JazzieCazzie

Received as a frimp ... very interesting because of all the many, many notes in here the only one I really like is sandalwood, and I would not expect to like this AT ALL. Though it's heavy on the rose, it's actually surprisingly nice. I applied it pretty sparingly to be cautious, and was surprised that it never went bad on me. I still think it will probably end up "not me," but I am going to try it again more lavishly in the near future because I am undecided ... even if I end up swapping it, I was really pleasantly surprised how much I liked it ... or didn't not like it.

Received as a frimp ... I can definitely see how it got its name ... a sheer white floral. But it has that Hod undertone of ... dare I say it??? ... semen. ... and goes way too flowery on drydown for me. On a scale of 1-5, about a 2.

Received as a frimp, I would never have ordered this on my own ... on the one hand it has several notes I love (ylang ylang, calla lily) it also has my worst nose enemies (PLUM, orchid) ... What is fascinating to me about this scent is that all of the notes hit you at once, boom boom boom. Good and bad. Wet, it is more good than bad and actually really yummy ... I get excited and hopeful. Sadly, but not surprisingly, on drydown, the evil plum and orchid take over and it goes into the swap pile. I liked this more than I thought I would, but it is still just meh. Interesting, but meh.

I had ordered an imp of this based on notes in one of my daring periods ... and received it as a frimp which means I will have TWO imps of it on my swap pile ... This is the first total wash-off I've had in a long time ... BOTTLE: Almond and something else that is very sweet. WET: Almond and soap. Kind of interesting and complex at first, for about a minute or so ... at which point my throat starts closing up. DRYDOWN: I had a very virulent allergic reaction several years ago to some raw honey, like an anaphylactic shock, and this was physically a mild version of that ... but on a more sensory note, this was just horrible to me. Old maiden auntish cloyingly sweet HORRIBLE scent ... I have no clue what the offending note is ... I know I can't stand lotus, but I know that's not what's doing it. Even after washing this off with orange anti-bacterial soap I still stink. Do I even have to say that on a scale of 1-5 this is a 1??? REVISITED FEBRUARY 2013: Since I clearly did not re-read all of my old reviews prior to making a brand new impapalooza order, I re-ordered this based on the notes listed ... I mean, amber, saffron, musk, cardamom, how could I go wrong (again)? I DID, however, re-read the review before application and still wanted to be complete in my reviews (yes, there is a hyphen in anal-retentive) so I forged ahead, but this time with only a tiny swipe of the wrist. Imp acquired from Lab 2/13 IMP: Very fruity despite there being no fruits listed in the notes, very sweet, slightly medicinal (this may be because I immediately associate cherry and medicine which is why I never order anything with cherry in it). Not a hint of amber, musk, cardamom or saffron that I could tell. Dabbed LIGHTLY on one wrist. WET: A little bubble-gumy addition to the afore-mentioned notes but that's the only new note for my nose. NONE of the notes I love. I'm guessing it might be the lotus that is the deal-breaker on me and overpowers the others? Orchid works like that on me as well. Not much almond in it for me, which is neither here nor there -- I won't order a scent FOR the almond but it won't be a deal-breaker for me either, since I quite like Eclipse and Salome, for example. DRY: Just perfumey. I have to shower in a few anyway so no biggie. If I didn't have so many scents I wanted to try I'd probably be fine with leaving it on for the duration until it wears off, which is still a HUGE improvement over the first time when I nearly went into anaphylactic shock. OVERALL: I'm upgrading from a 1 to a 1.5-2. It's not horrible. I mean, let's face it, NONE of Beth's scents are horrible, honestly -- they're all brilliant in their own way. Even my least favorites are other people's favorites. It's just wonky on me, for whatever reason. I'll save the 1s for the ones I have to wash off immediately. And my wonky will, at some point when I get my swaplist together, be someone's wonderful.

BOTTLE: Orange rind!!! But there is also something underneath that which is somehow "off" (I know, I know, not a very good description) ... a little bitter, a little rancid ... WET: The immediate zing is the orange, but there is something else ... like cooking herbs. It's not really sweet, but bitter and tangy. DRYDOWN: It's a dark orange. It gets sweeter on drydown which is not necessarily a good thing ... This isn't me at all, but I am thinking my daughter the queen of all things citrus might like it (and to be honest, the reason I wanted to try it to begin with was for her and the name). On a scale of 1-5, about a 3 or so ...

XCVI (96): Please be forewarned, when I don't already know the notes I am CRAP at identifying them ... but here goes. BOTTLE: Before I opened it, I had sniffed the outside rim and gotten a Spooky vibe ... that kind of sweet but slightly tangy/minty scent. In the bottle, I still got Spooky/Star ... very sweet, a little suntan oil which makes me think coconut but also an underlying fruity scent. WET: A greenish floral jumps out as well here ... DRYDOWN: I think this is a real tropical fruity concoction, like a colorful frothy drink you'd get at a beach resort with a little paper parasol in it ... Yet I keep thinking I'm missing something. There is something REALLY familiar about it ... Dana thinks it smells like a mai tai so I guess we're on the same track here ... ARGH it definitely smells like another BPAL scent that ISN'T Spooky or Star but I can't quite place it ... ETA: PINEAPPLE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Baba Yaga without the brown sugary undertones!!! It's definitely got pineapple in it!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's not quite pina colada despite my feeling that it has both pineapple and coconut ... probably some other fruit too.

Wow. Another scent from the surprisingly-long list of "I THOUGHT I had reviewed this when I first tried it" batch ... going through my keeper imps that hadn't been tried in awhile in an attempt to whittle them down to "LOVE this, why haven't I worn it more?" and "like this but I'll never wear it so I'll put it in the swap bin to share with people who really love it" (and the occasional "what was I THEENKING putting this in the keeper box"???) ... This is definitely from that first category ... I do remember getting to a point where I felt I'd become pretty good about picking out the notes I would love and not love from BPAL, and going through the catalogue and ordering about 36 imps based on that ... this was from that list and I did very well percentage-wise on it (I am now on the "willing to get a little more daring after finding certain notes I didn't think I'd like that work for me" list) ... BOTTLE: Sharp woods and incense. WET: Not quite cedary (which makes sense since it doesn't have cedar, LOL) but that same comforting, grounding shavings type of vibe ... I've found that cypress has been a key note in several of my favorite scents. DRYDOWN: I would never have placed it as hazelnut, but there is that background note of something sweet that makes this really unusual and wonderful rather than just another good woodsy scent. It's definitely a "can't stop sniffing my wrist" smell. On a scale of 1-5, about a 4.5 REREVIEWING AND REVISITING MARCH 2, 2013: Received this as lagniappe in a recent swap/purchase. Interesting how much my body chemistry has changed my response this time around. IN THE IMP: Astringent, bright and citrussy ... still surprised to read the notes and not see anything lemony in there. I'm guessing it's the cypress? Dabbed on one wrist as I'm double-testing this with, interestingly, Dance of Death (going alphabetically through the box). WET: Green, fresh and outdoorsy, yes, but even wet there is a slightly bitter, musty scent lurking behind the green. DRYDOWN: Not a lot of legs, and it dries to just something perfumey/cologney on me. I definitely CAN stop sniffing my wrist. But I still don't get any hazelnut so that's probably a good thing. OVERALL: Not awful by any means, but certainly not the keeper I thought it was 7 years ago. This dances off into the swap box. On a scale of 1-5: 3-ish.

During my long layover between newly-arrived scents to try, I got on an organizational kick and decided it was time to go through my "keeper box" of imps, find the ones that I'd only used once and neglected to review, and catch up on everything ... in the course of doing so, I rediscovered a few scents that inspired me to put them on my "big bottle" order list, and found others that while I liked them, I realized I would probably never voluntarily wear them when I have so many others I love so they went into the swap box ... But Vixen is different. I cannot for the life of me figure out why it ended up in my keeper box to start with unless my aim was off that day BOTTLE: Sweet orange. So not me. WET: Cloyingly sweet orange. Even more not me. Shades of Triaminic. I love ginger but if this is ginger, it is not my beloved Shub ginger. And the (nasty to me) orange blossom just jumps out and the patchouli, my comfort scent, is nowhere to be found. Maybe it dried down well and that's why I kept it? DRYDOWN: Nope. Way too sweet. Ick. On a scale of 1-5, 1. BUT that said, I can see why this would be popular if you like that sort of thing.

I had an out-of-control wisteria vine at my old house but it never smelled as good as this does. A lovely white floral thatsings of spring ... A perfect summer night scent. Though it does every so often send up a hit of "slightly wet paint" ... anyone else get that??? Oh well ... On a scale of 1-5, I'd say a solid 4.

This is a total unexpected OMFG scent for me ... in the bottle, it's megafloral with some ineffable kick. WET it is OMFGBBQ, remarkable lush and exotic floral with the comfort of patchouli at the same time. The two complement each other so well ... I can dual task as hot babe (well, as much as I can task as hot babe in any situation) AND comforting head shop earth mother ... A Top 10 scent for sure. An easy 5 on a scale of 1-5 and happily I just got my 5 ML in my last order. REVISITING AND RE-REVIEWING APRIL 2013: Working my way through my collection of BPALs old and new, alphabetically, and almost seeing the light to be able to prepare a comprehensive swap lis and wish list. Although I have a somewhat aged bottle of my own of Tisiphone (not sure of year but it's a cobalt bottle), actually tested this from an imp I was lagniapped in a recent forum swap/purchase. IN THE IMP: I really do adore the way the Lab can combine lush florals like ylang-ylang (one of my favorites) and oleander (always makes me think of Steely Dan) with resinous patchouli to create what can only be describe, I think, as a whole new category. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: While I had never gotten this reaction before, the immediate effect it had on me was that it smelled like Coppertone 4 (Sophia is the only other scent I've ever made that notation about, and yet as far as I can tell the two blends share NO notes). Lush florals, sun and fun, hot vacation, with enough patchouli to offset it and make it a truly powerful and seductive fragrance. DRYDOWN: As this dries, the ylang ylang and oleander fade a bit while the patchouli and neroli get stronger, making it a little "perfumey" late in the mix, especially in the crook of my arm. OVERALL: I still love love love this but think in the future I may keep it on the drier areas of my body where the neroli is not as likely to amp and throw. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.5

Strong medicinal pine, clear and sharp and grounding. There is something simple and yet complex about it, as if there are many layers of one-note scent. A beautiful spicy pine, this is definitely a keeper ... ON a scale of 1-5, a high 4.

IN THE BOTTLE: It's a sweet light mint. WET: It morphs into Hawaiian Tropic suntan oil. This is nice enough, that sweet lemony coconut thing going, but to me Van Van does it better and without the suntan oil vibe. ... It's also a lot like Spooky on me. I like it but don't lurve it and have passed it along to a certain someone who accidentally left it in her jeans pocket before they hit the wash On a scale of 1-5, a good 3.

I got this as a giftie from Allidavie but apparently never did review it ... I thought I would love this or at the very least be transported back to high school based on the notes (I was a HUGE fan of Love's Musky Jasmin Flower back in the day) ... But instead I apparently got someone else's high school experience. Someone who liked fruity perfume and had big hair. I can really see someone from the 70s 80s legwarmers and flash dance period loving this. On a scale of 1-5, maybe a high 2.

More floral than sandalwood on me, I like this but don't love it as much as I used to ... it is a very girly sweet rich floral, like something an innocent junior high school girl might wear to her first big dance, in a white dress. The tuberose, I think, is predominant when wet and that is just too sweet and cloying for me ... On a scale of 1-5 I'd go with a strong 3.

YOW!!!!!!!!!! Big Red cinnamon gum on me, no doubt about it. Somehow I am surprised by the clear color of the perfume since it is such a RED scent. This is delicious and I really do hope the Lab eventually works out the forumla and finds replacement for whatever note forced its discontinuation. It burns really badly behind my ears but no welts, so that's good ... I wore this layered with Bliss on my wrists and crooks of my arms and it had major legs ... all day and all evening I got hits of yummy chocolate-cinnmony ME!!! ON a scale of 1-5 I have to give it a high 4 if for no other reason that it's a great layering scent and makes me feel creative. REVISITING AND RE-REVIEWING APRIL 2013: Working my way through my collection of BPAL, from A-Z. Happily was able to acquire via DISO a 5 ML bottle of this from a WONDERFUL forumite who saw my plea, and this testing is from my own decant from said bottle. IN THE IMP: Dentyne crossed with Red Hots. And since I am a cinnamon fanatic, that is good crossed with great. While I had called it "red" in my first time through, honestly, this is more a white-hot cinnamon. Dabbed on wrist and into crook of arm. WET: Just a good, strong, pure white cinnamon. I think it's the pepper and clove that make me visualize "white" instead of "red" and also, possibly, keep it from creating any burn on me this time. I would not call it a single-note cinnamon, though. The pepper and clove are not, to my nose, identifiable as such but they add a complexity to the cinnamon scent. DRYDOWN: It's actually a very calming scent. For some reason, I want to liken it to diaper ointment but I know that may sound non-complimentary and I don't mean it as such ... rather, it's spicy AND soothing at the same time. OVERALL: I am so thrilled to have this. On its own it is divine. And knowing how well it will layer with other scents just makes me drool. On a scale of 1-5 I give it a 4.9

Peace, serenity, tranquility, silence. I was lucky enough to have been in the early order list for this and have gotten one of the upgrades to 10 ML ... I ordered this without any notes on the brave assumption and desperate hope it would be yet another perfect lavender scent and it was ... I think either my nose is not well enough trained to be able to detect the other notes in it, or else I am so in love with lavender that once I smell that everything else falls by the wayside, but to me this is just a perfect pure lavender scent. It's simple and fits its description perfectly. On a scale of 1-5, a definite 5.

This is a re-test and first review of a scent I ordered as an imp based on the notes ... I know the first time I tried it I had a bad head cold and knew I liked it but put it aside for further testing ... BOTTLE: Perfection. Really one of the perfect scents in an imp. WET: An amazing combination of spice and wood, a definite OMGOMGOMG scent. I immediately write this down on the "gotta get a big bottle later" list ... DRYDOWN: There is a brief time when the saffron gets a little TOO saffrony for me, but even then it only detracts from the mesmerization (is that a word?) a tiny bit, and it goes away ... This has lots of consistent but not overpowering throw and it lasts a good long time. It is a divine, exhiliarating and at the same time calming scent. I also think it would layer well with some others. On a scale of 1-5, this is officially a 5. REVISITING AND RE-REVIEWING IN APRIL 2013: Working my way through my entire BPAL collection, A-Z, to do comprehensive reviews and/or updates. Always a good day when I get to Scherezade, even though I always want to add an extra "he" in there somewhere. I have a bottle and a half of this and still have "get another 5 ML" on my to do list so that gives you an idea of what this scent does for me. IN THE IMP: I can't even begin to figure out exactly which notes transport me. If I could, I'd buy them up in every possible combination, but I've never tried a BPAL with this specific effect. It is absolutely a scent out of my childhood, though to the best of my knowledge we did not keep saffron, red musk or middle eastern spices in our linen closet. Dabbed liberally on my wrist and into the crook of my arm. WET: This is, much like another favorite, Shub, which I test-drove yesterday, one of the rare great scents that smells exactly the same to me in the bottle, wet on my skin and dry on my skin, equally divine. Spicy and exotic and yet comforting at the same time. I want to just nuzzle into it. DRYDOWN: It goes light and spicy without getting too sweet or powdery. OVERALL: This is the closest thing to a potential lifetime "signature scent" that I could imagine from BPAL. I think it's the answer to the question that I hope I never get, "If you could only have one BPAL scent for the rest of your life, what would it be?" I wish there were a Scherezade candle. And lotion. And room spray. And bubble bath. And ... well, you get the picture. On a scale of 1-5, do you even have to ask? 5.

My favorite fruits, so fresh on the vines.. so close to the vines. So leafy and green that it's much more green than fruity. Lemon and lime rinds, It just has no legs, it disappears so quickly. This is what it should smell like in the fruit grove on a hot summer afternoon. REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED APRIL 2013: After having fallen in love with a sniffie back 8 years ago, a wonderful forumite filled my heart and BPAL box by selling me a bottle of this precious. This is a review from an imp I decanted from said bottle. IN THE IMP: The lightest, most delicate lemon. A light fragrant citrus, but more green than gold. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: This is SUCH an interesting scent. It's more like an idea of a blend than a true perfume. I don't mean that in a bad way. It's citrussy, but more the scent of the dew-kissed air IN a lemon or lime grove, more like what it smells like if you're standing in the leaves than sniffing the fruit. DRYDOWN: This is one of the most unusual body morphs for me. Often, when I apply an oil to my wrist and into the crook of my arm, the scents are different (that's part of the reason I apply to both spots) ... because my wrists are dry, the scent will tend to be sweeter there with less throw. But the oil in the crook of my arm, where the sweat (well, slight moisture) amps notes, will be stronger. In this case, however, the initial drydown on my wrist was much more acerbic -- BRIEFLY but noticeably -- and even had that brief "cleanser" quality. Fortunately, that faded within a few minutes and it is now a lightly cologne-like citrus scent. The crook of my arm, however, remained sweetly fragrant with the grove-y vibe and still does. In both cases, as before, there is not a lot of throw. But now that I have a full bottle, I can be more generous with the application. OVERALL: This is a very cool and lovely summer scent. Not sure why it was not released, perhaps the lack of throw? But I am so glad to have my bottle of it. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.7

BOTTLE: Strong cedar with a soft vanilla twist. WET: The same as in the bottle. I generally love Beth's cedar blends. This one is somehow woody and girly at the same time. DRYDOWN: Very strong with a PlayDoh throw. Both husband and daughter ask simultaneously what I'm wearing (they rarely do) as we're leaving the house to go to dinner ... and not really in a "wow we love that scent!" way ... Sadly, the drydown goes just too cloying on me. Not a keeper, alas. On a scale of 1-5, I'd give it somewhere between a 2 and a 3. REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED APRIL 2013: So as I'm working my way through all of my BPALs from A-Z, I come to Tombstone. Interestingly enough, despite my previous review, I actually have two imps of this ... one I ordered from the Lab earlier this year based on notes (and before I re-read my old reviews) and one I received from a forumite as lagniappe in a swap/purchase. Because my plan was to try EVERY scent in my collection, I gave this another go ... IN THE IMP: The Wild West name is so appropriate. This is sharp and woody with a sweet tinge and very very hot. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: While I really couldn't put my finger on the vanilla (the culprit in the earlier PlayDoh incident) it amps upon application. I TOTALLY get the "PlayDoh" association but it's not superstrong and it's more the cedar-vanilla, I think. It doesn't suck. I don't feel the need to wash it off. I'm not sure it's something I'd wear again but it's really interesting. DRYDOWN: This has a lot of legs and the drydown is definitely that sweet wood. But much much much later ... finally ... I keep getting this "this scent is SOOOOOOOOO familiar" feeling and I finally realize that it is dead on pipe tobacco. OVERALL: I like this and respect the artistry in it. It's very appropriate for the name. I think it's a masculine scent in that guys could wear it but it's not so "fougere"-like that it couldn't be gender neutral. After consideration, though, it's just not something I'll wear so both imps will go onto the swap list but with a higher grade than first time around. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.

While this was yummy yum yum when wet, with all sorts of spicy and ineffable promise, on drydown it went wonky, salty and old-lady powdery ... ON a scale of 1-5 I give it a meh 3 and put it in the swap pile.

On my second go-round with this it went immediately on my MUST HAVE MORE list ... BOTTLE: Sharp and smoky WET: Mysterious, band-aids and coca-cola, mesmerizing. Medicinal but in a good way. It is so hypnotic and amazing. DRYDOWN: Terrific throw all day. On a scale of 1-5, this is officially a 5. REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED MARCH 2013 as I work my way through ALL of my scents, A-Z, to figure out what I need and what I can swap. This is from an older imp (not sure of date, I have two, both from Lab). IN THE IMP: Fizzy spicy soda with a kick. Not placing the smoke in the imp this time. Applied to wrist, crook of arm and cleavage (always a favorite place if I know I like the scent in advance). WET: I can see the "band-aids and coca cola" reference from my first go-round though being a little more familiar with notes now it's probably more like root beer. As soon as I apply it, there is an immediate sweetness which I didn't note in the imp, and am guessing that's the myrrh. It actually reminds me a lot of Kathmandu when wet, which I test-drove again last night. A similar middle-eastern or Indian complex blend, heady and grounding at the same time. After about a minute or so, I start getting a floral throw -- from the poppy, I assume. DRYDOWN: I love all the different "tastes" of this ... sweet, spicy, salty. There's something a little unusual about it (the salty part, kind of a foody Indian cooking smell) but it is still very very nummy. OVERALL: While this is not something I would wear every day, I really love it and think it is a FANTASTIC "dab a little bit on before you go to a party with really cool people, because they will find you fascinating and exotic and want to know why you smell so good!" scent. On a scale of 1-5, really close to a 5. Maybe a 4.8.

BOTTLE: Stuffy, like a study that hasn't been aired out in awhile. WET: Incense and something else, slightly fruity. DRYDOWN: This is a great scent to wear to work ... it's a calming combination of incense and wood, very grounding. On a scale of 1-5, a solid 4. REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED MAY 2013: Bought another imp of this in a recent haul because apparently I have never met a frankincense and cedar blend I didn't like. IN THE IMP: Pure cedar and frankincense. Dabbed pretty generously on my wrist and in the crook of my arm. I've been on the DL, haven't eaten solid food in 10 days, and I could use some good grounding. WET: As expected/hoped, this is another blend in the family of Cathedral, Penitence, etc. which is just divine, no pun intended. There is something once on my skin that is ever-so-slightly different than the blends that are strictly "church" blends, though ... something slightly pungent, a bit fruity. Am guessing it's either the galangel or High John since I'm not sure what either of those are. It makes the blend more complex but no less delicious. DRYDOWN: There is a slightly burnt scent on the drydown, as if the incense had been lit and just blown out. OVERALL: All in all. this is another wonderful complex resiny-goodness scent that is just my style. Can't have enough of them and I thank Beth again for being such a master of them! On a scale of 1-5, a 4.8

BOTTLE: Floral floral floral. Jasmine and honeysuckle bam on the nose. WET: I'm not sure it reminds me of New Orleans, but it's a great floral. Slightly smoky, very lush, hot and exotic. This would be a great vacation scent to wear with a cute silk sundress and a fresh flower behind my ear. DRYDOWN: A little goes a long way. Definitely not an everyday scent. On a scale of 1-5 I give it a solid 4 for special occasions.

I bought two bottles of this because I thought I would SO love it, and bought one bottle each of Pink Moon and Beltane ... who would have expected I'd love the latter two but be totally meh on this one??? In the bottle, it is a somehow familiar purpley scent, not quite grape but fruity and syrupy. Rich and oozy. Wet: It's not bad, not a washoff by any means, but not what I'd hoped for and definitely not something I would wear. I got no sense whatsoever of the woods or the smoke of the incense, just a sweet darkness. On a scale of 1-5 I give it an OK 3.

Grapefruit, red currant, dark musk, Roman chamomile, delphinium, and lavender. In the bottle I get more of an iced tea scent than grapefruit. How strange. It's nice enough, light and citrusy but a little too sweet for me on drydown. Like Baobhan, it dries down to high quality soap on me. I will offer it to my daughter, who is addicted to Baobhan Sith and all things grapefruit, otherwise into the swap bin. On a scale of 1-5, I give it a solid 3.