Indigo78

In the imp: Chilled Vanilla in a marble shotglass. Cool and completely non-foody, also very sensual, yet slightly beyond reach. Vanilla's out of everyone's league, this time! Can't wait to apply. Wet on my skin there is little change. First is the obvious amping from my skin's warmth. As time passses the dryness of Vanilla becomes ever-more seductive - it's a total "follow me" scent. I love this one as much as I thought I would. Instant top 10, will be needing 5mL. Short wear length, but a pleasure to reapply. Short-average throw.

In the imp, sweetly green! Almost candy-like. Wet on the skin Her Voice turns into crisp, lush green with the barest hints of sweetness in the background. All Lily stems and leaves though, at first. Reminds me of Tiger Lily a bit. After the first five minutes, the beeswax peeks through like burnt sugar on the emerging blooms. This might be the vanilla amber, too. I catch wafts of the carnations, but they really can't break through the crazy competition between the sharp greenery and sweet florals. Throw is average, and the wear length is short - - just a couple of hours, but this is when the honey and other, softer notes appear. A very pretty blend for those who likes green, florals, and sweeter top notes.

Kali in the imp is very sweet. The top note is hibiscus, followed by a honey to my nose. Wet on the skin it becomes more sticky for the first five minutes, and I too get a strong "dessert wine" feel at this stage. The wine dries very quickly on me. As it dries down, dark, sweet chocolate becomes recognizable. After twenty minutes I can detect the sweer tobacco as well. Balsam is balancing the rose nicely on my skin - - those who shy from rose normally may want to try this one. I can't detect rose in this at all - just a barely woodsy foral. I'll see how this imp ages. Kali is far different than any BPAL I have tried so far...Sweet, but in an ominous way.

First impression - i.e. sniffing the wand - is greeeen green green. The blue is right beneath it, and a second inhalation gives me some heady, almost Carribean florals. Wet on the skin, the notes appear in pretty much the same order, at the same strength as in the imp. There is something verrry faintly whispering that there's a sweet, caramel note somewhere in here. For a second I want to say Coconut...but I don't know. I mean, if these scents are a performance - there must be some "extras" on the metaphorical set, right?! Whatever that note it is, it can't steal the spotlight from the heavy aquatics and lush greenery right now. Ten minutes: As it dries down on my skin, the florals become sweeter and more prominent, for which I am grateful. This scent really does inspire the Bayou. The Spanish Moss might be what does it, I am not sure. I rarely find aquatic blends believable, but this one really has my imagination reeling. Seaspray, the fallen petals of night-blooming gardens, and that mysterious, creamy, luxurious note all suggest the blend's namesake perfectly. The ending to this is a little sad, because it goes right to soap on me.

In the bottle this is fizzy, light - yeah, Orange Slice all the way. I sniffed the bottle when it first arrived, but stalled reviewing it. . . On the skin this turns instantly heady on me. The light effervescence goes *poof*, and the heavy booze sets in! I can absolutely smell the ketchupy, tomatoey note, and it seems to be the base note on my skin during the drydown. Really, after the wet stage, my skin morphs this into the first and only BPAL I've need to rinse off. Even though Pruno doesn't mesh with my chemisty, I love the concept and the notes. Could be sexy as hell on the right type of woman.

Snow White 2007, decant (fr)imp~ Under the cap I smell fresh, cold cream and vanilla spun sugar. Almond is whispering about, as well. Wet on my skin this is sweet, delicate, and almost too innocent - - All of which perfectly evoke it's namesake. The dry down produces slightly more almond, but never enough to be more than a suggestion that it is there. Major bonus, since I do not generally like strong almond. This is a "second skin" smell on me, and it amps just enough to be pleasant without ever leaning toward the aggressive. I generally prefer scents with more throw, but this blend is different. Oddly, because someone would have to be extra close to appreciate this one, I think of it as a "bedtime" scent. This is quietly sexy, and well worth a try. Not sure I would buy a bottle, but an imp or two would be nice to have on hand.

My first Bpal was Snake Oil, & I was a little put off by the sharpness of the spice notes. A month later, I'm still aging the bottle & hoping for the best. In the meantime, along slinks an aged bottle of Western Diamondback~ The imp smells like a masterfully prepared caramelesque... something. The grasses linger in the background, but lend not hint as to what's coming. Wet on my skin this is deceivingly faint at first. After five minutes a hint of SO's spiciness appears, but never in the blatantly unfurled way I experienced with SO. Like other reviewers, the Skin note didn't jump out right away - but for me, that morph is the sexiest aspect of this blend. A keeper. Completely. ETA: Wore this to bed. When I woke up (six hours or so later) the Leather note had become subdued and almost ... dusty? Strange morph, and characteristically true to the description.

I get bright, sweet petals from the bottle. The Orange and Daffodil are at the forefront, with a sticky sweetness lying just beneath. Wet on the skin Violet barges in, and I almost get sad, since lately I am starting to suspect that my skin turns Violet acrid sometimes. The Violet fades rapidly, and within five minutes the Strawberry Leaf and Cream each become prominent top notes. They are held in place by Rose Attar, Frankincense and Benzoin. The Honey Cakes rest delicately in the midst of all of this - it is a veritable olfactory parade of YuM. So, it's love. Wish this weren't an LE. I have a bottle, but it is sure to disappear quickly. I'm off in search of a close match and/or stray backups!

Voila - so this is the vapid waft of "I'm special" that has assaulted my nose countless times on campus! I get lots of floral in the imp. This does smell expensive, but in the way that says "I am expensive, therefore I am.." *shrugs* whatever. No denying the external beauty of it, that's for sure. Wait, I know - it's a little like Estee Lauder's "Pleasures". It is also burning the skin on the inside of my elbow a little, and I wonder if this isn't a glimpse of "fire crotch"? Pretty good throw during the dry down, which is actually lengthier than I thought it would be on my skin. Frivolity and baseless self-worth definitely come to mind. I got this one out of curiosity on an Ebay win. Not a disappointment, & without regard to who it represents - - - it is pretty enough to keep.

Must have 5mL. Opening the imp this a strong, shadow-laden breath of crumbling roses and upturned soil. Interest piqued, I dab. Interest held, I go ahead and slather. Yes, it is that beautiful. Once on my skin there is little morph, although the roses smell warmed and fragrant now, more so than in the imp. Everything mingles - very well blended. I think this blend could even be used to bring some of Beth's lighter florals down to Earth, so to speak. Olfactory ecstacy is mine this weekend, Zombi shot straight into my top three. Get it.

Straight from the imp to my nose this is softly floral, a tad dark, and sweet. Wet on the skin, a blast of orchid which, as it warms, becomes drizzled in honey. The scent is not sweet, delicate, or immature at all. It's just a very clean, sexy, all-purpose scent. Perhaps a little commercial-smelling for my own taste, but beautiful nevertheless. Slightly above-average throw, average wear length.

A whiff of the imp had my hopes sky-high for this scent. Bright Lotus jumps out first, and I'm in love. Lately I've had a thing for the girly-girl ones that are touched with incense notes, and this one's first impression definitely places it in that category. Wet. Not the bittery stuff! Something might be going on with my chemistry and/or nosse right now - at first contact with my skin Myrrh smells like ass on me. And it's not good ass. The dry down lets the bitter scent fade, and it's replaced with a languid candy-like floral and smoke. There's a prowling quality to it that makes me think of a slinky Mau cat in a night-blooming garden. Not too long of a wear length, considerable throw.

A paean to true holiness, spiritual purity, and sacred enlightenment. Based on an incense blend sacred to the Virgin Mary: perfect rose absolute and Palestinian Lily of the Valley with olibanum, labdanum, frankincense and myrrh. This is pretty...erm.."televangelist" in the imp, at least for me. I didn't believe a word Hymn said when I caught an epic smack of smell, right in the nose. Argh. Much too much, and I will not put my "hands on the screen"! On the skin the incenses lead the way, crowding out Rose & Lily almost entirely. After twenty minutes I *think* I catch a whiff, but no. I would have loved to get more. I'm reminded strongly of a 60's/70's fragrance that my mother wore called Heaven Scent. This one is better after thirty minutes or so, but not quite bottle worthy. Maybe I'll enable Mom with the imp (?)

In the imp this is sweet - I really want to say creamy in the same wat that coconut is. Beneath that creaminess lurks the darker note - maybe Orris? It smells clean - odd how Dust and Earth notes can do that. Once the skin warms and mingles with my skin, the dusty scent rises and proclaims itself head hauncho for awhile. The initial coconut does disappear, replaced by sparkling, teasing Vanilla and her Bean. Something's edible/drinkable, here... Whatever it is I want some! If it is making me want to consume something I can't even identify, Death Cap encapsulates the Lab's description quite well. Not too much throw, Average wear length.

From the imp this evokes a graceful matron gowned in expensive finery. A great beauty in her own time, the roses on her table mingle with her own natural essence - and for her, this is not the off-putting "body chemistry" of age. It is decades of being the much-relied-upon centerpiece of a small dynasty. The smell isn't an "old lady", where the ability to recognize cloying scents or chronic overuse of the spritzer are so characteristic. Instead, it's the fragrance of high-polish, attentively cared for wood, plump little tea roses, and graden wind lazily pressing against freshly-laundered drapes. The wet stage is all roses, withthe tiniest hint of a "clean" note that reminds me of Murphy's Oil Soap - the wood cleaner. The breath of this is highly nostalgic, although I am sad to report it is going slightly talc-y as time passes. I can manage this sort of powderiness, however. It is thick and solid, and almsst - - creamy...Perhaps this is the Hazel? The drydown is somewhat powdery, although it does so in a way that is distinctly different from the baby powder note I know and despise. This is a beautiful, sad fragrance I will wear when I feel unassuming, wise, latently powerful and classy to the nth degree. Average throw, short-average wear length.

In the imp, it is herbal, medicinal, astringent and throat clinging. Thorny, with so much going on that it is difficult to predict whether they will glisten on my skin all at once, or go weird. On the skin wet, the Blackberries are allllllll over the place. One reviewer mentioned Dewberry, and I wholeheartedly agree with that perception based on experience. This stage reminds me of a body spray someone gave me when I was 16. Since I saw the giver regularly, I felt somehow obligated to wear it frequently. Nevermind that I secretly believed the spray smelled like glorified B.O.. That note is definitely there, to my nose (and I AM a firm believer in very thorough, very frequent showers!). The dry down is a bit more promising, but it just isn't "me". Never Vanilla, never anything silky or inviting enough to overcome the abrasive undertone this has. I don't know if it's Lavender (the usual suspect) or the Dewberry phantom odour. Either way, this is regrettably destined for a more loving home.

In the imp I get grapefruit a day or two past its prime. Not crisp, but still zesty. There's also a darkness underneath that I can't identify. On the skin wet, a sour note emerges that never really leaves. I get the aquatic notes, but they are all wrong on my skin. On me, this is murky, stagnant water with hints of citrus. Beneath it's surface lurk malevolent bottomfeeders, as they search for sunken slices of over-ripe grapefruit to feast upon. Weird? Yeah. A little off? Indeed. But that is exactly what R'yleh is to my nose. Weird & off. This one is off to a more loving home.

In the imp - yeah, this is SO cherry NyQuil. Cherry flavoring is my not-so-favorite, we'll say. This smells just like it. JUST like it. On my skin, this moves from smeared sticky red lollipop (y'know - the kind banks give away to little kids in the drive-thru) to a gradually more incensey, smoky scent. Even though this is mellowing the bitterness I got from Cherry, it's still right there up front. Now Strawberries, nondescript incense. Better, but still - - there's that bitterness that is the mark of all things fake-Cherry, to my nose. ETA: Morph-a-riffic ~ After twenty minutes, the bitterness goes away leaving gorgeous wafts of vanilla and extinguished strawberry candle smoke. The cherry and my skin are no longer at war - thank goodness. The calm of the Vanilla and strawberry scent are still here, and this is a good place for things to stay. I will probably swap, though, on account of this oil not being quite "me".

Wet in the imp (well, testable sniffy frimp) this is clean and and kind of dusky - I can definitely smell the plum most strongly, but I'm loving the moss notes lying just beneath. Excited about this one, since aquatics generally don't like my skin - it seems to be off the beaten path for this type of scent. Wet on the skin the ozone/aquatic note really amps, but this is balanced by the plums and moss. Moss is a favorite note for me, rich and lush on my skin. No exception in this blend. That is why, as far as aquatics usualy go for me, Kiyohime is one I am happy to have had the chance to try. ETA: The longer this is on, the longer it reminds me of salty, night ocean air. I think a tiny bit goes a long way. Because of this one, I'm off to hunt for other scents containing similar notes - - sans the "ozone" effect.

In the imp: Bright, tart - potently lemony. Geez... But I like Lemon, so we'll see.. On the skin this erupt into Pledge with undercurrents of other stuff: In order, this stuff would be Bergamot and Thyme The drydown is quick and increasingly herbal. There's a fifteen minute phase where this is sooooo good...perfectly balanced and gorgeous. After that the fade is rapid. Since this is DC I won't seek a bottle, but will hold onot the imp for when I want some sunshine~

On a plastic toothpick: Rosewood and something almost like machine oil, beautifully blended. Now its up to my skin to work the magic. Wet, on the skin: Wood, mechanical oil, shiny glass. I visualize an old bank - you know, the mason-built ones with high celiengs that have been around since 18whatever. High-gloss, distant...a little cold. Frankly, something smells like money... Dry Down: DRASTICALLY different from the wet stage. Vanilla, Teak and Tobacco emerge and stay true until the eventual fade, which is about six hours on my skin. Top ten material, and I am utterly in love with this one. ETA: A must try on your guy - - *swwwwwwwooooooooon* then *rowr*. Yes. In that order.

Wet, this is ripe, juicy black cherries in a gathering basket. Mmmm. The King of Hearts was kind of a softy in the story, right...? The Queen ran the roost, chopping off heads, etc., while he just agreed with everything. I don't get that soft note from this oil - at least not immediately. I get a sense of "high royalty" as elegant rosewood rises through the cherries. This phase is sooo nice. During the drydown, Lavender comes through to predictably powderize all of the other notes. Boo to Lavender and my skin's sordid relationship - I can't help but agree that as a linen spray, this would rock. Although it is not well matched to my skin, I'll use the imp to try my hand at a little DIY.

In the imp this is berries and greenery. Like a freshly opened bottle of unaged wine. On the skin wet it goes to wine spilled on newish metal, very boozy and sweet. Something reminds me of anise and linoleum. I can smell the grasses and sweetness as time passes, and this ultimately hints at asphalt? Or latex paint remover? The dry down smells like a roofer at happy hour on my skin. I can't wear Black Tower, but can see the attraction. Will be swapping.

this was a great frimp, wildly different than anything I would select on my own. I don't know exactly what is meant by aquatic, having been landlocked for most of my life. Our natural aquatics here tend to be more of the sandpit/irrigation ilk... Nevertheless I'll try to do this blend justice, based on my knows and my nose In the imp I get sharp, bright grapefruit and aquamarine. Shocking and vibrant, both of these notes. I know better than to put on more than a teensy dab... Wet on the skin it changes little, with the citrus becoming more pronounced and the salt and brine lurking somewhere back there. The scent reminds me of something commercial in the fragrance realm, a male cologne I can't pin right now. Drying down I get fabric softener - specifically, its the blue-green "aromatherapeutic" kind that seems to be so popular right now. This really isn't a scent I would do much with, although I can see it working well on a clean cut, 20 something male. Swapping.

This is not one I'd have chosen. For one thing, I don't think of myself as a fruit-smelling person. Figs remind me of prunes, and prunes remind me of raisins, which I LOATHE. The name alone would have deterred me from even reading more about this scent. Point? Taken. Lesson? Learned. In the imp this smells of sweet, rich, sugary fruit, soft black soil, and cedar. On my skin wet, Strangler Fig morphs immediately into a salivatingly delicious scent. Srsly: Mouth is watering. Beneath this sweet richness is a sinister quality, the pepper note. Another few minutes and this is beginning to smell over ripe - like old fruit. It's been ten minutes, and I'm not sure that the notes are mingling the way they should on my skin. The drydown is very creamy and incensey, and the wood notes are still there as well. I understand why others are saying "Coconut". I like this enough to keep my imp, and maybe for more. Can't put my thumb up or down...not just yet.