woods to me. And not good woods. DRYDOWN: I confess I KNOW I should have tried to wait it out to see if upon drydown it would somehow turn into the smell of that store, but my stomach honestly couldn't handle it. A rare washoff. OVERALL: I can't say it wasn't what I was expecting, because I really didn't know what to expect. But it was obviously not what I hoped for. Still, my loss will be someone's gain once I finish my way through the alphabet of goodies and post a pretty comprehensive swap list sometime in April. On a scale of 1-5, about a 1.5

Received an imp of this as lagniappe in a recent swap and it was up to bat in my ongoing project to review and/or revisit every imp and bottle in my collection, A-Z (with some doubling back as I receive new scents via swap or purchase), with the ultimate upshot coming when I hit up all my Ws and complete my list of swappable goodies to post. I'd never dabbled in the District scents, having been on a buy break during their hey day, so Lulu was definitely "new-to-me." IN THE IMP: As pretty much everyone before me has mentioned, definitely "white floral." To me, it seemed clean without being soapy at that point, and surprisingly fresh and clean rather than the more "lush" floral I associate with gardenia. In fact, I got what I am pretty sure was tobacco flower (the more sharp white floral) and virtually no gardenia. Dabbed cautiously but generously, considering the notes, on one wrist and in crook of arm. WET: I actually really, really liked this when wet. VERY hard to put my finger on the notes or even a description. It becomes more "lushly" floral when applied than it was in the imp, but never really went full-bore gardenia on me either. I totally get the "high end department store/five-star hotel soap" comps. Can't figure out which note that is ... my guess is bergamot, but I could be wrong. And it reminds me a lot of scents from my past, hidden in the back recesses of my mind, which I can't quite locate. Someone mentioned it was like a perfume their mom might have worn in the 70s and that could be it (though more likely I would have worn it in the 70s since I could probably be the mom of most BPAL-ers -- or yeah, it might have been my mom who loved herself some perfume). DRYDOWN: And here is where the lovely Lulu earned a relocation from the keeper box to the swapper box. It just didn't work. It never went headachy gardenia. It never went wonky per se. It got kinda boozy and too much perfume, not enough freshness. And boy does it have long lasting legs. Am gonna have to do a washup before dinner. OVERALL: It seems from the reviews over these two pages that Lulu wasn't a super popular scent and has only a few fans and that somehow surprises me. It seems like something that WOULD have a lot of universal appeal, even if it's not right for me. On a scale of 1-5, I give it about a 2.8. It would have been over a 3 were it not for the unfortunate drydown.

Working my way through my entire BPAL collection, old and new, A-Z, reviewing and revisiting in preparation for, finally, an exhaustive swap list and wish list. I purchased an imp of Mag Mell from the Lab in February as part of an "impapalooza" buy which included some new-to-me scents and some old favorites I was out of or running low on. Mag Mell was a new-to-me, because I hoped the amber and ginger (two favorites) would off-set the iffiness of sage and lemon verbena and the likely "doesn't play nice on me" of rain or any aquatics. Seemed to be worth a shot, anyway! IN THE IMP: Super duper fresh in an aquatic way but not SO aquatic (like ozone or lotus) that it put me off. More like soap or shampoo. Dabbed on my wrist and in the crook of my arm (the latter will amp up anything wonky so I'm warned). WET: This is the strangest blend I've tried in a long time. It's Morphy McMorpherson. On each sniff I get something different. However on NO sniff am I getting ANY amber OR ginger and that's not good. I get, off and on, clean fresh aquatic which is actually the GOOD scent for me, which is odd -- it reminds me quite a bit of the old Love's Rain Scent -- but then on alternate sniffs it's HORRIBLY wonky, and I have to keep checking if there is myrrh in here, because it is similar to the way myrrh often dries down in the crook of my arm (myrrh is usually find on the dry parts of my body but reacts awfully with any perspiration). Maybe it's the ash? Very sulphuric and stinky. But I want to wait this out to see what happens when it dries down ... DRYDOWN: Whatever the stinky note is is amping while the Love's Rain scent is fading ... and the throw is so strong that I finally have to wash this off. At no point did I ever get any amber or ginger. It's possible that the other notes I'm not as familiar with (verbena, sage, ash) combined for the ickiness on me. OVERALL: I'm glad I tried this because I always love test-driving something new, but it just didn't work for me. Into the swap box. On a scale of 1-5, a 1.5

Received as lagniappe in a swap with a lovely forumite who always seems to go above and beyond when it comes to hand-selecting imps and other sniffies that match my list of favorite notes, and she was, as usual, SPOT ON with this!!!! Not sure that something with frankincense, benzoin and cinnabar could have ever gone wrong, anyway, but this is absolutely divine. Very, very clean and fresh to me, and yet with that ineffable spiciness and resin that keeps it from smelling like Febreze. It reminds me quite a bit of Crabtree & Evelyn's Goatmilk line (which is way too limited for my liking -- just shower gel, body lotion and soap), one of my favorite non-BPAL scents (I don't know the notes in that so I don't know if BPAL has a similar scent). This would make a great bubble bath or bath oil, IMHO, but in the meantime, it's going on my list for future big bottle purchases.

Working my way through my collection of BPAL, old and new, and hit on a few foodie Yule Ms all at once. This is from the 5 ML bottle purchased from Lab at time of release. IN THE BOTTLE: It took me a minute to put my finger on it, but it's like tangy coffee cake. Applied lightly on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Sweet and light and spicy. Surprisingly actually NOT that foodie to me. I am not getting any of the cinnamon or clove (sad, since they're two of my favorite notes and the reason I ordered this to start with). I guess if I can't identify pfefferneuse, that must be what the primary note is. DRYDOWN: It remains unfoodie and actually goes, to my surprise, very masculine/cologne. A light cologne but a male cologne nevertheless. It's not awful but it's not something I'd wear again. OVERALL: Definitely one for the swap list. It's interesting but it's not what I was looking for. I saw a few comps on here to Shub and I do not get even the slightest HINT of that -- if I did it might be a keeper, LOL, since Shub is one of my all-time favorite BPAL blends! On a scale of 1-5, about a 2ish.

Working my way through revisiting and reviewing all of my BPAL collection and have hit a load of foodie Yule scents in the Ms. This is from my own decant from a bottle purchased from the Lab when it was first released. IN THE IMP: Very very very very very sweet and very very very very sweet-fruity. More like candied fruit than fruit itself. That's all I'm getting. Actually got a little on my finger when I uncapped the imp and frankly that was enough for me to use to test wet and drydown LOL. WET: I'm getting a definite "caramel" scent to my nose, which is probably the spun burnt sugar note. Also a little booze, or what I associate as a BPAL booze scent maybe because it usually is coupled with butterscotch or something. Whatever it is, don't like. Not getting ANY ginger or gingerbread as far as I can tell. DRYDOWN: Just way-too-sweet candied fruit and candied sugar and candied candy. OVERALL: If you love sweet foodie scents, this is for you. But I really don't, so it's not for me. On a scale of 1-5, a 1.5

Received as frimp from the lovely Labbies. Working my way through reviewing, revisiting and sorting every single scent I own -- imps, frimps, bottles, sniffies, etc. -- alpahbetically so I can finally post an exhaustive swap list in the coming weeks. IN THE IMP: Just getting perfumy neroli. Kinda disappointing since I loves me my sandalwood and ylang ylang but not a big fan of neroli which tends to go soapy, bubblegummy and perfumy on me. Dabbed on one wrist. WET: Nothing but neroii and department store perfume. Zero ylang ylang. Zero sandalwood. A tiny bit of suntan lotion. I want to try to wait this out and see if on the drydown either of the notes I like come up. DRYDOWN: I fight the urge to wash it off. But once the drydown begins, all I get is aquatic, soapy, perfume. And it gets stronger and stronger. WASHOFF. OVERALL: This is just not me and I'm not sure why none of the other notes came to play. Sigh. On a scale of 1-5, about a 1.5

Received as lagniappe in a purchase from a lovely forumite ... and tested as I work my way through my entire BPAL collection, revisiting and reviewing. To preface, I am very intrigued by the honey scents by BPAL and have acquired imps of some of this series. My reaction to this was apparently quite different to many of the previous reviews, based largely, I think, on my body chemistry. IN THE IMP: Indeed, sharp and green with very little of the honey. Dabbed on one wrist and lightly in the crook of same arm. WET: My body amps honey up like nobody's business. I really love the initial wet combination that results from this, as the green of the laurel combined with the sweetness of the honey smells like a fresh pungent green bush (in fact, much more like my boxwood plants that the Heinous Hedgerow does). A very early mid-Atlantic spring smell. DRYDOWN: This is a complex, long-lasting scent that isn't really in-your-face but the honey keeps getting sweeter and sweeter. It's like herbal sweet honey. OVERALL: This one is a really really tough call for me. I sort of adore the scent. But I don't see wearing it very often because it is very strong, even lightly applied, and something that I think might bother people who are scent-sensitive. I would LOVE this in, say, a room spray or candle but as a body scent, I think I'm going to have to put it in the swap box. My hand really hovered over the two boxes ... it was a tough decision. I may need to see if I can find other BPAL blends with laurel because I liked that green. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.5 but not something I'd wear because of above reasons.

Received an imp of this as lagniappe in a sale from another forumite. I admit when I read the notes I was POSITIVE this was going to go right into the swap box. Red wine is one of my worst enemies (ON me but not IN me), myrrh goes wonky sweet on drydown and most rose notes are just too too too rosy. But since I am midway through my project of reviewing and revisiting every single BPAL scent in my collection, from A-Z, to prepare a final and exhaustive swap list and wish list, I soldiered on. With trepidation. IN THE IMP: Sour wine and roses. Dabbed cautiously on one wrist. WET: Wow. Upon application, this became surprisingly sweet (probably the myrrh) and even more surprisingly VERY pleasant. None of the stinky cherry/grapeness that wine tends to become on me, and the rose is subtle. The myrrh, usually too sweet, sweetens the other notes to the perfect degree with my chemistry. I smell like candied flowers. DRYDOWN: I am just really, really glad I tried this despite my misgivings. Everything that usually doesn't work for me somehow combined to be a keeper. What a great pleasant surprise ... A little bit of rose, a little bit of powdery sweetness (the myrrh), and just enough tanginess to work, plus the sexy resin of the musk. OVERALL: This is not something I'd make my signature scent but it is absolutely a keeper as an imp when I want something a little different. On a scale of 1-5, I'd give it a strong 3.5.

Working my way through my collection, A-Z, reviewing or revisiting everything as I prepare my complete swaplist AND wishlist ... This was tested from my own decant from a 5 ML purchased from the Lab when the scent was released in 2011. IN THE IMP: Definitely true to the "Christmas tree" smell but with something added that I can't put my finger on. Dabbed on one wrist because I was with my aunt (whose favorite scent in the world is Christmas tree) and I didn't want to go TOO strong but wanted to get her opinion. I also let her sniff the wand from the imp and she kind of wrinkled her nose like she was puzzled LOL. WET: For whatever reason, this was surprisingly "men's cologne" on me. Which is better than Pine-Sol but not as good as real, fresh Christmas tree. I'm not sure what note in it turned on my skin like that, because it doesn't appear anyone else had this issue with it. But it was strong and it was unmistakable. On me, it was much more like a mass-produced scent that high-end department stores would sell for men around the holidays. DRYDOWN: Fortunately, it didn't have too much throw or too many legs, so it faded reasonably soon, just leaving its powdery cologne-ness. OVERALL: Admittedly disappointed and now I understand why I've had the bottle for more than a year and never actually worn it. But I was disappointed more because I'd been hoping that my aunt, the lover of all things Christmas tree-smelling, would have liked it and I could have given her an imp (or the bottle). Sadly, she sniffed my wrist and just said "it's not for me." On a scale of 1-5, about a 2 and onto the eventual swap list, both imp and bottle.

Using a self-decanted imp from my own cobalt bottle. I am not positive if this is from the original series or the brief re-issue. I am pretty sure it's an original. I am perplexed as to why I never reviewed it before now, since it is indeed a big favorite of mine (probably a Top 10 BPAL scent). Anyway, making the turn at the M to come into the second half stretch of my journey through my entire BPAL collection alphabetically, revisiting or reviewing for the first time every scent I have while I determine what goes into swap pile and what I need more of LOL. I actually cheated today and skipped from MAGE to MERCURY, jumping over a small handful that I'll test-drive starting Wednesday night ... today I have to drive in the snow from DC to North Carolina AND wear a scent that I know I won't want to wash off somewhere around Richmond! IN THE IMP: No surprises here. Sweetly spicy lavender. Apply generously to both wrists, both crooks of arms, cleavage and behind ears. Yeah, yeah, I forgot about the cinnamon effect. WET: SOOOOOOO divine that the fact that I had the burn factor for about 5 minutes didn't matter. Actually, I've had worse (Malkuth caused huge welts IIRC). I don't know if the blend has mellowed with age in that respect or not (plus, it's a pale gold, though someone else described it as red ... is the oil supposed to be red or were they just describing it as a "red color scent"?) ... This is just the perfect mix of two of my favorite notes, lavender and cinnamon, that seem polar opposites and yet to me they are equivalent in their respective categories and as such just complement each other perfectly ... the scent is sort of like the most delicious breakfast for your garden. DRYDOWN: I think if I get into an accident today it will be because I was so busy sniffing my arms while driving. Gonna let hubby take the first leg until we get past the snow and just surreptitiously sniff myself. OVERALL: As noted above, one of my all-time favorite BPAL scents. I still have much of a bottle, thank God, but will still put it on my list of scents to be ISO. Yeah, I might hoard it. It clearly does not lose any of its appeal with age. On a scale of 1-5, about eleventybillion.

A slightly older imp which I can't recall if it was a decant (I only know I got it at the same time as Gnome) or a Lab purchase or a purchase from Dark Delicacies. I am thinking it was from DD. It's not the "typical" Lab label. Am working my way through my entire BPAL collection (imps, frimps, big bottles, lagniappe, etc.) A-Z to revisit and re-review, re-organize and come up with both one complete swap list and a wishlist for more. Plus to see if I can figure out what works on me and why. This was a puzzler ... IN THE IMP: The first thing I thought was FIG! But ... I know, I know. There is no fig in this. But it reminded me SO much of Nemesis and Nephilim, for some reason (and coincidentally, I just made my first reasonably big-for-me big bottle purchase in awhile -- four 5 MLs -- and got both of those Ns!). Daubed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: I am still getting N&N. Dark slightly fruity, sweetly resinous and herbally woodsy. I don't think I'm getting any Dragon's Blood at all, which is odd because it's one of my favorite notes and usually amps on me a lot. (Also surprised how light the color is, a pale amber, for a DB blend). Rather I'm getting sweet, almost sharp and ever-so-slightly metallic woodsy resin. DRYDOWN: This is a very comforting though strong scent and oddly familiar in a "I can't quite put my finger on why" way. It's got a ton of long-lasting throw. As it dries more and more I get the resin but I STILL, dammit, keep thinking "fig! figgy figgy fig!" Got figure (hahahaha no pun intended). OVERALL: I really, really love this. It's outstanding. So why do I keep thinking that for some reason it was mislabeled? I'm just not recognizing ANY of the notes as listed. But whatever it is, I love it. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.8

Received an imp of this as lagniappe in a swap and am sooooooooooooo grateful. I don't believe I've ever tried it (I definitely didn't review it) and I'm thinking if I did ever receive it, it would have been as a frimp because the black currant and ozone notes would have scared me away. Before I review it, I want to give major props to the review by LoraJC which kicked off this thread. It is so very very very on target for what I would have said as well ... I write up my notes before I come to the board, and then I look over the thread to be sure I hadn't already written a review, and I just sat there reading hers (and others) and nodding like a bobblehead doll. IN THE IMP: I really expected to be hit in the face with fruit and have to battle just to test-drive it, since I have vowed to apply ever single scent I have -- new, old, imp, bottle. Yet oddly enough my first thought was "medicinal" (a word used a lot on this board and one which, for me, is a very positive note even though I still haven't figured out what it is -- often for me it's amber but there is no amber here). I get the fruity RIGHT after that but it's a resiny fruit and one which pulls me in instead of repelling me. I was encouraged enough by that first impression that I actually applied it pretty generously to me wrist AND crook of my arm (the place where notes go to amp). WET: This is an absolutely fascinating, unusual and complex blend on me. The resin is high up in the mix, as is the musk. The lavender and black currant kind of battle away behind those two. It is not what I think of as "fruity-bad" at all, but the sweetness of deep dark fruit is there. The scent this reminds me of the most is Nemesis -- not so much that the two scents are similar in notes as much as the complexity and balance of the notes it contains. DRYDOWN: The ozone, which is NOT a good note for me, rises up on the drydown and for a few minutes I fear I'll lose my love for this, but in reality it only lasts for a short time, after which the long-term drydown is a fascinating combination of medicinal, resin, lavender, woods, musk, floral and dark tangy fruit. OVERALL: I am amazed by how much I really love this scent. It is an absolute work of art from Beth. On a scale of 1-5, this comes damned close to a 5. Maybe a 4.9?

Received this as a generous lagniappe in a purchase and on face value had no issues with any of the notes. Working my way through the entire alphabet with my imps, old and new, my big bottles, same and same, and whatever I am getting via swaps and small forum purchases (along with a Lab purchase or two along the way). When I hit a letter that I've covered, I swing back and jump on it so ... IN THE IMP: Honestly? This was the first and only, so far during this experiment, scent where I immediately recapped it and didn't even try to test-drive it. Though there is no fruit in the description, for some reason it smelled fruity to me. And aquatic. And perfumey floral. And basically, weirdly, every "note group" that doesn't work for me. However, after finishing up L, I realized that I had tried every single other scent so far, even ones I didn't think I'd like, and it would seem incomplete if I didn't at least give this the old college try, so I went to the swap box where I had gently nestled it and uncapped it and dabbed a bit on my wrist. WET: Fruity. Aquatic. Perfumey floral. Basically, it smells like every "note group" that doesn't work for me. And it's strong. DRYDOWN: It still smelled exactly like it did in the imp and on my wrist. WYSIWYG -- what you smell is what you get. And for me, that wasn't a good thing. I washed it off but I can still smell it. Really strongly. OVERALL: Sometimes I need to learn to just trust my gut. BUT, that said, my plan was to try every single scent I have/get (unless of course someone sends me Kitsune Tsuki or Masabakes or Maenad or Sacred Whore or something). So I am glad I did it. But this returns to its already selected spot in the swap box to rejoin its other fruity/aquatic/perfumey floral friends. On a scale of 1-5, a 1. For me.

Working my way through all of my imps, frimps and bottles, revisiting and reviewing, and this marks the end of my halfway point of the A-Z journey, my last L (until, at least, a few pending swaps and purchases arrive that include scents from the first half of the alphabet, LOL!) This was from a lagniappe included in a purchase. I was wary based on the notes. Though I tend to like most of them combined, I feared the blend itself would prove to be too masculine cologney for me. IN THE IMP: Very very very male. Woodsy with a cologny-floral kick. Not "in your face" enough, though, for me to not try (so far, I think there has only been ONE imp that I just recapped and put into the swap box). Dabbed very lightly on one wrist. WET: The fruit notes combine in an interesting and complex way with the other floral and woods notes and I also get, oddly enough, a definite salty note. DRYDOWN: Sadly, this dries down quickly and nauseatingly on me and becomes a wash-off ... I am not sure which note or combination of notes is the culprit. It just gets very powdery and queasy-making. It could be the lilac, but my skin generally plays nicely with lilac (in real life, it's one of my very favorite scents, and I still cherish my remaining imp of the Blue Lilac SN). OVERALL: Ah well. I am glad I tried it. It just didn't work for me but in a few weeks, when I can post my entire swap list, I am sure it will work for someone else!!! On a scale of 1-5, for me a 1.5

Working my way through my BPAL collection -- old imps, new imps, brown bottles, blue bottles -- from A-Z, reviewing or revisiting. This entry is from an imp I decanted myself from my original 5 ML bottle of Lycaon 2006 from the Lab, purchased at time of release. IN THE IMP: COCA COLA IN A TINY GLASS BOTTLE!!! Dabbed on wrist, into crook of arm and into cleavage. WET: Definitely cola on me. Which happens to be one of my favorite morphs. Still not sure what notes create it ... a few people in this thread have suggested maybe the oppoponax? Or however you spell it? A resiny delicious and slightly spicy cola. There is a tiny tingling when I apply it to the crook of my arm. DRYDOWN: While I can understand why this would morph on some people to be distinctly "masculine," fortunately on me it's just deep and resiny and divine. It dries into a dark resiny sweetness but not a wonky one, which can sometimes happen on me with myrrh. I'm getting minimal if any myrrh or patchouli, and maximal ginger, musk, frankincense and, I guess, oppo of that is what causes the coca-cola scent. OVERALL: I love love love this. Now, I'm working through my goodies A-Z so when I reach S I will be sure to pull this imp out and "test drive" it again on one arm when I re-visit my Schwarzer Mond on the other arm to compare the two. And I guess I should also check all my references to "smells like coca cola" and see how many of them contain oppo. Whatever that is. On a scale of 1-5, a 5.

Ordered an imp of this from the Lab during an impapalooza purchase (four six-packs) in February as I looked to revive my BPAL collection and dispersal. Am working my way through my entire collection -- old, new, imps, bottles, purchased, swapped-for and frimped/lagniapped -- either writing new reviews or updating old ones. Once I'm finished A-Z, I'll be able to post a full swap list AND wishlist. I tend to be hit-or-miss with rose, based on what it's combined with and where it is in the mix. I knew this one was a little risky since there were fewer notes and a likelihood of it being really rosy but "spice" is always a draw for me. IN THE IMP: The initial sniff is promising. Rosy, yes, but the spicy note seems to give it good balance. Optimistically dabbed on wrist, crook of arm and in cleavage. WET: Sweet and rosy but not TOO sweet or rosy at first application. DRYDOWN: Sadly, for ME, the more it dries, the more prominent the rose gets and the more the balance of the spices take a backseat. I am not an expert by any means (I don't even play one on TV) but to me, the rose note seems like tea rose, more than, say, roses that bloom in my garden. I remember when I was in my early teens growing up in New York City, there was a perfume line that had a counter at Bloomingdales that would sell single-note tea rose and give it out in these little woody strips. EVERYONE had them and we'd stick them in our purses/bookbags and everyone smelled like tea rose for months. That's what this smells like to me. And it's got major legs. OVERALL: I can totally see why this would be a scent that would be popular over the years. I think it would be one of those nice "first scents" for girls -- safe and yet slightly unusual - and also appeal to fans of the rose, the gothic, the victorian, etc. However, I'm really not one of those people so instead, Lucy's Kiss shall go into my swap box for future availability. On a scale of 1-5, a 3, just not me.

Gifted with an imp in either a swap or purchase. Though I suspect from description (evocations, not actual notes) that it is not going to work for me (aquatics are one of my dealbreaker notes, as noted in my Notes I Love And Hate link, and Ozone is in my "usually dislike unless every other note is one I love" list), I am soldiering through on my awesome journey through my imps/bottles from A-Z. IN THE IMP: Soap. Soap. Soap. And more soap. With a tiny bit of salt. Dabbed sparingly -- very sparingly -- on one wrist. WET: SOAP SOAP SOAP SOAP. And more soap. It's not horrible. I actually love Dial soap. But it is STRONG, especially considering how very little I used and only used it on my wrist, which generally amps the least of my touch-points. DRYDOWN: Soap, water, and just a touch of seaspray. In real life, I love the scent of the beach. But on me, this goes just a little too perfumey strong. I feel like I smell more like I just took a shower at a cheap beach-town hotel that had those little plastic bottles of body wash and shampoo on the edge of the sink than like I just took a swim in an ocean before the storm came. And that's no fault of the Lab. It's just what my body does with this sort of scent and why I tend to avoid it. And DAMN it's strong on me. Wash off. OVERALL: The Lab is great at being able to evoke sensory imagery in blends such as this, without actually listing notes. I personally wish, though, I knew which specific notes were involved so I'd be able to narrow down the ones that don't work on me, the better to avoid them in blends that DO have notes listed. This was a rare wash-off. On to the next scent in my journey through the alphabet (which will be Lucy's Kiss). On a scale of 1-5, a 2. I'm sure it is good on others. Just not on me.

Was gifted with an imp of this, can't recall if it was a frimp from the Lab or a lagniappe from one of my swaps/purchases but whatever the case may be, I am eternally grateful. I don't think I would have bought this on my own because I'd have assumed it would be very masculine. Reading the reviews here would have done nothing to change my mind. But working my way through all of my imps and bottles, revisiting and reviewing them A-Z so I can prep a swap list and wanted list, and more of this is definitely going on the latter! IN THE IMP: To me, this is 100% sweet cedar which I ADORE. Honestly, if someone had waved this imp in front of my nose with no label, I'd have thought it was a cedarwood Single Note. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: This remains almost COMPLETELY cedar -- lovely sweet light wood, almost sugared or candied wood, if there is such a thing, with just the slightest inexplicable background note of something beachy. I am guessing that latter is the sage. I am not getting ANY bay leaf and that's fine because it usually makes me smell like chicken soup. DRYDOWN: True to the imp, true to the wet scent. Sweet wood. Light, lovely, clean and amazing. OVERALL: This isn't even remotely masculine on me. It's much more like my favorite woody incense scents such as Kathmandu, Penitence, etc. I think this would make an absolutely fantastic go-to scent for a seaside vacation. It is totally going on my eventual big-bottle list and I will hope to swap for more of it soon. On a scale of 1-5, this is my newest 5.