obsidienne

Softly glowing, gentle, calm, sweet innocence that fades quickly to a mere wisp (much like real innocence). No way to describe this one other than as perfect beauty & grace. Genuinely amazing. I just wish it lasted longer. It faded to nothing within minutes. 4.5/5; -.5 because it needs a scent locket.

In the imp: mmmm, woodsy, sexy cherries. Wet: wood, with a lot less cherries. On me: cedar chips, and it fades extremely fast too. And that's it. Pewp. I like this smell (who doesn't like cedar chips?!) but as nothing remains on my skin but said cedar chips (srsly, just like the ones they use to mulch landscaping), I'm going to have to try it in a scent locket. If it doesn't work with that, then it's out.

(from last week, forgot to post this) In the imp: Sticky, syrupy cherries and rose. On me: Dragon's blood and me... we don't get along. It smells like cheap maraschino cherries to me. The rose and wine are being smacked down by it. Dry: a little less dragon's blood (aka grossest cherry smell ever (to me)), a little more rose. Far dry: Some rose, some wine, some dragon's blood. Still not getting along with the dragon's blood. This perfume is so not what I expected! A day in this made my nose feel raped. Word to the wise: go lightly on this one!

Many thank yous to the Lab for this frimp! In the imp: an aquatic white floral with hints of salt and citrus. On my skin: mmmm... dryer sheets! Seriously though, it's much like in the imp, but the notes separate a bit. Hint of ozone, everything smells very wet and fresh and gleamy. It's quite a commercial smell, actually. As it dries down: The citrus burns off a bit and the scent warms up considerably (and thus becomes a lot easier for me to wear; these types of high pitched florals are not my style, though my sister would probably love this.). Before it was a bit prissy... now it's a calm sea... but I have to admit, there's still a hint of dryer sheets going on. I cannot for the life of me tell what florals these are. The ozone and salt make themselves more comfortable. And is that white musk? Dry: faded a lot, and seriously calmed down. At first, this scent seems calculated to keep one awake and alert; after it dried on my skin and settled down, it seemed calming, the essence of serenity. It's still florals with salt and ozone and a touch of citrus, but the florals are fading from white to a soft sunrise white gold. Funny how colour is often used to describe smell on the forums! The ozone and musk (?) remind me of a faint incense; it's like there's a very soft purr underneath the florals and citrus. Throw: medium, then very light when dry. Fades fast to almost nothing. Conclusion: I like it (not love it) overall, although I am thinking that I don't like salt notes. This could definitely be a unisex perfume; I think I will try it on my boyfriend (the poor man is so sick of my perfume obsession by now). I don't use dryer sheets anymore, so this is a decent substitute. I'll keep the imp, but this isn't a 5ml for me.

In the imp: ... this is kind of stanky! Jasmine and coffee and something woodsy (must be the mahogany). Where are the roses? Somehow, it also smells like soap. On me: still kind of stanky. Jasmine, coffee bean, soapy mahogany. It smells weird. Drying: some brightness emerges, still loads of coffee and jasmine. There are the roses! Very very subtly, but they are there. Dry: Some improvement. I can detect all of the notes individually, but a slightly sour coffee soap smell is still the overall impression that I get. Conclusion: This is a fascinating scent, although it's probably not meant for me. I've gone from hating it to liking it to hating it to liking it; that sort of schizophrenia tells me that either it's not working for me overall, or I just need to be in the right mood (I seem to be in the right mood at the moment). Compared to other perfumes, I've never smelled anything like it. That said, it has an earthy mysterious feel to it, so I think it's living up to its name... but not completely. I think I expected more from Mata Hari. EDIT: My boyfriend hates jasmine so much that I have to let this go.

Frimp from the Lab; thank you! I'm extra grateful for it, as I'd never have tried this on my own, and I really like it a lot. It smells even better on my boyfriend than on me. In the imp: musty slightly sharp, bitter green herbs; I can't make head or tails of anything at the moment. Wet: similar to the above, but add in some blackcurrant, lilac, and rose and sugar. I adore lavender and keep a pure bottle of essential oil on hand at all times, but I can't detect it at all in here, unless only the pungent aspect of it is making itself known here. Is that sharp smell the absinthe? Dry: the lilac and rose really come to the forefront here, with the sugar, blackcurrant and the green bits (absinthe, ferns (?)) still there, but more in the background. It's sweet but those elements seem to keep it all in check. Again, the lavender blends in so that I can't pick it out, but I'm sure it's helping out somewhere. This is very complex. Far drydown: somehow this comes across as a sweet & slightly herbal springtime floral when all is said and done. It's unique! I like. The lilac really shines, with rose coming second, sugar third; something maintains a slightly woody, bitter note throughout, which keeps this from going too sweet and too floral on my skin. This scent evokes images of a small, bright green island caressed constantly by soft breezes, somewhere on the ocean. Weird, I know. Throw: pretty good. It lasts a decent amount of time, which isn't saying much on me (my skins eats perfume for breakfast). I'd buy another imp of this if I ran out, although I don't know if it suits me enough to be 5ml worthy.

To me this is like a floral Hesperides (which, btw, I adore). Thusly, I adore this one, too! In the imp, it's a red, ripe apple - have you ever walked past a bowl of apples on your table and smelled that sort of warm, very slightly drunk apple smell that outgasses from the fruit when it's ripe and sweet? That is what I think of when I smell the perfume. Underneath that are some interesting notes, some floral, and something... sharp and slightly evil smelling, which could definitely be the poison part of the oil's name. I'm not having a good day when it comes to word usage, apparently. On my skin, this is a warm, sweet ripe apple with a floral undertone that is sweet and smoky and a bit sharp at random moments -- i.e. it lives up to its namesake beautifully. It's absolutely amazing. As it wears, it almost has a slightly sugary smell beneath it, which, if we're thinking poison, would be a good "disguise". On far drydown, the apple is still present, albeit much mellower, and there is a warm, slightly sweet (but not too sweet) floral left with a hint of sugar. It's still fantastic. It doesn't last long, though. I've applied twice in 2 1/2 hours. Throw: mild, and on my skin, it doesn't last very long. Overall: 4/5; 1 deducted because it doesn't linger long enough! That said, I can't wait to try this in a scent locket. I'd consider this worthy of a 5ml purchase if I didn't already want to try more blends than I can use in the next 5 years.

Well, all of the reviews that stated that this smells like a commerical perfume -- or like shampoo or soap -- are pretty spot on. It does smell commercial, and it does remind me of shampoo. It's also extremely floral, no mistake about it: palest pink and white florals. I have no idea what any of the notes smell like individually, so I am truly useless as a reviewer for this one. But one odd thing; I got a frimp of Destroying Angel from the lab, which I didn't care for much and sent onwards; there's a weird, soft dusty note I noticed when smelling the D.A. imp, which showed up in Hanami after about an hour of wear. But it was so subtle and close to the skin (nose on wrist) that it's not even that important. I just thought it was really weird. Maybe they share a floral note. So what's it like to wear? It makes me feel like I'm wearing a very light floral scent that smells like... mountain breezes and softly fluttering sakura no ame. It has pretty decent throw. My boyfriend immediately liked this a lot, whereas most of the BPAL scents I am continually thrusting under his nose are fairly "whatever" in his opinion (especially ones I love, go figure.).

In the imp: so many juicy gorgeous roses! a hint of sweet green grass! YUM! Wet: ... so many JUICY GORGEOUS roses! a hint of sweet green grass! YUM! Drydown: some of the more delicate roses fade, but still plenty enough remains to appease me. still a hint of sweet green grass. Still yum. Far drydown: lots of rose, but it gets a little less juicy and complex as it dries and my chemistry does whatever it does to try to tame it all; however, one rose in particular remains that is thick and spicy and almost... drunk? and one also that's bright and white and almost fruity. There must be others in there, I just can't really distinguish them anymore. Still some grass. Still fricking yum. Totally gorgeous. Transcendantly rose. I don't know what else to say, I just love it. A little goes a long way. Throw is medium to good. Completely big bottle worthy.

The Sleeping Beauty. A gentle, lovely scent, slightly soporific, but beautiful in its quiet repose. Plumeria and white pear, Damascus rose, tuberose, magnolia and evening dew. A fabulous frimp from the lab; thank you!! In the imp: Smells so much better in the imp than on me. A gorgeous white, fruity floral. A little dewy. A little bit of rose. Gentle, sweet pear. And already... a hint of soap? I guess that must come out one of the notes that I don't individually know yet (plumeria or tuberose). Truth be told, I can't even remember what magnolia smells like anymore, so it could even be that. On my skin: A very bright, crystalline white floral with little shimmers of pear... and soap. The individual notes sing out one after another in swirls of perfume, but under it all, it's still pretty soapy. It's quite an innocent scent. Clean. Springlike. Makes me think of flowering fruit trees and twinkling sunshine and splashing water in a courtyard fountain. Dry: Sweet floral with a hint of rose and soap. The florals and pear are a little too uppity to really evoke for me the description's "slightly soporific" "quiet repose". It's actually more uplifting. That said... WHY DOES EVERYTHING TURN TO SOAP ON ME?!

In the imp: Smoky? A strong, musty woodsy smell with a bite (patchouli + ginger) and underlying sweetness (orange blossom). Wet: very ginger and patchouli, the orange blossom quite subtle; overall, the impression is for me really yummy, creamy incense; even though I can very much distinguish each note, they blend together very well. It reminds me of those funky alternative/goth stores where they've been stocking Nag Champa for so many years that it ALWAYS smells like that in there and it's very exotic and yummy. Drydown: still very ginger and patchouli, but the bite has tamed itself and the orange blossom is shining through a little more. It's kind of woodsy and a bit creamy. A hint of bubbliness, too... Dry: My skin managed to eat most of this (which surprised me, considering how strong it is in the imp), and now I have to put my nose close to the crook of my elbow to get a sniff. The notes are fairly balanced now and nothing is too strong, but I wish the scent would keep its throw! The orange blossom really develops in this stage. I am reminded of a sassy microbrewery ginger ale (I'm not talking disgusting, mass-produced soda, here!) with a gentle orange cream. So somehow, this scent has become a bit foody. It's warm, too. Cozy. Throw: The initial throw was a lot stronger in the beginning; my skin tamed this in about 10 minutes. Goes from strong throw to mild on me. Overall impression: this makes me smell like exotic incense. In a warm, sexy way. Might need a scent locket to keep from having to reapply constantly. I really like Vixen, but my boyfriend hates it and thinks it smells like old lady. Boo on that.

Bon Vivant I got this as one of three BPAL intro scents from undream. I don’t think I can ever thank her enough for introducing me to the world of BPAL. In the imp: Quite simply: sweet ripe strawberries & a bubbly champagne! Wet: A lovely ripe strawberry smell – these are in no way the strawberries that make you think of a seventh grader’s perfume – with the champagne bubbling up underneath. The champagne is a teensy bit grapey, and there is maybe a tiny bit of citrus (which I may well be mistaking for something else). I think there’s a hint of sugar, or perhaps a floral note; could it be a light rose? I am honestly not sure! Overall, though, whatever the individual notes, it's hard to mistake this for anything other than strawberries & champagne. It actually does have a vague boozy smell… which is perfect. Drydown: Gets a little sweeter on me, stays bubbly, and maintains the strawberries. Dry: The scent maintains itself and smells somewhat similar wet as dry, but of course it does change a little bit. I think that it matures and blends a little more overall. If that floral I'm smelling is rose, then I'm noticing it a bit more. I can still pick out the individual notes [that my nose can define, that is], whereas usually my body chemistry manoeuvers all but one or two notes into oblivion. So that's a nice change. Throw: Average to good. Conclusion: At first I didn’t really feel a lot of passion for Bon Vivant; I thought it smelled lovely, but… it was something I wanted to have only occasionally, as it didn’t speak to me at first. That said, first time I put on only the barest amount on a wrist and then proceeded into the backyard to garden, so it wasn’t really getting a chance to prove itself. I chose to send my imp back to undream so that she may swap it for something she really wanted, but before I did, I thought I’d give it one more chance. A day of wearing it has changed my mind, and I now know this is a perfume that I most certainly want in a 5ml bottle, especially because I think it describes me pretty well. *G* Also, it has such a cheerful, carefree aura that I think it has really helped to keep me in a good mood all day, which is a boost I need at times… and I’m craving pink champagne like nobody’s business.

The Apothecary This was a frimp from the Lab, and am I ever thrilled! It was on my wishlist as a “curiosity scent”. In the imp: At first, this smelled strongly herby, pungent and grassy, a hint musty, almost like a cleaner gone bad. Not super appealing, but it was intriguing and did scream “apothecary”! On skin, wet: Well, I spilled this all over my arm. Half an imp gone! D’OH. And… wow. I was terrified that I’d smell like cleaner for the rest of the day, but that’s not the case at all. Once it hit my skin, almost immediately the scent that rose around me (liberally) morphed from pungent to bright green, delicately sweet, citrus. Uplifting. The bright, slightly herbal notes must be the grass and moss, and although I can’t really define the herbs, I think I detect lemongrass. The rest of the sweetness is probably partly the fig? I wish my nose was educated enough to figure out the rest of the notes. Drydown: It’s still sweet and green, with a bit of fizz, thanks to the ginger. I believe that the fig grounds it and keeps it from buzzing in my nose; instead, it’s like a green champagne. That said, a slightly soapy smell has started to develop (and maybe it’s due to the fact that I'm wearing half an imp). I can still smell the moss and ginger and sometimes, the fig (probably only because I was eating them yesterday and the smell is fresh in my mind). Every now and then a bubbly swirl of bright springtime green catches at my nose. Dry: Update one: A couple of hours later, the soap has become unmistakable. And annoying. It's green soap. Where did the fizz and the play of scents go? Update two: Several hours later, and even after an attempt to wash it off, it's not just soap, it's Pledge! I can't wait to go to the gym later so that I have an excuse to shower again -- I am that nauseated. My nose feels raped. Hard to believe it went from green champagne to soap. Oh well. Throw: No idea what it’s like in normal use, as I’ve got so much on me that it’s very strong.

First post, first review, hi. I’m not very good at picking out the details of scents, but I hope to improve my sniffing abilities via BPAL’s gorgeousness. The Hesperides In the imp, and wet on the skin: Ripe, bright, crisp-yet-sweet apples, gently smoky autumn leaves, soft mists with a hint of the wood. There’s something intoxicating about it… like being drunk on autumn. Every time I breathe in the scent it’s like a symphony of all the different notes; they sort of sing together and one voice breaks free now and then to sing its special tune. The apples are crisp and sweet but a little tangy, too. For me, the overall smell evokes the image of wooded hills and valleys before sunset or after sunrise, where early autumn leaves swirl about in gentle breezes, and thin mists slightly soften the vivid colours of a landscape of golds, browns, ripe greens, oranges, reds. And of course… I’m thinking apples: their red shiny skins, their crisp white flesh. It’s an earthy, yet effervescent, magical smell. I can’t stop sniffing myself. I hope no one walks by and sees me like this. Drying: The initial smoke and tang calm down (I wish they wouldn’t!) and the scent sweetens and lightens up a bit… no wait, a lot, and fast. The apples smell... older. Dry: The scent fades extremely quickly to the merest hint of the initial bouquet… and then virtually disappears. *tears* I have applied it three times in the last hour? I think I need to invest in a scent locket, stat. At 30 minutes or so, only the faintest hint of scent is left on my skin. It might as well be gone. Throw: Light to middling. My skin eats this quickly, like 10-15 minutes quickly. That said, I’d wear this regularly (in a scent locket), because it’s addictive. It really evokes autumn for me.