masquedbunny

I loved the way this began--Candy-Cane Land! Peppermint and sugar and mwah! But it faded so quickly on me; it didn't even last through my commute.

Hormones may be throwing off my skin chemistry, but I'm in agreement with the people who say they get soapiness from Dragon's Blood. Bold, semi-spicy soap, but still soap. It has a very powerful throw, too. It's definitely a pleasant and clean smell, but I don't know if that's what I want from a scent called Dragon's Blood. Still, I'd like to try the other Ars Draconis blends to see if I can get them to play better with my skin. I'm going to give this another try in a week or so.

In the imp: Sweet honey and vanilla with a sour overtone. It's almost too sweet, but here we go! Wet on skin: Amping whatever is making this seem sour to me. The vanilla is still there as an afterthought. Drying: The sourness disappears fairly quickly, and actually--there's nothing left besides a faint floral amber that sort of reminds me of tropical florals and wetland. Weird. My skin is devouring this. Dry: Yep. My skin is effectively squashing this one. I can barely smell anything at all unless my wrist is right in my face. Still getting the impression of hibiscus. Hmm. I'll put some behind my ears and see if a bit of my hair won't let it cling a little better ... Oh, yes, this is working much better for me now. The honey, vanilla, and amber definitely get a more even draw with my hair than my skin. Sweet and warm--gorgeous!

In the imp: Golden-yellow colour. It's an odd scent for me--kind of tangy musk. I'm guessing the tang is coming from the currant note. Wet on skin: All honey and black currant. Drying: The musk is coming back, and the black currant lessens. It's very light and stays faintly sweet with the honey. Dry: This is beautiful. It's a light and elusive smoky musk--but, as others have noted, it's a clean scent. Undercurrent of warmth which might be the sandalwood coming out. Throw is minimal--and, sadly, I don't foresee it lasting through the morning, since my skin seems to be devouring the scent. I really like it, and I'm definitely thinking of ordering a bottle before it disappears on Friday; but that'll really depend on its longevity today.

In the imp: Warm and woodsy opium. On wet: Very heavy opium and light floral (the orchid, I suppose). Mmm. It's smoky and kind of makes me think of a fire in summer. Drying: This gets smokier and more resinous as it dries. I'm not sure this is work safe for me. The impression is that I've been spending time in a hookah lounge. Dry: Definitely smokier, but I think the orchid becomes more evident at this stage on me. It's also kind of like ... burned sugar. Very interesting, though I'm not sure if it's a daily sort of scent for me.

In the imp: This is all violet to me and sort of sharp in the vial. Wet on skin: Much as it was in the imp, but the tuberose opens up. Still a bit sharp (I sneezed). Drying: Ooh, it does get deeper and softer. Completely dry: It does go a little powdery on my skin, but still lovely. The very gentle throw I'm getting is mainly tuberose. I think the downside might be it's strength and longevity--but, overall, very nice.

In the imp: To me, this smells like cake frosting. All honey and vanilla, and I think I should be eating this rather than wearing it. Wet on skin: Florals become clearer and sweetness is less foody. Drying: Still mainly olive blossom, honey, and vanilla. I'm not really getting cinnamon from this. The jasmine is becoming more obvious, but so far (knock on wood) it's balanced out by the other notes. Completely dry: My original fear (that I was going to smell like a cake shop all day) has been relieved. It is sweet, but warmly so. The jasmine is continuing to behave itself. There's a slightly green and woodsy note underlying it all that's come out to play--the sandalwood, I'm guessing. Very pretty.

ah! thank you, hackess! this is exactly what I need! I'm still really new to BPAL, but I already feel like what I have is getting away from me... this is incredibly comprehensive. thanks for sharing it with the rest of us! ~ri

In the imp: Juicy grapefruit mainly with underlying florals. Wet on skin: The grapefruit backs off a bit, and it's more generally tart citrus and aquatic florals. Ooh, and the florals have the throw. Drydown: The citrus makes way for frosty florals, but it's still there. Dry, a while later: The florals definitely sharpen on me (which is good, because for a while I was afraid they'd go powdery), and I think the citrus notes help that impression. Not what I expected, but I like it. I can tell, however, that it's not going to last the day; it's fading quite fast. ETA: Tthree hours later, and what was applied to my wrists is now quite faint. However, behind my ears and what ended up in my hair is still fairly strong and a nice even balance of grapefruit and aquatic florals.

In the imp: Appearance is very light and clear yellow. Scent is strong coffee and almost like caramel--like a caramel macchiato. Wet on skin: Still mainly coffee, but the wood note--and yes, what I'd call the dustiness of old books--begins to come out. This is what my school's library would smell like if we were allowed anything more than water beyond the front doors... Drydown: The initial sweet impression of caramel macchiato dissipates and makes way for the dustier scent, but this is still very strong coffee with a bite (probably from something lurking in the hallowed halls...). Now I know what the description is talking about in the sense of "polished oakwood"--because the wood note definitely has a kind of cleanness about it. I think I'm in agreement with some of the other reviews I've read here. I like it a lot, but it seems more like a room scent than a personal scent.

In the bottle: It's wet greenery and and the sharpness of ozone. Definitely more uplifting than moody so far as the evoked emotions go. On wet: Light and a blend of florals and aquatics to begin with ... and a tang in the background--of what, I'm not sure. Ozone, possibly. Drying: Getting the notes of woods and smoke now, though it's still quite gentle. I don't think I've tried any other scents with the smoke note before, but this is lovely. Fully dry: This morphs a lot. The florals have mostly disappeared, and what's left is a dusty, smoky green scent. Beautiful and light. Puts me more in mind of mid-Spring than late Winter; but that's probably due to my locale and recent weather situation (New England and tons of snow, respectively).

This came as a frimp from the lab, and it was on my super long list of things I wanted to try ... kismet! In the imp: This seemed very masculine to me, all dark leather. Wet on skin: The rose note comes out and is very even with the leather note. Still reminding me of some of my guy friends--which isn't a bad impression, because I love how these particular guy friends smell. Drying: It goes a little powdery in the roses on me, though this could be due to this time of the month's skin chemistry. Dry (5 hours later): This is still a fairly even mix of (albeit powdery) roses and leather. And usually when things go powdery, it bothers me, but the juxtaposition really works here. I'm really enjoying this one, and I'm glad the labbies sent to to me. Who knows when I would've gotten 'round to ordering a sample for myself!

In the imp: Primarily lemon verbena and neroli--sweet citrus. Very light on jasmine. I think I'm missing the tea note. Wet on skin: Sharp lemon--somewhere between the candy Lemonheads and dish-soap. Dry on skin: The soapiness backs off, and the jasmine comes back--but not in the usual overpowering way that jasmine has on my skin. For me, this is a nice even blend of the citrus with the jasmine. It does seem to fade fast; though, while it's there, it's fairly strong.

In the imp: Overpowering apple--like APPLE. This smells drinkable (which I didn't actually do, just to be clear). I feel a certain amount of skepticism about this, because I know I'm not fond of shampoo that's scented like non-citrus or not-tropical fruit (apple, berry, etc.). But it's a much richer scent and hints at fascinating morphing possibilities--so I'm game. Wet on skin: It's still very APPLE, but I get definitely the wood notes and something like vegetation. Dry on skin: Hmm, well, my wrists don't smell the same. On my right it's mostly sweet apple and a little mistiness. On my left, the apple has gone, and I'm getting the note of oak and, again, what I'm interpreting as vegetation. I also scented my hair, and that seems to be getting the more even draw in the dry-down, or at least more what I had hoped. Though, writing this two hours after application, I think it might be a fast-fading scent for my skin; what ended up on my scarf and hat seems to be going strong). It's very interesting, but I don't know if I'd reach for it often enough to need a bottle. Probably not.

This seemed appropriate for today. I pass an old graveyard every morning and evening; and, though there's no cloister, it is newly blanketed in snow from yesterday's all-day snowfall. Scented my wrists, collarbone, and hair. In the bottle: Sharp ozone--the first impression is fresh and cold. Wet on skin: Still very sharp and piercing, but also a little sweet and green. Then I catch the frankincense, and there's the reminder of something ancient underneath the cold and damp. Dry on skin: Ozone and frankincense, primarily. But that green scent is still in the background; it's not minty to me, though. It's more like conifers. Ruins in the cold and damp, in a clearing in the woods, this definitely evokes its namesake for me. Not something I'd reach for every day, but it's lovely and suits this weather and my mood. It is really staying strong in my hair.

Got this as a frimp in a forum order, and the name intrigues me very much, so here we go! In the imp: White florals with a bite of whiskey. I'm thinking Classy Garden Patio in Hell more so than Tavern. Wet on skin: Still overpowering florals--mostly gardenia and lavender--less whiskey, and an underlying warm woodiness. Dry on skin: I fear this may do what Les Fleurs du Mal did on my skin, as I'm gradually losing the warm woodiness and this is becoming powdery florals. Two hours later: There's still a nice warmth here, but I'm mostly getting powdery gardenia and lavender. Maybe a hint of orange blossom. It's not bad, but it's not thrilling me on this first go-round. Perhaps it would be better in a scent locket ... EDIT: Okay, it's almost 12 hours after application, and the scent is still on me, but it's definitely morphed into something else--almost like vanilla, but not quite. It's a well-rounded sweetness. I honestly have no idea what I'm smelling.

In the imp: This is chocolate-covered cherry candy, and the name "Vice" is spot-on. Wet on skin: Still smelling like chocolate-covered cherries. It's kind of cloyingly sweet for me. Dry on skin: I'm getting some difference between what was applied to my wrists and what's on my collar bone--less chocolate and more orange blossom and cherry on my wrists, more cloying chocolate-cherry on the collar. Now it's about two hours later and the chocolate on my wrists seems to have been lost entirely at some point on the way to work and the orange blossom has grown kind of dusty on me. All in all, I think I'd like it better if it were a more even blend of chocolate and cherry in the dry-down. "Love Lies Bleeding" leaves a similar result on me, but I think I might prefer it to this. I'll have to do a side-by-side comparison later.

I've never tried Embalming Fluid, so I can't really compare them ... In the imp: Citrus and aftershave. Wet on skin: AFTERSHAVE. Wow, I smell like guy. Fresh and clean citrus, it's also reminding me of dish soap. Dry-down: Still mostly aftershave, but more chemical than soapy. I also swear I'm getting a note of ozone--which is weird to me, because that's not listed. Eh, it's not driving me away or anything, but I don't think this one is for me.

Received this one as a frimp from a forum order, but it had been on my super-long list of GC scents I wanted eventually to try. In the imp: On my first whiff, this smells like sweet tea and cinnamon. Maybe what I'm interpreting as cinnamon is the cassia and musk. Following from there, I think the "sweet tea" impression is actually the lemon and sugarcane. After reading about the allergic reactions from others, I'm a little nervous about testing too much of this--so I'm just doing a touch on the top of my thumb for now ... Wet on skin: Musk, lemon and cassia. It's a very warm tingly kind of citrus. Dry on skin: Getting the mango and sandalwood now, but it's still very musky-lemon on me. I think I smell like a Celestial Seasoning tea bag--not any one in particular, but just that mixed tea smell that I get from mixing all my fruit-flavoured tea bags in one canister. Well, it's between that and a little Amish doll I brought back from Lancaster, PA (and she always smelled like tea to me, too, so ...). Sorry. This is quite a subjective simile. It's not a bad smell to have, but I don't think it's one I'd immediately reach for. I think I'll try it again when my chemistry is a little different... Note to self: The good news for next time is that the skin on my thumb has not broken out in a weird rash. May apply with less trepidation. ETA: 8. Feb - Trying it on wrists today, and still think it's very much a musky-lemon-tea smell. Not too strong on application, it's staying quite close to my skin. More on longevity later ...

I bought an imp of this with my first order from BPAL, but have been doing a blind reach for scents every day, so only just got to Snake Oil today. In the imp: Lovely amber colour. The consistency is definitely striking in comparison to other oils I've tried so far; it's incredibly viscous, but it warms quickly in the palm of my hand. The scent is sharp biting vanilla, spices, and something that's acting like straight-up pheromones, because-- Wet on skin: (--and it does stay wet on my skin for a decent length of time) I'm getting what others were saying about Vanilla Coke, but also something ... green? It's like Vanilla Coke and fresh-cut grass. Dry on skin: The grassy side dissipates, and it's more like woodsy vanilla and incense on my wrists. Different parts of my skin are reacting differently, though; I'm getting nothing but sugared vanilla from the oil dabbed on my collar and cleavage. Huh. This is quite sensual as it is (a new imp), but I'm interested in seeing how it ages, based on others' reviews.

In the bottle: Wool, beeswax, black pepper--but together it's all kind of reminding me of raw pumpkin innards. Very autumnal. Wet on skin: Beeswax candles and something biting--black pepper, I'm guessing. Dry: Wool, but getting the creamy tea ... and more candles. Dry, three hours later: A snuffed-out candle next to a cup of tea. It's a very warm scent--and probably the oddest thing I've tried so far from BPAL. Like time traveling, it's as if I just stepped into a late 17th or early 18th century sitting room at the start of winter. It's really peculiar, and I like it a lot.

In the imp: fruit, in a way that made me think of the cereal Fruitloops. Wet on skin: citrus-berry-flavored tea, but not cloying at all. A fairly light scent. Dry on skin: the fruitiness has definitely dissipated, and I'm getting an unfamiliar floral note (the delphinium?) and something more savory, which I'm guessing is a combination of the dark musk and chamomile. Little more than two hours later: Powder, tea, something sharp and airy. Not a very strong throw from anything, this scent is either disappearing (like its namesake) or staying very close to my skin. I don't foresee it lasting much longer.

In the imp: sweet, fruity, warm--peaches and bergamot. Wet on skin: peaches, flowers, and something woodsy (the oakmoss?). Dry on skin: musky florals and something pleasantly woodsy with the peach lingering lightly in the background, a very calming scent for me. When I went out into the cold this morning, the oakmoss really stood out to me--felt like I was bringing a forest with me. Now that I'm back indoors, the airiness of the musk is more obvious again. I'm only three hours into the wear, so I can't judge lasting strength yet, but I hope it sticks around. I really love the way I smell today. It's quite uplifting, really ... and very worthy of its name. EDIT: Okay, nearing the end of the work day now, and I think the scent has mostly faded in the past hour or two--so I'd say it has a pretty decent lasting time.

In the imp: gorgeous dark coconut. Wet on skin: musky coconut with florals sitting on the edge, evoking the image of golden bodies in some lush Caribbean paradise. Recently dry: still a lovely blend of coconut, musk, and flowers--though I think it might get muskier as it goes. Three hours later: Very faint flowers and the leftover ghostly warmth of the coconut. I am sad. It feels like this faded so quickly on me. It could be that my skin chemistry killed it. Or the long walk through the cold. As another reviewer said, it was nice while it lasted... It's too nice to give up on entirely, though; I'll try again another day and see if the results can change.

In the imp: Dominant LIME with the slight suggestion of florals underneath. Wet on the skin: Wrist at my nose, this is mostly jasmine--and I start to feel disappointed, because I was really hoping the lime would stick around. However, when I back off and let the scent come to me, there is definitely a throw of lime and watery notes. I turn my head slightly, and my nose goes: "Lime?" It's a bit elusive to me, appearing, disappearing, reappearing. Dry, a couple hours later: I'm definitely getting more of the tuberose and the lime now--both a little smoky. I'm glad the jasmine is playing second fiddle in this scent. The result on me is fresh and spiky. ... Some of what was on my neck traveled to my scarf during my commute, and now my scarf smells pleasantly of flowery lime. Makes me wonder what the scent would be like in a locket, instead of direct skin application. Mmm. I think this must go on the bottle wish list. And now I want to try more scents featuring the lime note.