JazzieCazzie

Actually bought a full 5 ML unsniffed and several imps through a decant circle, that's how sure I was I'd love this. IN THE IMP: Sharp and acrid. Not really getting frankincense OR cinnamon. Odd. Dabbed on my wrist and in the crook of my arm. WET: This is not what I expected or hoped for at all and I'm not sure why. The overwhelming scent to me is ... well, maybe it's got some cinnamon to it, but I guess this is the "wild" part of it. It's like the soft brown bitter cinnamon powder that has no spice or sweetness or burn to it. And whatever it is is completely overpowering any frankincense. It's not churchy, it's not spicy ... DRYDOWN: As it dries, I do get some of the frankincense starting to appear. No burn, no cinnamon as I identify cinnamon in the BPAL cinnamon blends. It doesn't have that va-va-voom cinnamon or that heavenly comforting frankincense. It is something else entirely. Oddly, clean and outdoorsy. OVERALL: Undecided. To me, it's neither a cinnamon nor frankincense scent in the long run. It's nice but it's not what I had been imagining, I guess. I definitely don't need a bottle and a half of it but I'll probably keep an imp or two. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.8

Got through a decant circle. IN THE IMP: Simple. Light. What I consider a "stock" BPAL scent. Which is not a bad thing. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Balsam is the first note to amp. I get virtually NO bourbon vanilla at all. Just a really great combination of the balsam, frankincense, amber and, to a lesser degree, the rose (which I like in a small supporting role). DRYDOWN: This is goooooooooood. To me, it's what most people would call one of the "church blends" and I will too, but since I never went to church, it's just this great combination of peace and comfort and light. OVERALL: This is not one I would have expected to call one of my favorites from a HUGE batch of Miskys, Yules and anniversary blends, but it is. I think it will go well with my Magus, Cathedral, Penitence, etc. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.8

Received imp through decant circle. IN THE IMP: Fabulously lovely honey and resin Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: As it often does, the honey amps like whoa. But it's a lovely light golden honey. This is going to be a scent where the notes that join it on the drydown will be the deciding factors. Let's go cinnamon and myrrh! DRYDOWN: Boo. Cassia bark apparently was the winner. It's not bad, but it's not what I had hoped it might be ... instead, it's a nice pleasant woody honey, as opposed to a spicy, resiny honey. OVERALL: I think it's probably a lot like many of the Rappacini Garden apiary scents, of which the only one that worked for me was Hemlock ... however, since many of those are being DC'd, imps of this might appeal to those fans! On a scale of 1-5, a pleasant but non-keeper 3.

Got my imp the same place the rest of you did Now I'm wishing I had bought every bottle from that lot separately to have more imps of this! IN THE IMP: Lovely lovely lovely. Truly a golden scent crowned with regal cedar. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: I love this. The amber and cedar amp up right away and the sweetness and floral sits at their feet. This is such a "me" blend. DRYDOWN: Subtle, lovely, uplifting. Every note works perfectly. OVERALL: I love love love this. I wish the Lab would consider putting bottles out there ... perhaps, based on the description, it might be in the next TAL update??? (Wishful thinking). On a scale of 1-5, a definite 5.

Purchased a bottle on Etsy and decanted imp to test ... IN THE IMP: Incense and medicinal comfort scent. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm WET: Oddly enough, upon application the note that jumps out at me is one I have no name for but recognize where I've smelled it before ... it smells like Oneroi to me, a note I identify as "sugarless bubble gum." I can't remember the brand but a specific one. It's not unpleasant per se, sweet and light, but that note just blots out all the rest of it for me. DRYDOWN: As much as I like, or would like to like, the rest of the notes which all work for me, the bubblegum scent is just too much for me. And though the drydown does make the lovely incensey part amp MORE -- it's the closest thing to a good old-fashioned headshop smell I have found in awhile -- in the end, it's just too sweet. OVERALL: Disappointed, I admit, because I love everything else about this scent. I wish there were a way to just take out whatever the bubblegum note is. On a scale of 1-5, a 3ish.

Actually, oddly, bought two of these from the decant circle. IN THE IMP: Super fresh green outdoors after the rain. Not really what I experienced with amber and frankincense in description but still nice. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Very fresh and green and meadowsy. The green and leafy components are very predominant and very invigorating. It reminds me of my teens. DRYDOWN: Oddly I get ZERO frankincense and/or amber for it -- the two notes I bought it for -- and yet I quite like it a lot. It smells like spring when I was a teen. OVERALL. I could see this being hugely popular with the young teen girls and teengagers. It smells not so much like reomance per se, but like the kind of situation ... a relaxing fun day i the park ... where you could find romance, young love. I am sure there is a nother BPAL scent this reminds me of but I don't know what it is. Something with fields and heather and green ferns and stuff. But as much as I like it, it's really not me and will not be a keeper. I hope some young still impressionable girl who thinks she might find cute boy temp boyfriend soon will get it. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.3

Received an imp from a lovely person who knew it was on my wishlist. IN THE IMP: Woodsy violets. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: I am getting dark fruit sweet cologne like my dad used to wear ... though he didn't wear it so much as he had it in something he put in his hair and in his suitcase so it smelled more like the air around him than him per se. Does that even make sense? Anyway, daddy smell. I would not outright call this "masculine." I think it's definitely got gender bender potential. DRYDOWN: Sweet violets and wood. A dark green forest. Clean. Very very clean. It's not what I was looking for with smoke and lavender incense but it WOULD make a great bath oil. OVERALL: It's a pleasant keeper. I think I would use this imp in my steam shower to try to get the feel of bath oil. On a scale of 1-5, a 3 but a keeper three for other purposes.

Bought imps of the 2013 version and was frimped/gifted with a 2012 for comparison, so test-drove them simultaneously, one on each arm, for comparison. 2012: IN THE IMP: Round, mellow and slightly creamy -- could that be the beeswax? Not straight incense at all. 2013: IN THE IMP: Sharper than its year-older counterpart and oddly ... winey? Dabbed each on wrist and in crook of arm 2012: WET: Actually not getting frankincense OR myrrh upon application. I do think it could be the beeswax overshadowing everything because I've had that issue with similar odd notes in F/M-like blends ... beeswax, ambergris, honey, etc. But whatever it is, it is creamy. 2013: WET: Sharp and acerbic ... like a blend of wine and pencil shavings, the latter providing the slightest frankincense note for me. It's not at ALL like 12 ... I don't know if it's because of its having aged or just a different blend formula. 2012: DRYDOWN: Wonky. Whatever is causing the creaminess is not working for me at all. If there is frankincense or myrrh in here, it's getting totally drowned out by the cream. 2013: DRYDOWN: Not good on me at all but for completely different reasons. I don't like winey scents. It's something fruity and sweet but there's something rancid lurking below. OVERALL: Neither one is a keeper for me but, oddly, for completely different -- nearly opposite -- reasons! On a scale of 1-5, both get about a 2.

Gifted with an imp off my wishlist by a lovely forumite. IN THE IMP: Very promising -- all resin and comfort smell. Not as sweet as I thought it might be with the honey and flowers. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Upon application it becomes even richer and more complex. The honey does amp but in a subtle way, adding some sweetness but not in the least bit cloying. The rose and other florals are also more notable but evened out by the resins and incense and the spice of the carnation (which, though a flower, I don't think of as a floral because it's so uniquely spicy.) DRYDOWN: Still a winner!!! The floral notes, though somewhat predominant, work so beautifully together that while I can pick out almost every individual note (all except clove, sadly -- I heart clove), they also blend into a completely unique combined scent. OVERALL: I love this (and I admit that I have been testing a few dozen scents in recent weeks, most of which I thought would be keepers and yet only a very few have been). I am not usually a big fan of THIS complex a blend that includes this many florals, but this is an exception. On a scale of 1-5, a strong 4.

Lagniapped with a partial decant of this from a much-loved BPAL friend ... we have very similar tastes and she mentioned she was surprised how much she liked it, and added in a sniffie for me ... I would not have ordered this because of three death notes, but still was willing to try it ... though I consciously "test drove" it before a scheduled shower to be safe. Smart move. IN THE IMP: Sour wood. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: No. Just no. Nasty on me. Wood-based cleansing fluid? Boozy wood-based cleansing fluid. Boozy (wine death note) fruity (currant death note) wood-based (mahogany death note) cleansing fluid (no clue). DRYDOWN: Yes, I let it dry. I think my friend said it was nice when it dried. But it's just horrible on me. Musty, cloying and boozy. OVERALL: A total washoff which is fine (see above scheduled shower). Test drove this with Memory of Primal Secrets, also a washoff. But hey, I'm glad I tried it. I'm trying to be more adventurous in my foodie adventures this year and I should occasionally try a new scent I think I'll hate, just to remind myself that after 10 years of BPAL I know what I like and what I don't like. On a scale of 1-5, a 1.

Chose to get an imp of this in a Yule decant circle because of the description as "incense." IN THE IMP: Soap. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Just, ugh. Ick, No incense at all. Soap, salt, aquatic, all death notes for me. DRYDOWN: ZERO incense. Completely nasty on me. Soap, sweat, salt. OVERALL: I need to learn my lesson to only get blends that actually list notes because I did not get any incense, corrupt or otherwise. Fortunately, I test drove this with another Yule decant that I had my concerns about, both of which smelled kinda nasty in the imp but in the name of science I was still testing, and I tried them simultaneously right before a shower. Good thing, because both are total washoffs. On a scale of 1-5, a 1.

Despite loving it when I ventured into the Tarots, I somehow never reviewed this scent and am not sure why other than I guess I discovered it shortly after the beginning of my long reviewing lull (between summer 2005 and mid 2013) and when I started again, which encompassed reviewing or RE-reviewing every scent in my collection, I was still sorely lacking any Hierophant. However, was gifted by an amazing forumite first with a partial imp and then as lagniappe in a swap with a FULL imp. I feel rich. IN THE IMP: Frankincense, of course, and then something I can't put my finger on but a spicy comforting cloud of heaven. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. I only have a little over an imp. I cannot slather. WET: Just rapture. Frankincense, yes. But there is an accompanying "sweetness and light." Some people have mentioned airy and I get that. Others have mentioned lotus or watery and I could see that (though I don't THINK it's lotus because that tends to go horribly wonky on me). Some have said mallow or marshmallow and I could see that too. I'm just not sure. It's subtle, whatever it is. DRYDOWN: Here is where I start to get the cinnamon but it's not Red Hots cinnamon, or burning cinnamon or even spicy cinnamon (and I like all cinnamons). It's much more of a complement than a partner on me. I'm not even sure I'd have recognized it as cinnamon were it not mentioned in so many reviews. It's just a light subtle touch of sweetness ... more like buttery cinnamon toast or cinnamon-almond (someone mentioned Kether and I can absolutely see the comps there). The final drydown is a completely unique blend that isn't really frankincense or cinnamon or anything else. I like it a LITTLE better on my wrist than in my crook but both are 5s. OVERALL: I am still sad that not only do I not have more of this but that it's pretty much ungettable. I repeat here, if anyone is reading this from the Lab, my plaintive cry for Beth to do even a limited re-release of the Tarot blends (or, you know, if there were any hanging around in the back room for release on Etsy or for a good charity cause or anything). There are SO many I would buy and several I'd spring for a few bottles of (if I knew they were pretty much the same as the originals, as opposed to the 2007 reboot of the Zodiacs which were, for the most part, nothing like the 2004 blends). ETA: The Lab made my dream come true, in a way ... they put the cobalt OOAK bottle up on eBay and I bought it ... <3 On a scale of 1-5, a definite 5. Obvs.

Got an imp in an Anniversary decant circle. IN THE IMP: Super-de-duper frankincense. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: OMG frankincense at first. Then I start getting the sweetness of the copal and more of the myrrh-comfort scent. Peaceful and medicinal. DRYDOWN: Ever-so-slightly boozy for some reason, at first. Despite the three myrrhs, the dreaded "sweat socks" myrrh note is very much in the background, at the bottom of the laundry bin. For the most part I am getting comforting myrrh. OVERALL: I loves me this a lot. I would probably not look for more because I have quite the collection of blends that feature frankincense and myrrh and don't need to spend money on more, but this imp will get used. If you like Midnight Mass, Penitence, and the other churchy scents, this will be devilishly good for you! On a scale of 1-5, a 4.8

Received an imp in a decant circle. IN THE IMP: Sweet wood. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Bourbon vanilla is predominant but running neck and neck with the oudh within seconds. Not so sweet that I can't stomach it. The oudh definitely balances the boozy vanilla and the amber rounds it all out. DRYDOWN: Almost no trace of amber at this point. Just vanilla-bourbon soaked wood. OVERALL: Not bad but not a keeper. Smells sort of artificial to me but that tends to be the case with most vanilla blends. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.

Tested from an imp from my Yule decant circle. IN THE IMP: Notes and images in order ... gingerbread, cloves, something automotive. I'm getting an image of a car. I have no idea why. Dabbed on one wrist (the crook of said arm was being test driven by Gingerbread Satyr.) WET: Oh. Duh. Now I understand why I was getting automotive images. While the gingerbread note dominated when I test drove Gingerbread Snake and Gingerbread Satyr, in this one the pine takes over ... and to me, when wet, makes it smell like one of those little pine tree car fresheners when you first open them. The pine completely dominates, before the clove works its way in. And finally the gingerbread shows up, huffing and puffing. DRYDOWN: By the time it dries it's more evenly distributed between the gingerbread and the pine, with the clove playing backup to the pair of leading players. This is a really Christmassy scent, with the pine and gingerbread. OVERALL: Of the three I tried, this is the one that was borderline keeper for me. I don't think I'd wear it again but I want to try it as a scent for the house ... either in the aromatherapy steam shower or something. I love the scent when it dries as a cold weather holiday scent. On a scale of 1-5, about a 4.

Testing from an imp from my Yule decant circle. IN THE IMP: Gingerbread, baked goods, musk, dirt. Dabbed in crook of arm (I usually will put on wrist AND in crook but in this case I was test driving THREE of the Yule Gingerbread scents at once and so split the difference on this and Gingerbread Troll). WET: As I first apply it I get a surprising sour smell but that evaporates almost immediately and doesn't come back. After that I am getting predominantly spicy gingery gingerbread but with that little bit of dirt. I'll call it "dirty gingerbread." It's warm but with a little wildness. DRYDOWN: This dries down to straight gingerbread with a cinnamon-spice kick. OVERALL: I'm surprised by how much I like this. It seems to amp the good notes (well, good for me) whereas ambergris, which often makes me nauseated, is almost invisible. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.3

From an imp from a decant circle. Brief preface: I'm part of an apparently pretty big group that loves the scent of gingerbread but, for whatever reason, most of the BPAL gingerbread blends, per se, have not really worked for me (I remember how disappointed I was when Gingerbread Poppet just didn't do it for me). However, SHUB is one of my Top 5 scents ever. AND while I really like the scent of Snake Oil in and of itself, it always goes TOO sweet on me ... But I wanted to try this and see what happened. Not enough to buy a bottle, but enough that I ordered TWO imps instead of just one. IN THE IMP: In order of the notes coming at me -- gingerbread, Snake Oil, GINGER ALE! Whoa. But a GOOD whoa. Dabbed on one wrist and in the crook of that arm. WET: Yup! GINGER ALE! Somehow this combines all the great parts of the Shub ginger and freshly baked spicy gingerbread, AND a subtle dose of Snake Oil, but does so with this fizzy effervescent dose of ginger ale. DRYDOWN: The Snake Oil amps a little more as it dries down but it sweetens a spicy fizzy yum yum good gingerbread to the perfect degree. OVERALL: This is absolutely what I would have hoped for in my fondest wishes and more, because I didn't expect the ginger ale. I probably won't actively try to track down a big bottle, only because I have TWO full bottles of Shub already, but when I finally update my swap list with all of the bottles/imps I've been working through to sniff, I'd guess that if someone has a bottle of this, it would be something I'd definitely love to swap for. On a scale of 1-5, a definite and surprising 5.

Lime juice, bergamot, Himalayan cedarwood, helichrysum, and dragon’s blood resin. Got a partial bottle of this in a swap and decanted this tester imp. To give a little bit of background, a few months ago during a life lull I read over pretty much every review thread to make a comprehensive potential wish list of scents and blends I might have missed over the last few years and this was on it with an asterisk. I wasn't sure if the lime would ruin it for me but I love DB and cedar. So it was more of a "I'd be interested in trying this" than a "I must track this down." Then I was approached by a fellow forumite who wanted one of the LE items on my swap list and presented me with her list of swappables to choose from. Since she didn't have anything really high up on my "gotta have" list and had this, I figured it was a great opportunity to provide her with something she really wanted while trying something that intrigued me but which I wouldn't want to pay for without sniffing first. IN THE IMP: Wow. Just ... wow. Not sweet at all. Very vibrant -- that's the best word I can come up with. Dabbed on one wrist and in the crook of that arm. WET: This is real green lime on a tree lime, not what I call "lollipop lime." I love the former, hate the latter and usually find the latter to be the "lime" note most of the time (I think Val Sans Retour is the only blend I can think of where the lemon and lime is REAL tree fruit on me). I totally heart this. I get minimal dragon's blood, sadly, but that's okay. It's a bright, gender neutral scent on me that's a combination of cedar and fresh citrus, with just that touch of DB to give it a resin base. DRYDOWN: As it dries down on me, the dragon's blood amps up and makes it even better. It's very green to me (not just the lime, but the scent of fresh fields which I am guessing is the helichrysium?). I'd add that the "green fields" is the predominant drydown scent in the crook of my arm, while the dragon's blood is the one more noticeable on my wrist. OVERALL: This is an amazing, fabulous find for the Ars Draconis fans among us ... it's resiny and comforting and yet also woody and zing-y. I think it's gender neutral and also think it would be appropriate for lots of different occasions. It's noticeable without being in your face. On a scale of 1-5, a definite 5. Yay!

Received this as lagniappe from a lovely forumite who saw it on my wish list. Maybe I should have read the reviews in full instead of just the notes that appealed to me. Hey, I love amber, musk, cedar, saffron and incense. What could go wrong? IN THE IMP: Resiny, round, rich with cedar lurking below. So far, so good, right? Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Oh. No. Just, no. The first note I get is SWEAT. Sweaty stinky icky. Not very pleasant. Then the Lemon Pledge amps up below it so it's industrial strength cleanser combined with old sweat. It is shockingly nasty on me. OVERALL: Well, in a way I'm relieved since this is hard to find and if I'd liked it I'd just have yet another holy grail on my list. On a scale of 1-5, a 1.

Got a 5ML via the forum from a lovely swap buddy forumite, and tested this from an imp I decanted out of that. IN THE IMP: Delicious spicy awesome. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: First off, I loves me my cinnamon but only rarely do I get "the burn." I DID get it briefly in the crook of my arm with this one, but no visible marks. Anyway, the minute I uncap the imp this is ME when wet ... spectacularly cinnamon smoky resin. Transportational. Yet it's also somehow subtle and very clean. DRYDOWN: The resin and smoke subsides a bit and it goes more red hot cinnamon candy on me. There is also one other note lurking back there which I can't quite put my finger on, just barely noticeable only in the crook of my arm (which often amps certain notes that are not noticeable on the "dry" parts of my body) and that note is just the tiniest bit wonky ... maybe honey, as others have mentioned? It's the only thing that keeps this from being a 5 for me. OVERALL: That one "wonk" note drops this down to 4.8 but I think in the future if I simply apply it to the areas of my body that do not emanate moisturized body heat it would have potential to be a 5. On a scale of 1-5, I'll split the difference and give it a 4.9 ETA: I can't remember the last time this has happened but on the LONGER drydown (maybe another half hour?) this went horribly wrong. Whatever that wonky note was just got wonkier and wonkier to the point where it went from desirable keeper into the swap box. Oh well, my full box was getting too full, anyway. Scale score is downgraded to a 3.

Roadtesting an imp from the great Yule decanting circle haul of 2013: In my ongoing quest for the perfect hot cocoa scent (I am still trying to track down the proto I read about, something with 54), I had my doubts about this one because of my concern for a) the coffee and the brown sugar going too sweet on my and amping into it's wicked cousin caramel. IN THE IMP: DIVINE. Just sweet lovely milk chocolate and brown sugar behaving like good brown sugar and just being sweet. Dabbed reasonably generously but not quite slatheringly on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: This is, no pun intended, "bliss"ful. Creamy milk chocolate with just that little touch of cinnamon to make it sultry and picante. DRYDOWN: Just when I thought I might be able to say "muy bien, mas por favor" it goes JUST a little TOO sweet on the drydown. Not quite caramel, and no coffee, but just a little too much for me to be confident wearing it often. OVERALL: I really love this when wet and wish I could get it in a bath oil or something like that ... but I don't think I would reach for this for a day's application over, say, my other chocolate or cocoa bottles like Bliss, Tezcat, Gelt, etc. On a scale of 1-5, a 4 yet not a keeper.

Part of my Yule decant circle haul ... IN THE IMP: Ineffable is the odd word that comes to mind. Light, sweet and yet outdoorsy. Can't put my finger on a specific note though. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: I get an image of light green with surprising sweetness. I definitely smell the balsam. The other notes might be mandragora, since I don't know what that smells like, and I seem to remember hemlock being sweet to me. I'm not getting any musk from this. DRYDOWN: I think it's just a little TOO outdoorsy for me to wear and it goes a little soapy as well. OVERALL: I like this but wouldn't wear it. I think if I smelled it on someone else I'd think they smelled fabulous, though. It's just not me. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.5 for someone else to wear.

Part of my Yule decant circle haul ... IN THE IMP: There's something odd and unexpected from this, possibly because I don't do "leaves" blends very often. It's sort of a fruity male cologne, not unlike a scent my dad used to wear. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: I get no amber or frankincense from this at all as far as I can tell, and they are two of my favorite scents. This is just nothing like I expected or recognize, which means it's either the "leaves" note or the "ashes" note and I am leaning towards leaves. Sorry I can't be more specific but I really don't recognize anything and am only coming up with "images" and evocations. Fruity, sweet, surprisingly fresh. DRYDOWN: It stays very close to the wet scent. And I still can't put my finger on it. But I get images of grass and dew and outdoors, so I think this must be the leaves. I see them wet and slightly overturned like they do in the rain. Maybe a little floral as well? OVERALL: I like this but not enough to keep it. On a scale of 1-5, a 3.

Purchased an imp in a decant circle. IN THE IMP: Very musty. I don't have a better word for it. No, not musky, Musty. I am not sure if it's the geranium or the tobacco. Dabbed lightly on one wrist and in crook of arm. WET: More sweetness and resin amps upon application, but not enough to offset that mustiness. Getting a strong vibe of a room that hasn't had a window opened in months. DRYDOWN: Along with the mustiness, I get a strong salty note. I am sure it's the geranium ... though myrrh can go salty sweaty wonky on me, that's not the same smell I'm getting here (in fact, this myrrh plays nicely with me, no sweat socks). Salty and stuffy. Those are the two words that sum this up on me. OVERALL: Obviously, off to the swap box with this one. It makes my nose wrinkle. On a scale of 1-5, a 2.

Received as lagniappe in a swap. I know I have tried this before, when it was first released, purchased based on the notes. However there was a long span from spring 2005 through about a year ago where I didn't post reviews, so all I know is that I apparently didn't like it quite enough to keep it ... thinking it would have been divested of during a big purge I did around then. But the notes appeal so I'm trying again ... IN THE IMP: Sharper and more acerbic and not quite as "comforty" as I would have expected from the notes. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Once it hits my skin, the "comfort" smell, as I call it, amps -- amber and saffron, in particular. It's a very lovely blend, not overwhelming at all. I can't really put my finger on anything that stands out in terms of individual notes and for some reason I can't really describe it. But I like it a lot. DRYDOWN: It definitely qualifies as a "comfort scent" keeper though It's a tiny bit sharper and more acidic than the other scents that fall in that category for me ... I think it may be the mandarin that keeps it from being a big bottle purchase or "I gotta get more of this" scent. Or the rose. Or both. OVERALL: I wouldn't buy a big bottle of this but I wouldn't kick it out of bed, I mean out of my keeper box. Not sure it's something I would frequently reach for over other scents, but I'll probably use up the imp in good time. I'm not sure if my skin chemistry or tastes have changed since the first time I tried it, but I like it a lot. On a scale of 1-10, a 3.8.