JazzieCazzie

OMFG OMFG OMFG. Sorry, but I had to start with that. This is like if Gelt and Velvet had a baby. This is a big bottle purchase for me. Maybe two big bottles. Maybe I can swap for more. Maybe I can invent some awesome thing that will make a lot of money and let me buy a vat of this and have it made in bath oil and body wash and scrub and all the Aelian everythings. I won't go through all the levels of Imp, Wet, Dry, Overall. I'll just give it to you straight. Cocoa-heavy in the imp, this has the rich and gorgeous deliciousness of Gelt's cocoa and amber combined with Velvet's vanilla and sandalwood-scented cocoa. A slightly sweeter gelt, or a slightly more ambery Velvet. Take your pick. Both are awesome. For me, the final drydown in the crook of my arm (where nothing can hide) leans more to the sandalwood side. This is damned near perfection.

IMP: Wow. Super rich and complex and resiny and unusual. Really unusual or at least not what I was expecting from reading the notes. I'm getting the amber and musk predominantly sniffing the imp. WET: Ginger ale! The initial wet scent is SO different from what I sniff in the imp (but still awesome). Guessing this is the neroli and/or the lemon coming to the forefront. It's sparkly and light and yet also rich and spicy at the same time! DRY: It's almost impossible for me to pick out an individual note because on my they all blend together so seamlessly into a lovely and very unique bouquet. OVERALL: I think this one is a big bottle buy for me because while it contains many of my favorite notes, I really have nothing that smells like this. I think it would make a fantastic spring/summer scent.

My only note of concern going into this was the carob wood, because just the word "wood" (unless it has "sandal" ahead of it) can be weird on me. IMP: COME TO MAMA ALL THE SMELLS. This is amazing in the imp. Resiny and rich and sweet but not too sweet. WET: Lovely lovely lovely. The cedar, amber, sandalwood and cinnamon, all among my very favorite notes, blend so exquisitely. This is rich and unique and yet subtle at the same time. It's really a work of art. DRY: On the one hand, this is absolutely freaking glorious on me. Yet ... dabbed into the crook of my arm where there is no room for dealbreaking notes to hide ... at the end of the drydown, when we're at the point that this is what I will smell like, there is that slightly-too-sweet wood note on me (which I have to assume is the carob) that does the same thing myrrh sometimes does ... making it powdery. OVERALL: The imp is definitely a keeper because this is so interesting and awesome ... I have a feeling if I only dab it on my wrists it will be totally wearable. But I think I will hold off on making it a big bottle buy because of the powdery drydown. If that morphs again unexpectedly in the next few hours, I could change my mind.

Wasn't sure how this would play out on me ... frankincense and myrrh as a combo are one of my favorite blends (especially in my always DISO bath oil) but the tendency of myrrh to sometimes go TOO sweet on me, combined with caramelization (something I love in my dessert but tends not to work on me as a perfume) made me curious but not optimistic. IMP: Pretty much exactly what it says: frankincense and myrrh with caramel lurking in the background. WET: The frankincense and myrrh is exquisite. Transcendent. But right behind that is the caramel and ... again, it's a scent I love in real life but ON ME it just goes a little queasy and salty-sweet and odd. Like a distraction. DRY: Sadly, the caramel just keeps rising like a tidal wave until it is actually overpowering the F&M. OVERALL: I couldn't wear this as a perfume but, at the risk of sounding like a broken record here in my Phoenix reviews, this would be an AMAZING bath oil.

I'm very much on the same page as Gentle-Twig with this one, I think ... Prefacing this by saying I had no idea what to expect with sulphur as the first note listed, but I was thinking maybe some fire and brimstone and, with the clove listed, something hot and spicy. IMP: Again, not sure what I expected, but this was definitely not it! Very bright and clear and clean and strong. My first thought was absolutely citrus despite it not being listed as a note. WET: Sweet! Sweet and clear and light and lemony. Or like lemon water you get at a spa. I kind of love this but don't think I could have correctly identified a single note blind. DRY: AAAAAAAAAND here comes the myrrh. Sigh. Oh well. OVERALL: In the end, the myrrh just made it too sweet for me but, as with Statius, I think it would make a great bath oil (I can tolerate the extra sweetness much more in the tub!)

If there had been one blend from the Phoenixes that I would not have gotten, it would have been this one because plum hates me. However, I bought an entire decant set so here goes ... IMP: Hmmmmm. Very interesting. NOT plummy, or at least not what I think of as plummy. The violet is probably the predominant note for me in the imp and I quite like violet. The resins in the mix come up quickly behind it and that's always a good thing. WET: Shockingly good on me. A super-rich blend of amber and benzoin, with a chaser of violet, is making my wrist positively huffworthy while it's wet. I am getting ZERO plum. DRY: The myrrh, as is sometimes its wont (though not always, luckily), dries down SUPER sweet on me to the point of being a little wonky and combined with the violet I end up simply too sweet. OVERALL: While it's too sweet for me to keep as something I'd wear, and I'd rather make sure it got into the hands of someone who will give it a good temporary home and wear it well, I have to say this is an absolutely lovely blend -- intricate, complex and fascinating.

As with Statius, I worried how the pomegranate would come into play, especially since the other notes listed are all made of win for me. IMP: This is so complex that at first my brain can't even pick out the notes. I'd say the patchouli is predominant in the imp. WET: Pompompompompom. A lot of pomegranate comes to the foreground. I make a sad face. I sniff the crook of my arm where I applied this and got a nose full of pomegranate. But I am going to hold out and see if this shape-shifts on drydown. DRY: OMG YES!!!!!!! The pomegranate releases its little pommy claws, the fig comes to the forefront (one of the only two fruits I love as a perfume, along with pink grapefruit), and the patchouli and frankincense save the day. OVERALL: This, my friends, is an absolute keeper! It is luscious, resiny, round with fig ... it reminds me a lot of my precious Nemesis.

My concern with this going in was how much the pomegranate would come into play. IMP: Fruity, indeed, and very sweet but neither one to a fault. WET: The predominant note when wet is actually the honey, not the pomegranate. I love Beth's honey note but tend to have problems when something is TOO sweet on me. However, the sweet factor (mostly honey but some pom in there as well I suspect) is so perfectly balanced by the frankincense and cedar while it's wet that it's just a great combination. DRY: As I feared, once dry, the two sweet notes really overpower the wood/resin. OVERALL: This is actually an absolutely GORGEOUS scent, just brilliant, but on me as a perfume with my body chemistry I couldn't wear it because the sweetness would overpower me. However, if this was made as a bath oil, I would buy it by the gallon.

I have this in bath oil (but I do like the idea of posting in the overall scent topics instead of specific products so we can all share our thoughts on the scents!) ... This is one of the most complicated scents for me to try to describe. I try to start by thinking: If I didn't know the name of this, what would my impression be? And I have no idea. Definitely sweet. Sugary. But I don't think I ever would have landed on chocolate, for starters. MAYBE marshmallow if I were trying to narrow down by the pure strong sugary sweetness with a kick, but not chocolate. But most notably for me--in the bottle, in the bath, and now (my secret weapon to get a grip on notes!) on my nightshirt that I put on right after my bath and has the drydown scent on it today--there was a mystery note that I couldn't quite put my finger on and, of course, there are no real sub-notes listed in the descriptions here. I waffle between maybe caramel? Or maple syrup? Or something slightly nutty. It's a note I recognize and associate with my grandfather (no, I don't smell like a sweet old Russian man -- my grandfather and his brother founded and owned (for more than 50 years) a company which created "flavors and essences" -- for perfumes, for food and drink, etc. (maybe I got my love of BPAL genetically?) -- and not only were my grandparents' kitchen cupboards always filled with dozens of amber bottles with every kid of syrup and flavor, but his car always smelled like whatever they were working on. For whatever reason, the chocolate is completely lost on me here and the marshmallow and/or other notes don't really mesh well with my body chemistry. It's not for me but I bet it will be AWESOME on many/most sweet foodie lovers! And I'd sure love to know what the background/bottom notes are!!!

Bought three CTs because, you know, I love the mystery and game of chance. ORIENTAL #311 In the bottle: Unlike my single bottles of Gourmand and Woods, which hit me like a ton of bricks on sniffing, this is so light I can't quite get a feel for anything other than possibly some sort of very light flower. Wet: Super-duper light. More than notes I'm getting "feels" ... it's very clean, maybe slightly soapy. I still do think it's a floral but maybe something like a lemon-verbena or even cherry blossom or something. I DON'T think it's lotus or anything in that family because that tends to make me queasy and this is pleasant if not recognizable. Definitely not anything like amber or benzoin or any of the notes I love and had been hoping for. Maybe tonka? Dry: So light it's barely noticeable on me. Very pleasant. Not a wash off but not something I'd reach for, only in part because I have no idea what it is. Overall: Pleasant. Definitely not something that's a keeper but nothing offensive. Probably a good starter scent for someone.

Bought three CT bottles figuring that I tend to be the odd one out, liking stuff that isn't too popular and not liking everyone's favorites, so here goes ... and it appears that the Woods category got the least love (go figure!) WOODS #90 In the bottle: Okay, I don't know how to say this but ... oof. I don't even know how to describe this. It's sort of ... metallic? Acrid? Rusty? If I were not reviewing these for posterity I wouldn't even try it on, I'd just bottle it up and hide it somewhere ... Frankly, it smells like it has turned ... I wish someone else had this blend so I could figure out if it's just me (and for the record, the entire box smelled like this, all the bottles and imps and everything, on the outside and I had been praying it was a scent from someone else's box that got on someone's hands but alas, no ... even here with it opened and not tested, it smells like something died. Wet: Just ... ugh. I love medicinal but this is not medicinal. It's sour and acrid and still smells like something that has been wrapped up in someone's attic and left to rot. And also with a tiny touch of oregano so maybe it's some kind of herb? Dry: I just had to finish this up so I can go shower now ... Rusty old metal, dusty, rotten, slightly cooking herbal (though I'd never eat it). Obviously, an epic fail on my body (and to my nose even before it got on my body). Overall: If anyone else reviews this number 90, please chime in and let me know what you think this is so I know to avoid the notes in the future. I am really sorry to post this in such graphic and critical terms. I know there are probably people getting ticked off because everything is a work of art. I've been a BPAL fan/devotee for more than 10 years. I've had a few scents that made me physically ill (I'm looking at you, Sacred Whore of Babylon) but had a big fan base. But this is the single worst blend ON ME. ETA SEPTEMBER: So I was going through my collection to cull and bit the bullet and sniffed this again ... and while it's not a keeper I guess it just needed a little time to settle in (can't say it's "aged" yet, just two months later) ... I'm still not quite sure which notes constitute "woods" because to me it's still got something metallic/medicinal to it, but it's definitely not on a Sacred Whore of Babylon/Bastet/Samhain/Embalming Fluid level for me (and that list of evil-on-me scents right there, that should tell you that some scents that are no gos for me are very much GOs for others!)

Took my chances with three bottles of CT knowing that things that don't work on me generally tend to be other people's favorites LOL! GOURMAND: #272 ... With this series I was hoping for chocolate (LOVE the Lab's chocolate) or ginger (ditto) or could live with vanilla. Hoped against hope I would not get caramel, nutty, fruity or boozey. In the bottle: Ruh roh. Strong vibe of something that I believe it butterscotch (smells like my grandma's handbag when she used to carry roll upon roll of Butter Rum Lifesavers and we'd use them as chips when we played gun rummy). There's something else there that I will forge ahead and try it on for the sake of science and description and review, but I can already tell I'm not gonna like it much ... Wet: Upon application (very lightly with toothpick) to wrist and in crook of arm, I can get the strong buttery scent before even lifting it up to sniff ... honestly, this could almost be butterscotch single note to me right now. There may be some burnt or spun sugar in it, since it has sweetness, not just the salt of butter. Dry: There may be the slightest touch of something woody (as opposed to woodsy), dry-ish, but I can't put my finger on it. This is very much a what you smell is what you get ... I am not an expert but I am just getting full-on butterscotch. OVERALL: Absolutely not for me, but for those who love the butterscotch/buttery/burnt sugar notes, it would be a winner. For me, this will get to age a few months and then it will go on my next big "BPAL for Bewbies" sales blowout in November in all its full-on glory.

Admittedly, this may not help since this has long since been DC'd and if there is any remaining in this universe I'd pay a pretty penny for it ... But on the off-chance that Beth and crew decide to bring back a few of the rare old favorite Single Notes ... these reviews of Pink Grapefruit will show you that NO ONE can nail the scent of pink grapefruit with sugar on it like Beth can! http://www.bpal.org/topic/1099-pink-grapefruit/

In Templum Dei is the most amazeballs incense scent (on me ... I realize that as with everyone YMMV) ... by far my favorite "new" BPAL blend in a few years and am already thinking "backup bottle" once I'm back to working full time and know I can afford to treat myself to something. I'd also add Aureus and, once the Etsy page comes back if it's still there, NGIFR6. And, though it's really hard to find, Judgment from the original Tarot ... though that's more "headshop" than "incense" but they can be one and the same. I got very lucky with Velvet ... for some reason, while myrrh smells great on me when wet, it sometimes dries down to stinky sweat socks. Not always, but enough that I always know I'm taking a chance with a myrrh scent. Yet Velvet is in my top 5 of all time.

I LOVE dragon's blood, but if it's blended with a death note, it's still a death note (so, for example, Milk, Eye and Tears don't work for me). Am awaiting an imp of Dragon's Pecker which I have SUCH high hopes for ... IIRC this was available through Etsy but I hesitated in buying a blind bottle ... if it works half as well as I think/hope it does (I <3 cedar), then I'll definitely buy a bottle once the Etsy site returns after the holidays if it's still there! It's funny to read my really old reviews of certain blends that had DB in it, before I knew DB existed in and of itself. I think I tried to identify it as some sort of floral -- sometimes lilac, sometimes gardenia, I think. Also, just to reiterate what someone else mentioned, WOLF'S HEART NUM NUM NUM NUM NUM. Also, Dragon's Reverie was divine before it was DC'd. And finally, I am PRETTY sure that the original Tarot scent The Tower has dragon's blood as well ... did someone mention that already? It's just that it smells SO much like Wrath to me.

Playing a big ol' game of catch-up on reviews, starting ... now. IN THE IMP: Strong floral that is a mix of what I define as "white" (lighter) and "purple" (lush and strong, though many "purple" scents are actually white flowers ... sorry, this is my own weirdness). Because we're in the midst of cooking traditional "day before Thanksgiving" dinner, I dabbed only a bit on my wrist. With florals, this is usually enough. WET: This array of flowers smells like a wedding bouquet, but from the nuptials of a free spirit having a lovely outdoor wedding someplace like a winery rather than a traditional indoor catered event. My own nose said gardenia but it could be wisteria or ylang ylang. For me, though I love W and YY, this is not for the faint of hot-house floral heart. DRYDOWN: Sadly, something in this went plastic-y and queasy-making in the drydown. One of the notes is not playing nicely with me but I didn't leave it on long enough to find out which one. It probably would not have been a true "wash off" were I not in cooking mode. OVERALL: Definitely worth a try for fans of the hot flower, but for me it will go to someone who will love it more than I do. On a scale of 1-5: 2.

I loooooooooooooooooove this!!! This is sort of "review light" until I fill in the blanks but here goes ... Had this on my wishlist for awhile because I love all things lavender as long as other death notes are not included. And while I'm not a huge fan of lemongrass, the descriptions and reviews of this sounded appealing and as if the other notes would work nicely. Found a bottle on the recent Etsy update and jumped on it ... IN THE BOTTLE: Lavender, yes, but whatever the herbal side notes were, I wasn't sure ... and wasn't 100% sure how it would work when applied. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: OMG. It's ... it's .. lavender and 7UP!!! At first I thought "lavender and ginger ale" but the slight lemony sweetness was more 7UP. But that's a small quibble ... I LOVE THIS ... it's BPAL's awesome lavender but with a bright fizziness that reminds me of the "old Gnome". DRYDOWN: It's very subtle and lovely. It doesn't go wonky sweet like some fruity notes do on me. It's not strong or in-your-face at all. It's just subtle and lavender and herbs and soda. OVERALL: I abso-fucking-lutely love this. I am even tempted to try to buy a backup bottle of it which I rarely do and probably don't need, but I can see this being a scent I want to have in my regular rotation forever. On a scale of 1-5, a 5.

Received a half bottle in a swap, from my wishlist. IN THE BOTTLE: Light and woody (as opposed to woodsy) and very pleasant. Dabbed on wrists and in crooks of arms. WET: Upon application, I get wood for sure. Maybe cedar or something related. I get the tiniest hint of resin but also a hint of vanilla or something else that makes it quite sweet. Vanilla wood shavings mixed with golden sunshine. I am not getting the incense that people have noted, though. DRYDOWN: Sadly, this goes way too sweet on me ... I am not a fan of vanilla. I do like the woodiness of it but it's just a little too cloying on me. It reminds me more of, say, Tombstone than Pickled Imp. Not getting ANY incense or resins as it dries. Just vanilla-soaked wood shavings. OVERALL: It's not bad, though a tad disappointing. Not what I had hoped for but not a washoff by any means. On a scale of 1-5, about a 3.5.

Frimped with an imp in a wonderful swap and cannot believe I did not try this back in the day when I sniffed a bunch of awesome tarots. Yet another reason to wish they'd do a reboot of this, even temporarily, so I can go broke. IN THE IMP: Very light and faint but lovely resins. Not sure if it's just one of those scents that doesn't have a lot of throw in the imp, or my allergies are affecting my sense of smell today. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Maybe it amps more, maybe my nose is clearer, but this is awesome sauce. A delicious and very clean resiny scent. I am in agreement with the references to sandalwood, frankincense and even dragon's blood. DRYDOWN: It is soooooooo clean and yet not "soapy." In fact, this smells, to me, exactly like Neutrogena Rainbath, a scent I've been trying to match in a BPAL forever (it seemed like there SHOULD be a BPAL match for it yet since I was never sure what the notes were, I couldn't find it ... and now here it is!!!) OVERALL: Not just a keeper but one that goes to the top of my wishlist with a bullet. Sadly, Tarots are SO hard to find. On a scale of 1-5, a definite 5.

Swapped with a forumite, had it on my wishlist based on the limited reviews because I love BPAL lilac. Tested from an imp decanted from the bottle. IN THE IMP: Definitely floral but oddly not getting the lilac here. Smells suspiciously like old lady florals. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Clearly my body chemistry is on the fritz because unlike everyone else in this thread, I got ZERO lilac from this, nor did I get hyacinth (I love hyacinth as well). For me, it's, for lack of a better word, a "fruity floral." Sweet and powdery but not really like flowers, more like "generic department store floral perfume." I can't ID the flowers per se but I recognize them from other BPAL floral blends that don't work for me either. I'm admittedly picky about my flowers and none of the ones I pick seem to be here. DRYDOWN: Yup. Plasticy department store scent on me. Not one iota of lilac. Not a wash off but not pleasant for me. OVERALL: I'm glad I got to try something new but now begone to the swap pile where someone who likes florals more than I do will probably love it. On a scale of 1-5, a 2.

Purchased two imps in a decant circle. IN THE IMP: Super-foody, as in Chinese food. Unique and unusual, with the anise shoving itself to the head of the line moments after opening the imp. . I don't think it's something I'd want to wear but I am testing it for the sake of "you never know" ... Dabbed in crook of arm. WET: Massively gingery. Not good ginger, like Shub, but stale Chinese food ginger. And then soapy. And then full-on anise. And then soapy again, but with an "I'm trying to smell like the outdoors but am only achieving a bathroom-cleanser-that-says-it-smells-like-the-outdoors-on-the-label" soapy. And then I am in so much pain I forget about trying to make notes, and look down and see a huge red blotch on the crook of my arm three inches in diameter ... I don't think I've had that kind of BPAL reaction since Malkuth. DRYDOWN: At first it's not awful. But the more it dries the more it becomes an absolutely horrible-on-me soapy mess. I don't think I've wanted to wash something off this much since Sacred Whore of Babylon. OVERALL: Well, it's not that bad ... oh, who am I kidding? It's that bad. On me, anyway. One of my new Bottom 3 ever. On a scale of 1-5, a 1 only because I don't go lower than that.

Purchased two imps in a decant circle. IN THE IMP: Oddly fizzily fruity. I totally get the Sweet Tarts references above and wish I didn't. I never would have bought this had I thought it would be fruity and to the best of my knowledge there are no fruity notes listed. Dabbed in crook of my arm. WET: This is hellafruity. I actually am getting apple, not grape, but YMMV. I hate fruity blends so right away this is a blerg on me. Apples and ozone. And air freshener. I am getting ZERO oppoponax, myrrh, or even ambergris. DRYDOWN: This is clean, that's the best thing I can say about it, but it's clean in a soapy industrial bathroom cleanser way, one that's fruit scented. There is not a single note I like in here. It's not horrible but it's so completely not me. OVERALL: Honestly, I feel sort of like I got bait-and-switched on this one. All these notes that are just nasty to me, and none that are the notes that made me choose to try it. I have no issues when I am kindly frimped by the Lab or swappers or sellers with scents that are new-to-me, or even when I take a chance and get something that may have a note or two I am not crazy about. But in this case, it seemed very safe based on the notes listed and yet I am not getting ANY of those notes, but instead some fruity concoction. And I'm not going crazy because everyone else is also mentioning the fizzy fruits. It's not a horrible scent. I am sure there are people who will like this. But it sure doesn't seem to be what I thought I purchased. On a scale of 1-5, a 2.

Purchased two imps in a decant circle. IN THE IMP: Very sharply acrid with a tiny touch of cola. Without seeing the notes, I would have actually thought there was some patchouli in here. Dabbed on one wrist. WET: Sharp and metallic, but that is how clove smells on me before it dries down so I can be patient. Spicy hot clove-metal. A good fit for this series. DRYDOWN: And ... 3-2-1, cloves. Yay. I do love cloves. And on final drydown, just ... sorta ... clovey. OVERALL: This was a tough call. Of the four Ragnarok scents I got, it's the only one I'd even consider keeping but ... I have lots of other great clove scents that are much more "me." I can't see wearing this as is, though I think it would layer well with something like Dragon's Blood or Bliss. A little goes a long way, by the way ... it's super potent. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.

Purchased two imps from a decant circle. IN THE IMP: Quite lovely, smoothe and velvety but there is something sweet lurking in the back that does not bode well for me. Dabbed on one wrist. WET: Oddly, for the first few seconds after application, I smell absolutely nothing. Then the musk and ginger gently rise to the surface. DRYDOWN: As feared, as it dries and the notes become more prevalent, there is something here I can't put my finger on and don't recognize as being a known BPAL note, but it's familiar from my childhood. Whatever it is, it's just cloyingly sweet on me and is a dealbreaker on what would otherwise be an okay scent for me. OVERALL: With a full box of BPAL and a finite number of years left to live, I'm at the point where I won't keep anything I don't think I'd actively choose to wear, and I can't see ever saying, "Hey, I want to wear Laughter of Loki" today, so both imps go onto the swap list. It's an interesting scent and a well-crafted one, just not for me. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.

Glad to have this thread so easy to find ... I was updating my collection over the last few days (making sure my swap list was accurate and updating my keepers) and noticed that of my three imps of Malice, one was very dark (an older imp) and the two I had just bought from the Lab are quite light. I am chalking this up to aging, but admit that, at least IN the imp, the old one smells a little funky so wonder if it's just not aging well. However, I'm also sad to read that the "new" -- or at least current -- Gnome is NOT what it is in my imps, because I was about to add it to my "upgrade to a big bottle" list ... I have two imps (well, a full imp and a little over half an imp, both from the Lab as frimps originally) and it's pale and smells like ginger ale. End of story. ETA: Both of my Gnome imps from the Lab must have come some time in 2013, because I had reviewed it in early 2013 when I was testing from an imp I'd received as a frimp from someone (and it was also ginger-ale-y and light). Since then, I got two more frimps from the Lab and both are light and fizzy.