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Yeah. Men's cologne. VERY men's cologne. Not really the sort I'd want to smell on a man I was extremely close to, either. (I think matching Snake Oil in on-him and on-her would be approximately the ultimate answer there.) I'd been intrigued, and considered ordering an imp based on the name, but the fact that there was nothing in it that I liked stopped me. However, a freebie came to me, so now I know. I dutifully tested it, but it wasn't turning into anything I was overly enamored of, so I mostly ignored it and paid attention to my other new treasures instead. I go for smoky and incensey and spicy and vanilla-y, so not my thing. HOWEVER, I have a friend for whom I instantly realized it would be perfect. She's been flirting with the idea of BPAL for some time after getting a few imps from me and others, and there's no way in the world she's not going to absolutely love Villain, so even though it's not for me, the Lab has still very probably made an indirect sale (and new convert) with this one. Hopefully she'll report as soon as we both get over our respective flus and I give it to her.

I had such high hopes for Bengal. I wanted a whirl of spices in a hot desert wind. Instead, I find that it immediately goes our on me. Sweat-sour. Rotten sour. Ew. I'm thinking this must be the skin musk, because musk and I are not friends, but I always thought the dislike was mostly on my side. I guess it's mutual. After an hour or so the sourness does fade, but not into something wonderful enough to put up with stinking for that long beforehand. I'll try it again, as it wouldn't be fair to decide after only one application, but whatever that note was, it kinda turned my stomach. Sigh. Can't win every time.

Um... what on earth is wrong with me? I remember seeing the name of this scent and being intrigued, because it's obviously a Slavic term that relates to "female something of the night", and I was a Russian major in college. And I've been looking for a good foresty scent. So what manner of fool was I not to order an imp of this? Fortunately, BPAL is all-wise and all-knowing, so this turned up free in my last order. And I find myself wearing it alone (which is to say after the initial testing, when I sit around with little labels all over my body and droplets of oils next to them sniffing for hours) before any of the ones I ordered. This scent is delicious. It's perfect. I love it, and I sense a 5ml in my future. It's reassuring in the same way as Silk Road, though the two bear very little resemblance to one another. I know why I gave up on piney scents, and it's because Black Forest was so very air-freshener on me. This will teach me perseverance. This is what I wanted Black Forest to be, and more. It is incredibly well blended, as someone said earlier. Soft pine, and it could be either dark or light depending on my mood. It fades into florals, but, amazingly, not in a way I don't like (and I usually hate florals). This is forest blooms, not hothouse blooms, and it stays under the canopies of the trees rather than blasting out with searing, sneezy jasmine or anything like that. I get some moss, I don't really get earth. Not, at least, that I can tell, but it's probably underneath there somewhere. Cementing my bond with Nocnitsa will take a few more wearings, but I'm pretty sure I will continue to love it a lot. The name alone gives it enough points that I kick myself for not ordering it on my own, but the smell is wonderful for a rural creature like myself stuck in a sea of asphalt. Thank you SO MUCH for sending me this, whoever in the Lab was responsible. You just made a sale. Well, as soon as I have some more money. And as soon as solo wearings of a few more of my fresh shiny new imps establish for me what ELSE I have to buy... Can't express enough how much I love this. That's another slot in my Imaginary Dream-Scents catalogue filled. Amazing.

Hmmm, thought I'd already posted to this thread, since this is one of the ones I like a good bit. Guess not-- I shall remedy that now. Fittingly, Serpent's Kiss is one of the oils that bites me, which I suspected when I sniffed the bottle. I love cinnamon, but cinnamon is ambivalent at best toward me. Doesn't bite as badly as my beloved Eclipse, though. And I'm lucky-- Serpent's Kiss doesn't change much on me, so I can get my fix by wearing it in my hair. (Which, for those concerned about staining, is dyed blue, and the colour is unaffected by the oil.) I'll agree with those who said it's a hot scent. Very much so, the firiest I've yet met. I got this as a present along with the rest of my order. Fine job, too. It's not a daily-wear scent for me. I'm not generally that red and firey. But when I want an extra kick, this stuff is amazing. Because I can't play the slather-game with it, I'll probably continue to use it pretty rarely, but it's a gorgeous scent, and I intend to make sure I always have an imp. Plus, the insanely bright red of the oil in the bottle is really pretty. If this is dragon's blood and vetiver as well as cinnamon, I'm definitely interested in checking out other blends with those elements. I may upgrade to a 5ml on this one one day. I like it a lot.

Sigh... Gluttony has a weird, slightly chemical maple-syrup smell on me instead of being chocolatey-delicious. Life is hard sometimes...

I don't really get the sex-smell aspect. The Ex did, and loved it a lot, so I wore it for him, but to me O was rather thin, and almost sour. Oddly, I found it blended better with my chemistry if I wore it in my armpits rather than the usual scent-application places. It's nice enough, but the honey and amber make it too floaty and whispery for me. Doesn't turn to sex on everyone. I don't know, maybe I just never quite pegged the right time of the month. I still have half the imp, and will try it again, but it really doesn't seem to work on me quite as I'd hoped it would. Ah, well.

There's hardly any point reviewing Snake Oil anymore, as anyone who hasn't already tried it knows full well that they MUST. Still, I feel the need to express my allegiance. Delicious incense-and-vanilla. This scent makes me feel powerful and, yes, much as I hate the word, sexy. And very much in control. My boss loves it. Every time I wear it to work (which is often-- it sticks through anything espresso and steamed milk and endless dishwashing can do to it) she sniffs appreciatively and says, "mmmmm, you're wearing that Snake Oil again!" It's a bit bold to be the everyday scent (that honour is to be reserved for Tombstone), but it's for sure and certain an a-lot-of-days scent. I got an imp in my first order, and, never having been a perfume-wearer, I was smashed into the ground with bliss by how much I loved it. It has the best staying power of any BPAL oil I've yet tried, and if it wasn't their most popular I would have to entertain serious doubts about the sanity of their customers. This is my version of sex-in-a-bottle. Amazing. My 10ml isn't quite as well-aged as the imp was yet, but the only reason to doubt that it will get there, and soon, is that I may use it all before it has time. And I LOVE the bottle! Best label EVER.

Another free imp. Can I mention that I really like the sending of presents with orders? It gives me a chance to try things that minimum wage doesn't really want me to have. Interestingly, I get absolutely no coconut out of this at all. It's all fruity and floral, which is generally a Very Bad Thing with me, but it feels like in this case there's something underneath waiting to come out. I have the impression that something hasn't quite gelled yet for my little imp, but it's very close to doing so. I intend to give it a bit and then try it again. As yet, it's nice, but it doesn't really gut-punch me with fabulousness. We shall see, though. I think it has the potential.

Very, very sad. I wanted to love it, but it turned to air freshener on me. I'm waiting a bit to see if it changes, and I'll try it again, but as yet, not for me. I wanted to try it on my ex to see if it was just me, but reality intervened before I got around to it. Ah, well.

This was included free in my last order. (Oh, how I squeee-ed at the presents!) Not at ALL the sort of thing I would have ordered on my own, but very nice, actually. I think it may have a specialized application I've yet to discover as I explore the new BPAL-induced world of raising my mood with scents. It's very light, very fresh, and very, very clean. It does go a bit soapy on me, but I think it would be perfect after a bath, when that sort of thing would feel right. (After a day of slaving away in the espresso-mines, that struck a kind of jarring note, but not in a BAD way.) Like all the tiniest flowers you'd find in a garden-- I don't get any big showy blossom feeling out of it, but it's soft and comforting and... clean. I'll definitely be experimenting to see what mood requires it. Not destined for a big bottle, but a very good thing to have around in imp form.

Oh, Jack, sweet Jack, why do you not last on me? This stuff astonished my ex-boyfriend. He couldn't understand how I could put something on and it would smell like wonderful buttery pumpkin for a few minutes, and then immediately become straight, sweet spiced cider. Which, of course, is what it does, changing utterly and immediately. I love both scents a lot, though I wish the buttery, caramel-y pumpkin part would last just a bit longer, or shade more obviously into the cider. The only trouble is that it doesn't stick around on my skin for very long. I'll still eventually order a 5ml, but must get out of the current financial horror before that. As long as I can get it in time for Autumn, I'll be all right.

THIS IS IT. This is what I have been looking for. I love Snake Oil, but it's for specific days, to bring out specific moods. Tombstone is The One. It doesn't last as long as Snake Oil on me, nor have the same throw. I went through most of my imp in less than a week, because it's so horribly addictive. All the more reason to buy a 10ml, which I intend to do as soon as I've figured out a couple more imps to go with the order. (Have to throw in little extra presents for onesself, after all.) It starts out a bit sharp, but within ten minutes it mellows to the most incredibly delicious herby, rounded vanilla I have ever smelled. I get sage and cedar with the vanilla. Don't really notice any root beer or mint, but that's fine. This is exactly what I have always wanted a vanilla scent to be. It's going to be the signature scent, no question. The juniper-and-sage really is very Western-- it reminds me of New Mexico, where I lived for a long and miserable year, but only the good aspects. Completely. Completely. DELICIOUS. I remember someone saying earlier in this thread that they wished it smelled more of leather and tobacco, but as I myself provide those scents with attire and unhealthy habits, I don't really feel any lack there. I only wish I had as much trouble getting it off as everyone else seems to. Then, it may just be that I want every single breath I take to smell more and more like Tombstone while I'm wearing it, so it's impossible for me to get enough.

I discovered the other day that Silk Road is Peace-In-A-Bottle. I was highly agitated, very unhappy (breakup and suchlike), and I felt a strong urge to put some of the stuff on. As soon as I did, my spirits lifted. It's amazing. I've been using it ever since when I'm unhappy, and it makes life SO much better. No idea whether this would work for other people, but I thought I might mention it. I feel safe and loved when I smell Silk Road. I've never had this with any scent before. My imp smelled a little more complex and mature than my 5ml, but I imagine that's because, well, it IS more mature. The 5ml is still great and still the same in essence, just slightly less aged and slightly more floral. I have no idea what notes come out when at all-- it's far too complex for my uneducated nose. It smells like happiness. And the best thing ever is to wear it outside in the wind, because when the smell whips up past your nose it's even more amazing for the fact that it's in contrast to the smell of the rest of the world. A bit of Elsewhere wafting by as you walk down the dull street to work. I am aware that this is an almost entirely useless review, but I did want to make the point that this stuff has, for lack of a better term, serious aromatherapy potential. Sorry I can't be more evaluative. I'm new to all this, and all I really know is that I love it.

WHY MUST IT BITE ME? I love it so much! Eclipse starts out as painfully sharp maraschino-cherry doom. This amused me the first time I tried it, but I knew it would probably back off a little. And good heavens, did it. As it dries, the cherry disappears entirely and I get a fabulous spicy almond, slightly vanilla with only a hint of much calmer cherry in the background. I haven't used it since December, because when I gained a little confidence with my first imp order and started slathering rather than using tiny, tiny bits, Eclipse swelled my skin into huge red welts that itched and burned and brought me much sorrow. However, compelled by Forces Beyond My Control, I've tried it again tonight, and it seems that if I use it on less sensitive skin it doesn't do that as much. I still have to stay away from it in general, because the memory of the itching is making the skin of my inner elbows feel irritated again, but it's VERY good to know I can wear it sometimes, because it was in line for a big bottle before it bit me.