MCS4096

In the Bottle: Super sweet candied blossoms. It actually smells a bit like plumeria.. which I'm not a fan of. Wet: I get the creamy rice and a bit of lightest sandalwood when I sniff up close, but the throw is all "plumeria" No nutmeg.. or at least, not enough IMO. Dry: Pretty much the same. There isn't much depth here at all.. I'm really hoping it ages well, because it's a bit BLAH really ETA: I came back to add: This smells just like some damn plumeria body splash I had in like.. 8th grade, from Bath and Body Works, when I didn't know any better.. double ETAA: This is definitely aging nicely/quickly. I'm already getting more of the rice and spices, AND it's growing on me.

This was pretty much love at first sniff.. it's in the same family (in my opinion) as Severin and Dorian.. a lovely crisp, tea based scent. It smells exactly like something in my past, but I can't put my finger on it for the life of me and it makes me a bit crazy every time I put this on I'm not a huge ginger fan (in fact I tend to avoid it even in foods, and would not have picked this for myself), but do NOT be afraid of the ginger here! This is beautiful bright citrus tea. I know it says white tea.. but this is like bergamot on steroids. It's Severin without the leather. It's just gorgeous!

In the Imp: Peppermint toothpaste and pencil shavings Upon wearing this amps to SUCH strong cedar it's unbelievable. I can do cedar in other scents, but in this one it is truly overwhelming. The spices and lotus are somewhat present, but I never get any saffron or sandalwood. And the throw is all cedar all the time. Blah! When I want well behaved cedar I go for Cathedral.

In the imp: I'm not sure if it's just the suggestion of "plum colored" smoke, but it does have a fruity edge to it. The ozone is fairly well blended in there, and the wormwood and opium tar are definitely bitter. This is at once a deep dank scent, and a crisp bright one-- very well layered! Wet: Ozone explosion! Hmm.. much less incense/opium and wormwood.. heavy on the soap I bought a bottle of Midnight on the Midway unsniffed and loved it.. was going to do the same with this one, but I guess I'm glad I waited and tried out an imp! Dry: It definitely improves.. it actually is pretty evocative of the concept.. it's hints of that plum colored incense (spot on that is) and a splash of absinthe on the hot ground as the first drops of rain start to fall. I've actually tried this one a few times, and some days it just goes straight to bitterness. I enjoy both opium and wormwood notes, but it's too bitter some days. Today is a "good" day, and while it's an interesting and unique blend I'm not sure I can justify a bottle when it's not a winner more days that not! Even though I LOVE the concept.

I have goblinshark's imp! In the Imp: Hmm.. yeah, the leather makes it smell plasticy. Which is odd because I do enjoy the Lab's leather note. It's a bit like dried roses petals. Wet: Ahh.. now it blossoms very true roses 'n' leather scent... heavy on the leather. Dry: Amazingly this is almost a leather single note.. the rose IS submissive on me I will enjoy the imp, but Severin is my leather blend of choice!

In the imp: Upon reading the notes this totally sounded like something I'd like.. love musk, love spices, love rose in moderation.. Unfortunately I get a LOT of rose here. The musk deepens it, but there is no spice here. Wet: Getting a bit of spice.. maaaaybe, if I think "smell spices darnit!" uh oh, made my nose plug up a bit.. guess I'll rate this one "allergy inducing" Dry: Pretty much straight up rose. Not nearly musky or spicy enough!

I got two "lily" frimps in my last order.. this one and Tiger Lily (which I did NOT care for..) I loved this one from first sniff though! In the Imp: This totally reminds me of the smell of the dried flowers isle of a crafts store It's a little spice (I agree with the review above mine.. it is allspice-ish) , a little oranges, there's almost a moist cake note there.. It's very evocative of smelling actual lilies to me-- moist and alive, but with that characteristic spice that often makes me sneeze. Wet: Pretty much the same.. has a definite spiced oranges quality, but in a floral way (of course) Dry: This is just so different from anything I've smelled from the lab before (not that I have super extensive experience). It's very well rounded...and it stays pretty true on me. Not much more to say.. it smells like a living lily! It may not be at the top of my "to buy" list, but if I can afford to I would like a bottle.. it fits into the exotic floral category, and my collection is somewhat lacking there

In the imp: at first sniff this smells just like freshly ground black pepper! This is a very strange assortment of notes to me, and isn't something I'd have picked for myself. It smells a bit like Malediction, Bloodlust or Malice (can't remember which.. all made me sick and I'm not going to go over my imps and do a sniff test to verify which is it ) Wet: I get the red musk, florals and juniper. I don't mine juniper in blends, but I do NOT like it with red musk (which is a sweet, juicy note and to my nose really clashes with dry juniper) Still smells like black pepper... Dry: The juniper dies back a LOT-- leaving only a fleeting pepperiness. I'm getting a lot more rosewood and citrusy bergamot. As others have said, a red musky base with spicy florals and woods. Not sure I could be bothered to put up with the weird/nasty initial stages though...

I came back to redo/amend this review because, after 5 years, this is hands-down my favorite atmosphere spray. It is perfect-- everything I could want from this product. I mainly apply these sprays to my bed linens, and this one is perfect on the pillow. I fall asleep in a cool, refreshing meadow. There is crisp grass, cooled by dark soil, beneath my head and the slightest, least offensive, hint of sweet orange jam at the periphery. This blend really whetted my appetite for atmosphere sprays as a new bpaler. Since then I've collected several, and like this blend, they tend to be earthier/less sweet blends. That's what feels clean and refreshing to me. When I started bpalling I was a beginning graduate student. This blend helped me relax and sleep after many stressful nights in grad school. I would spray this on my pillow, lay back, and be transported to a calm, cool open space. I can't tell you how much I needed that some nights! It doesnt get much better than that. I will forever love this spray and hope to never be out!

In the Imp: At initial sniff it is definitely "rose," but upon further investigation involving deep sniffing techniques I can pretty much make out each note. My favorite part is the mandarin, which adds a really lovely freshness.. it's like the rose is freshly picked and still has dew on it. Wet: The amber and myrrh really start to come out. I'm also getting a lot more lilac and lily. It's a moist and spicy rose.. like an aquatic version of some of the lab's "rose incense" blends. The moss adds a nice deepness.. but many of these nuances are lost in the throw, which is still mostly rose. Dry: This is definitely a wonderful rose blend.. I find the throw to be fairly classic, but up close it's rather exotic. Ultimately I get mostly roses, resins and mosses. I wish the mandarin was a bit more present.. that would really make it special to me, but as such this is still something I could see myself wearing when I'm feeling especially feminine.

This smells sooo bad to me/on me it's this nasty sour note that I've never smelled in a lab blend before. I know it's gross.. but it smells like to me.

In the Imp: Wow.. that is some hardcore vetiver! I was a little surprised to see this doesn't have patchouli in it, because on first sniff I thought that this definitely qualifies as a "headshop" scent at first blush. Wet: Can discern the notes better now.. that vetiver is still intense though. The honeysuckle is very very slight, and the opium smoke just makes the whole thing rather sharp. Dry: It really does change a bit from the wet stage.. The vetiver has stepped back some thankfully, and it's all honeysuckle and opium. I smell a twinge of BBQ in there But really it's just a great black floral blend.. surprising since it's honeysuckle, but it is very very dark to me. I never would have thought I'd like something with so much vetiver in it, but this is pretty fabulous. This would be awesome on a hot summer night, you would just radiate sex.

In the Imp: Mmmm beautiful jasmine, orris and the pale musks. Maybe a tiny bit of lemon peel. Wet: Becomes a bit more woody, and yes, powdery. The jasmine here is really beautiful IMHO. Dry: Dry powdery jasmine and orris (orris is very very dry to my nose) with fairly strong (but clean) musks, and only faint woods. No lemon peel really. The throw is almost exactly that of traditional baby powder. I kinda dig that though. I'll have to wear it a few more times, it might grow on me. It's extremely feminine, and some days you just need that

In the bottle: Red currant, red musk, Hawaiian ginger and green tea.. and yes, it smells like blueberries, but rather artificial ones to me Very interesting combo though! Wet: More of the same really: very thick red musk with berries. The blueberry is present mostly in the throw. Dry: This is not one I find myself reaching for every day, but it is definitely unique in my collection. The tea and esp. ginger really come out as it dries. The berries combine really well with the musk, and forms a nice red base, but the tea and ginger hover over it all.

I got frimped this baby TWICE from GirlinDenial In the Imp: This is Bazooka bubble gum (definitely Bazooka.. that's why there's that slightly spicy note.. dunno why, but that's exactly what Bazooka is like!). I kinda get the lollypops, but no "womanly perfume. " Wet: Straight up Bazooka.. spot on! Boy did I chew a lot of that when I was younger.. this is totally taking me back.. And I agree with MineralGirl, I even get the powder on the gum too! As it dries down I get a bit more of the lollypop notes, but still no perfume.. I actually really dig it as pure Bazooka I'll have to wear it a few times, but if it stays pretty true I could definitely see a bottle in my future

In the imp: ahahaha well, I can actually see this being a stylized version of a true glowing vulva scent.. it's creamy, sweet, slightly earthy, clean and sharp. Lotus blossom is the only note I can't really detect. It is very unique and definitely awesome. Wet: Definitely can get the lotus blossom now.. it just added the slightest green/moist note. The teak is very very apparent, and with the cream the affect is similar to how cream cheese frosting smells to me-- creamy, buttery but with that acidic tang. Dry: I believe somewhere I read someone describing this as a very round scent.. and I totally understand. When you sniff this it envelops your.. nostrils, I guess, and comes across as full bodied. It's very warm and supple. I'm not a teak-ophile, but if I was this would be like the holy grail. I'm very very pleased that I got to try this one, and will save my little sniffy for a very special occasion, but I don't think I need to track down a bottle. ETA: after scanning the review above I have to say that it IS a lot like Antikythera Mechanism.. but on me Glowing Vulva is much much more feminine, whereas Antikythera Mechanism remained more gender neutral to masculine on me.. but they are definitely in the same family.

A gooey mound of white fluffiness! And yes, it is vegan! I got a lovely free sniffy of this from the generous Wench457 In the Imp: It doesn't smell exactly like a true roasted marshmallow to me ( I consider myself a bit of a connoisseur ) BUT at the same time, that's exactly what you think of when you smell it. It's got that burnt sugar quality, and yes.. it does smell pretty tasty. Wet: I get a little bit of a floral edge to it. Dry: it's nice.. but it's straight up foody which isn't always my thing. I do think it would be great layered with some other blends, just to add a sugary note to them. I dont think it's super interesting.. it actually reminds me of the smell/taste a lot of lip glosses and such have haha. Glad to get a free sniffy of this rarity though!

In the Imp: Oakmoss, rose and ylang ylang. The ylang ylang is actually pretty strong here, but the rose is stronger. It's funny, my middle name is Rose (and I'm a taurus of course) Wet: I agree with someone above, that this definitely smells like plumeria Dry: VERY strong floral, and very "traditional" smelling to me. The oakmoss is definitely present too though. I'm not get a specific sandalwood note really. This is way too stinky floral for me

I don't get any loam out of this per say.. but on me it is exactly like a cross between Bruised Violet Compound and Violet Ray. The violet note (which perhaps has ylang ylang mixed in in Violet Ray too?) is spot on between the two. And the slightly mossy/patchouli like note is spot on from Bruised Violet Compound. That said, I do really like it, but since I have big bottles of the other two I'm not sure I'd get a bottle of this.

In the Imp: sweet, dry, smoky, leathery. Wet: Pretty much the same, but more intense. Fairly masculine, but still sweet. Dry: Quite lovely! it's sweet florals on a warm breeze across a tropical plaza where men are smoking. I almost get a suntan lotion vibe. The leather is really nice here, and the tobacco is awesome-- slowly amping.

In the Bottle: Mostly warm amber, honey and current with the woody notes adding some dryness. Wet: Amazing, sweet, glorious amber and honeyed currants. The woods add grounding, but this scent is all about the amber and honey! Dry: This dries down to a lovely, semi-spicy honey on me, that pretty much smells like a true beeswax. It's not super strong, but does last very long on me, and I get delicious wiffs of it through the day. I really love this one, and it is a beautiful skin scent on me.. very comforting but slightly sexy. Seriously awesome

In the Bottle: Wet evergreens, crushed night flowers and slightest musk. Very moist feeling. I don't get any incense/smoke at this point. Wet: MMMMMmmmmm... this is an amazing forest scent... This is a night garden behind a warm cottage in a deep, dark wet woods. It's mostly cold and wet, but there is the slightest warmth under it all.. and it is a skin scent, truly like you've worked up a bit of a pit hiking through a wet forest Still no smoke for me. Dry: Ok, incense is coming out.. it mixes with the musk so it still comes across as hot flesh. I guess I'm getting some amber in there too.. but it seems like the "infernal flora" are the main note on me. But the wet forest is so amazing here.. I'm so happy to have this, it really take me back to growing up in rural western Oregon. (Not the ritual part though ) I wish there was a bit more smoke to this, as such it's pretty floral on me. I'd also love to try the 2005 version!

In the imp: Every note is discernible.. It's my favorite cinnamon cloves toothpaste and a pine tree air freshener.. EXCEPT, that vanilla creaminess pulls it altogether into something very intriguing. Wet: The pine is totally overtaken by the vanilla, cinnamon and cloves.. quite lovely really. But a bit like Big Red as someone above mentioned Dry: Yes, I too get baking cookies... I was hoping for more pine, which would make it very interesting. As such it's a rather ordinary spicy blend on me-- It might be nice layered over some other blends. I'm not sure about a bottle.. I am a cinnamon lover in general, but have kinda shied away from cinnamon blends because I'm worried they'll be overpowering.. but the vanilla in here is quite nice indeed It actually smells a lot like this "spiced vanilla" body butter I got at the Body Shop

wow, what a snooty bastard that dude was! Most of what he said has been discussed at length, but one thing that really stood out to me was his comment on scent staying true over long periods of wear. I'm sorry, but that's one thing I love about BPAL! Sure, it's great to have some standbys that never let you down and smell true all day.. but BPAL blends are little adventures in a bottle! A scent that morphs is, to me, a true expression of how scent works with human body chemistry! This place has truly changed my life for the better and given me such joy! ETA: Duh, forgot to mention.. As someone with a chemistry background (but no "perfume" background) I have to say-- just because something is "natural" doesn't make it safe, and just because something is "synthetic" it isnt dangerous. I'm a vegetarian (who tries to be vegan), and I buy organic, blah blah blah.. but I work with chemicals all day long.. My point is, it's nice to use "natural" products, but if you're worried about safety that is false comfort-- you breathe in nasty crap all day long. If you're worried about quality, I think that's also false.. synthetic chemistry is amazing. And as someone else said, using natural oils to blend a "synthetic" version of a scent is not much different. If you want natural just because it's natural, then you're a snooty bastard

In the imp: Celery, is that you?? Wet: I'm not a huge fan of the lab's aquatic notes.. sure they smell wet, but are not really realistic enough to me to be evocative of the concept. This one is that way-- I can imagine it smelling like cold rain beating down on a delicate white flowers and green stems.. but really it smells like "weird perfume" to me.. Dry: Cant get celery out of my head Sorry. not loving this one!