elphaba

Being a Leo, I had to at least try Sol. I didn't get citrus or spices out of it, but rather an herby floral. I think I got a whiff of ylang ylang, but it's very light. The overall effect reminded me of sunscreen and summer days, but in a clean, bright way. It doesn't last long on me and I have to sniff close to the skin to smell it at all. Sadly, Sol won't be a keeper.

It was complete coincidence that I grabbed this out of my test box to try immediately after testing Haunted, but it was definitely kismet. Coyote is a much lighter, dryer amber/musk than Haunted. On me, it's also much sweeter. Wet, it smells almost like a candy necklace. Dry, it's... dry and yellow grasses come to mind. It's still sweeter on me than I recall it being the first time I smelled it on a male friend. Of the two, I think I prefer Haunted, simply because of its staying power. Coyote was more or less gone in 4 hours. However, if you love Haunted, I can definitely see this being a great summer alternative for when Haunted is just too heavy for the weather.

Just now got around to trying my imp of Haunted after quite a while, so this is probably at least a year aged. It's gorgeous, a deep, round womanly scent. It's sexy without being in-your-face about it, sophisticated without being overly complex, and it lasts forever. I think I put this on around noon and when I went to bed at midnight, it was still strong enough that I fell asleep surrounded by its warm glow. The amber does go a little powdery in the drydown, but the musk serves its purpose and keeps it warm and grounded (this is no Bath & Bodworks lotion, that's for sure). The effect is less airy olden halo and more rich, gold damask tapestry. Beautiful.

A master storyteller who possessed unfailing courage and compassion, a sharp, quick wit, and a true understanding of human nature. Saffron and Middle Eastern spices swirled through sensual red musk. I shied away from Scherezade for a long time because of the musk note. Then, I tried a bit from a friend's collection and decided I needed to give it a chance. It turns out either I'm getting more comfortable with musks as I try more BPAL, or I'm getting better at picking blends where musk works on me. Scherezade is warm and sweet on me. At first, it's quite strong and the musk is prominent, but that phase doesn't last long. Once things calm down and settle into my skin, the spices swirl gently around me, making me feel exotic and feminine. It seems to last quite a while (going on 5 hours now and still going strong) and throw is medium. This one won't announce your presence before you enter the room, but it ensures that once you're next to someone, they'll want to stay there!

Your description immediately brought to mind The Red Queen for me. "Deep mahogany and rich, velvety woods lacquered with sweet, black-red cherries and currant."

I just can't decide on Midnight Kiss. It started out as a dark, super-sweet cherry-ish scent on me. From its overwhelming sweetness, I would have actually bet it had dragon's blood in it, but that's nowhere to be seen in the ingredients list. It's funny, though. While I felt I was wearing a strong, overpowering scent in Midnight Kiss, my husband sniffed me and said, "I like it. It's nice... subtle." It does get more subtle as it dries down, I guess. The sandalwood and cocoa come out and some of that sweetness backs off. I think this scent just really isn't me. I'm just on the verge of liking it, but it's not feeling like it belongs on me. Thank you, lab, for the frimp, though!

Plunder is overwhelmingly cinnamony when first applied -- so much so, that I found myself starting to wonder how it was different from any other cinnamon blend. Then, as it dries down (and it doesn't take long... maybe ten minutes), the sandalwood starts to come out and the cinnamon backs away. The scent rounds out into a wafting woody-spicy loveliness. Unfortunately, it's not particularly long-lasting. It was mostly gone in less than four hours for me, but it just may be worth reapplying. I'm looking forward to comparing this to some of my other cinnamony-spicy blends to see how it compares.

I tried Shadwell at GenCon and ordered a bottle in my first order after getting home. It's beautiful and comforting and just all-around fabulous. On me, this scent is very milky. I would swear it's the same note as in my beloved Milk Moon 2005, but Shadwell might be even better. Milk Moon can almost edge into sourness at times, but this stays sweet and full and round. I swear I slept with my wrist glued to my nose last night and, in the morning, I could still smell Shadwell on my pillow. If this were an LE, I would be ordering a second bottle, pronto.

I think I could spend a long time in the Perilous Parlor. It's definitely pear-y, especially fresh on. Although, I just picked up a fresh pear out of my fruit bowl and this smells nothing like that. It's more like a poached pear, sweetened and mellowed. the vanilla is also there from the beginning, warming things up and adding to the sweetness. As it dries, it stays mostly the same, maybe mellowing a bit more. Contrary to what others have experienced, I'm getting fairly decent throw from this one. I keep catching whiffs of it as I move around. I've had it on for about 6 hours and it's still going strong. I think this would work well as a bedtime scent. It's warm and comforting and not so distracting it would keep me awake.

I have worn Regan probably half a dozen times now and every time I sit down to write about it, I find I don't have much to say. It's pretty--a soft, floral vanilla, great throw when you first apply it and a kind of sweet, powdery drydown. I like it. I don't love it and I don't hate it, though. It doesn't really inspire any passion in me. It's just... nice. I will probably pass this (now depleted by so many attempts at a review) imp on as a frimp to someone. I just don't see myself being drawn to it when I have 75 other scents that are both beautiful and memorable.

I was having a hard time getting a good feeling for Hemlock, so I put The Apothecary on one wrist and Hemlock on the other. If the Apothecary is a lovely Mediterranean herb garden near a citrus grove, on a sunny afternoon, then Hemlock might be that garden in the wee hours of the morning, when everything seems a bit darker and more sinister. I honestly didn't expect to like this one as much as I do. Instead of the brighter herbs from Apothecary, this feels like someone cut into the woody part of an evergreen herb. As it dries down, it gets sweeter and sweeter and does a lovely job blending in with the scent of my skin. It doesn't last particularly long (maybe 4 hours) and the throw is minimal, but Hemlock is a great fall-winter herbal, when you want something a bit darker and with more body.

This is quite appley on me at first. I think there's some pomegranate in there too. Just very fruity and bright. As it dries, some florals come out and the blend gets more complex, but that apple scent stays in the forefront. I was surprised and a bit disappointed that the more warm and dry elements of this scent don't seem to come out on me because those were the things that attracted me to it initially. I think I'll keep my bottle, but I wouldn't have been disappointed if all I had was an imp.

When I first got my Monster Baits, I had such unending love for Closet, that Underbed kind of got shoved aside and never really worn or reviewed. I got it out again while working my way through my pile of unreviewed imps and now I'm thinking it didn't get nearly as much love as it deserved! This is really lovely. It's rich and spicy. I'm not getting a whole lot of floury "baked goods" kinds of notes from it. Rather, it smells like cocoa and cinnamon all measured out and ready to go. It's not unlike Mexican cocoa, although the coconut note adds something more to round the whole scent out. I haven't had luck with some of the other BPAL chocolate scents, but this one is just right. It's a keeper.

Nothing at all sharp or green about Cathedral on me. This is a brown scent - woody, resinous, and yes, incensey. I didn't grow up Catholic, so it doesn't have a lot of church associations for me. It smells... old. Not in an "old lady" sort of way, but in an ancient, lasting way. It's a scent that has seeped into a building over hundreds of years and yet, there it is, distilled into an oil and applied to my wrists. I'm actually not sure what to make of Cathedral. I love the scent and it makes me happy, but it's not really one I associate with me and I'm not quite comfortable wearing it. I think I'll save the imp for rainy afternoons at home alone.

I was so sad when Sudha Segara didn't work on me, but this more than makes up for it! Eden is just the perfect scent for its namesake. The honeyed almond milk and coconut make a lovely, innocent base. It's so very warm and inviting. The fig manages to be not too sweet. Still, there's something in here that hints at the potential for a fall from grace. This isn't all innocence and light. It's just the right amount complicated by full, ripe fruit. As if their scents drifted in on the wind from a distance. I really adore Eden and will probably order a big bottle when my imp runs out.

I couldn't smell a whole lot of apple straight from the imp on this one, but holy moly, as soon as it hit my skin, the apple came wafting from my wrists right up to my nose without a moment's hesitation. It's a wonderful fresh, fall harvest apple scent. The pumpkin and spices hung a bit closer to my skin and warmed everything up. They hung around after the initial blast of apple died down. The whole effect is quite lovely and perfect for fall.

I've had this in my collection without reviewing it for quite a while, so this is a well-aged imp. I think there are herbal scents I like better, so I won't be getting a bottles, but it really hit the spot today. I wore it to the end-of-summer ice cream celebration at my son's school and it was just right - friendly enough for a first grade classroom, and perfectly lush for the nature of the party. When I first put it on, The Apothecary is nose-tinglingly, eye-wateringly tart. The herbs and moss are fresh-picked and wet, but it doesn't take long for the sweetness of the fig to kick in. This is a very subtle fig, but it's just enough to add something lovely and feminine underneath the herbs.

I always wear Snake Oil for bellydance. It just makes me feel exotic and beautiful. If Silk Road is your signature scent, I'd suggest not wearing it (although it's another one I love) just so you'll feel more special and in-character with something different. Wear what makes you feel gorgeous and powerful.

Wow, a green oil! Hemlock goes on smelling rather sharp and medicinal. Like eucalyptus mixed with pine. It wasn't unpleasant, exactly, but it definitely wasn't working its way onto my top ten list. I thought it might smell better on a man, but even the thought of pine makes my husband's eyes water, so that's probably not a good idea. The drydown was a surprise. Still a little bit of that piney tang, but much sweeter and softer around the edges. I still don't think it will be a favorite, but I am finding myself surreptitiously taking whiffs of my wrists.

In the interest of full disclosure, I should admit that the description of Port Royal could have read, "Washed up fish carcasses touched by the body odor of men fresh from three months at sea, with a whiff of lantern oil and salt-brined pork" and I would have still ordered it and kept it in my collection. It didn't, though, and I'm happy to report that only do I love the concept of Port Royal, I'm quite fond of the perfume itself. On initial application, it's very woody, calling to mind the creaking of ships swaying gently in port. The drydown is like entering the city. The smell of wet wood stays, but is joined by something warm and spicy. I was worried about Port Royal being too perfumey but it's not at all. It's ships and spice, warmth and debauchery, a well-earned respite from care. I see a big bottle in my future.

Mmm, I am such a sucker for the sweet, foody scents. Especially if they have a hint of booze in them. Anything fermented, really. I'm not picky. And Cockaigne is no exception. While wet, the "sweet cakes" were most prominent but I didn't get any of the plastickiness I sometimes do with BPAL baked goods. I could actually almost smell the dryness of the flour and the slight, crispy edges fresh out of the oven. The drydown reminds me a bit of Hellcat with the honey and wine, but this is less wicked. Hellcat makes me feel like a tipsy badass. Cockaigne makes me feel utterly spoiled and happy. Definitely a keeper.

I keep trying Dana O'Shee again and again because it sounds like it would be SO good. Sadly, it always seems to fall flat on me. The initial scent is a mild almond, like a soft almond skin cream. After only a couple of minutes, it's barely perceptible and that's the end of Dana O'Shee for me. I've tried this blend at every time of the month and during every season and it just doesn't have ANY staying power or throw on my skin. It's with great reluctance that I'll be parting ways with this one, but it's just not working.

Things I've learned about Vixen: 1. This is not a summer scent. Don't let the orange blossom in the description fool you. This is a serious, heavy, sultry scent. When I tried to wear it in July, it left me claustrophic in a cloud of ginger-scented patchouli. 2. The first few minutes are misleading. I thought something in this was going to go plasticky on me, but it calmed down. 3. Vixen lasts forever and a day. I put it on first thing this morning (around 8) and I can still catch wafts of it at 10pm. 4. I don't have to go layering Snake Oil with Shub anymore. I have Vixen.

If you can get your hands on Smut, a (male) friend of mine sniffed the bottle and said, "Woah, that smells like an adult bookstore...or a copy of Playboy...the good one!"

A wonderful, evocative scent. I definitely can smell the rich loam, especially when it's wet. When I think of noir heroines, I always imagine the scent of their perfume lingering in the air after they leave room, taunting the hard-boiled detective with the memory. For that reason, I expected Penny Dreadful to have not just a bit of throw, but massive, major THROW. It didn't disappoint. The perfumey part is floating around me in a cloud, even though I only applied a swipe of the imp wand to each wrist. Surprisingly, it's not TOO perfumey and it's definitely not flowery. It's a warm, sweet perfume that meshes perfectly with the dirt underneath. The first time I tried this, I wasn't in love and planned to swap it as soon as I wrote up my impressions, but the process of writing this review and thinking about how well it does what it set out to do almost has me convinced to keep it. I guess I'll just keep it for a bit longer and see if I ever reach for it. I am weak.