animalcule

imp: very faint. Fresh herbal scent and blackberry, yay! wet: hmm. Fabric softener? Dryer sheet? No berries. dry: still a pleasant, barely-detectable laundry product smell. Damnit, I really wanted to like this! It barely even exists on me.

I don't even know why I tried this on. It was VERY STRONG, I'll give it that! Smelled like (burning) incense and lavender. 0/6 for me

I'm wondering if I should even be reviewing these types of scents - ones I didn't like in the imp and hated on myself. I'm really picky with scents and I think often it's not just my chemistry, it's just that I don't like, and never will like, certain notes! But I know all these reviews have been immensely helpful for me, negative and positive, so I'll go ahead. imp: light florals, woods, pepper. I hate woods but I like pepper and most flower-smells, so... wet: AIEEEE acrid woods! VERY strong on me. I was an unhappy girl when this was wet, it REEKED (I just put a dab on my hand). dry: dries down to musty woody powder. Like being in grandmother's attic - and I think the roof has been leaking.

Delirium is sour apple and rose on me. Very juicy. I've put it on two friends and it is sweet apple with lots more rose. Good either way! Phantom Queen is fresh florals and sweet apples on me, also very nice. Rose isn't listed nor do I make it our distinctly but it's along similar lines...

imp: very sweet, fruity floral wet: I'm getting apple from this, similar to the apple in Delirium (but softer, sweeter without the lemon), with delicate greenery and flowers. Extremely cool and refreshing. dry: stays the same. Fades too quickly, but it's worth it to reapply. I really like this! Might get a bottle.

imp: strawberry, subtle florals and spice wet: strawberry and spice... the strawberry fades away fast, leaving only a bit of fruitiness. dry: as others have described it, strawberry incense (more incense than strawberry on me). I don't wear anything that smells like incense, so I''ll pass this one on.

imp: almond-y goodness! wet: almond.. cinnamon.. like it so far... oh, wait. Hello, frankincense. dry: faint, vauguely cinnamon-y incense. I have learned my lesson, I just can't do frankincense/myrrh/amber/resins.

imp: almond and cinnamon wet: Red Hots with orange, I like it! dry: just Red Hots. I didn't get a rash or burn, but I did get a tingling sensation! I don't think I will use this as perfume, but will keep the imp and use it for other things...

imp: mild, sweet, fruity wet: smooth, bland, incense-y. No fruit. dry: same. Oddly familiar. A pleasant enough smell, but not for me.

imp: fresh florals, a bit soapy wet: LILIES with a clean undercurrent dry: On me all I can detect is Lily-of-the-Valley as I remember it from my childhood (they grew all around my favorite house). I like it so much, but I'm not sure yet it if it's something I will wear much. I'll see how it ages.

imp: lots of cinnamon with a sweet floral wet: I want to drink it (j/k)! Cinnamon syrup. Floral is gone which makes me sad as honeysuckle is one of my favorite smells, ever. dry: sweet cinnamon incense. Nice, but not for me.

imp: what the hell is <i>that</i>? wet: more of the same. Wow, this is weird. Okay, now I can smell a little bit of apple... and do I detect black licorice? It's becoming more pleasant, slowly. dry: black licorice and apple with a general impression of freshness. It's a nice smell actually, but not what I think of as a <i>fragrance</i>. This is a new imp so I will try aging it. ETA: I wore this and my friend told me I smelled like a cat's anus! LOL. It's still a weird smell but I didn't think it was THAT bad. The 'oak bark' seems to be incredibly strong on me, very acrid.

imp: mmm, sage (and tea I think). Very cooling. Can't smell a single fruit! wet: A sage so fresh it makes my nose and throat tingle! This feels different than the sage in Aeval (my favorite BPAL scent so far) and Bess, I suppose since there isn't a floral in Bewitched. After a little while I can make out the sweet berries, which get sweeter as it dries down. Dry: sweet (not super-fruity though) but cool, herbal and refreshing, I can make out the delicious tea, it's very complex really. I was sure I was going to love this, and I was right! Sage and tea are my favoritest BPAL notes so far. The only thing that isn't ideal is that it's rather subtle and quick to fade, but it's a lab fresh imp and they usually gain strength by the time they are a few months old. ETA: I am still in love with Bewitched! I wanted to add that a few hours in on my skin, and sooner in my hair, I get a lot of SPICINESS from it - very different from the initial berry-sweet/fresh-green. Not sure where it's coming from, but I like it!

In vial: smells like clean... nothing. On, wet: reminds me a bit of clean laundry? with spicy ginger. Dry: mostly slightly spicy ginger over that indefinable ivory-colored scent (which I suppose is BPAL's 'milk and honey' for me - I like it!). Lasts pretty well, surprising for such a mild scent. This isn't bad but isn't really perfume for me. Will be giving it away. I'm really glad I tried it, though, because I have the 'baby powder' issue, and I hadn't tried a milk/honey fragrance before because I was worried it would be one of the notes that do that on me.. thrilled to find it is not, and looking forward to trying a more complex honey scent.

In imp: concord grape juice and rose. On, wet: GRAPE JUICE! After drydown: Much better.. I can smell herbs, and rose, and citrus now. But it's just too grape-y on me. I wore it a few times and it's not so much grape occasionally (and when that happens, it's really lovely) but usually I smell like a lollipop. I love fruity, floral, sweet BPAL but this is too much candy for me. If only I could have this without the grape! As is, it will be swapped. Unfortunately it's too much grape juice for my RL BPAL buddies too.

In imp: Sweet vanilla and musk. On, wet: so yummy. I can make out a lot of the listed notes: lemon, musks, and vanilla with a bit of a tang (must be the tea - I can't usually make out the 'tea' in a scent but I love every one I try). It smells like food, but there's more and more of a delicious cologne undertone. Dry: Dorian stays pretty consistent over time for me. A sweet yet tangy musk. I can understand why it's considered unisex even though it is so sweet. It's nice to have a scent that has that masculine edge, without smelling like I am wearing straight men's cologne (which I won't - I generally only like super-femme BPAL). Lasts very well, too! I am not sure if I am going to get a bottle or another imp, but I have to decide because I'm almost out and I need Dorian in my collection. I can totally understand why this one is a fan favorite, so happy it works for me! ETA: Definitely a bottle. I have discovered the amazing-ness that is Dorian layered with just about anything else in my collection. I find that the fougere (lavender?) note does not last for more than an hour or two on me, which I like. Dorian after it's been on my skin for a while is sweet without a hint of powder, so foody it makes my mouth water, very feminine to me. I love it.

Another one that I like but doesn't work for me after 5 minutes. Ah well. Imp: strawberry candy On, wet: strawberry with champagne - and it really does smell like champagne! As soon as it dries: Weird plastic-y smell from the champagne note, which can't be overcome by the strawberry.

I got a new lab imp of Jack, and the first couple times I tried it, it was WAY buttery in a synthetic way and I couldn't smell any fruit. I aged it for a couple months and tried it again, and it was true love! I break it out most often in the fall and winter of course but it's my comfort smell... better than any comfort food. People tell me I smell like fresh apple pie when I wear it. In vial: Spicy buttery pastry and fruit. On, wet: BUTTERY! SPICE! Oh, there's the fruit again. Drydown: Mellows into a warm spicy (mostly clove) fruit that lasts a good long while on me.

Delirium is delicious! I will be buying a bottle for sure. It's so wonderful for spring and summer, lasts well on me, and best of all my boyfriend doesn't hate it. In vial: Sweet roses and fruit (with a bit of a sour bite). I can detect all three notes but the fruit is stronger. On, wet: Rose comes out more. The sweetness of the rose and the sharpness of the citrus are a really good combination. The apple makes it more complex. No one can ever guess WHAT fruits are in this one! People say it smells like mangoes most often (?). After drydown and beyond: The notes remain balanced but the rose amps more than the fruit.

I adore Aeval. My favorite BPAL (my BF's as well) and the one I wear the most. I just ordered a bottle yesterday as a matter of fact. Good staying power (can still smell it on me the morning after, doesn't usually happen!) and never goes though an unpleasant stage on me. In the vial: sharp bright greenery and lovely sweet, springy flowers On, wet: More of the same, with something warmer and tasty (tonka/musk I suppose). Dry: Sweet pea comes to the fore. I love sweet pea! But the sage and tonka/musk holds it's own, so I don't smell like lotion. If I put it in my hair, it's much more herbal and more sharp than sweet. ETA: Discovered the importance of rolling this to remix it before application. The tonka seems to settle at the bottom and without it Aeval is much less interesting, watery and dusty-sweet. With the tonka properly incorporated it's SO much better.

I love Embalming Fluid!! One of my favorite BPALs so far, I just ordered a big bottle (only my second) after using up a couple imps. It's just so delicious and fresh. Despite being a rather light scent, on me it has great staying power. Clean, dry, refreshingly lemony musk - it improves my mood every time. And it doesn't turn to baby powder on me which is often a problem.

I've tried this one several times over the last 8 months in hopes that it would start working for me with age. But it hasn't changed. In imp: Makes me salivate. On me, wet: still smells like the richest, most delicious dessert ever - without being too sweet. On drydown: transforms into a bitter, dry, peppery chocolate. No good.

I really wanted to love Envy, but it doesn't work very well on my skin. Perhaps I will keep my imp as I am planning on buying a scent locket. In the imp it's strongly refreshing, citrus and mint stand out - yum. On, wet: I can still make out the citrus, mint, lavender and green plants. Very nice. After a minute on my skin, it's simply a sharp, herbal scent with a hint of lavender. Smells exactly like I remember crushed leaves in my father's greenhouse smelling - a pleasant smell, but not what I'm looking for in a perfume. ETA: I've really fallen in love with Envy, and while I don't often wear it as a perfume, I love it in my lotion, as a room scent, on my linens... I've also found that aging lets a bit more lavender through.

I can't make up my mind on Belle Epoque. On the one hand it's a tasty scent - vanilla and sandalwood, with a little citrus if I sniff hard. But it's so subtle.. so far I just can't get excited. I would even say it's powdery. Will have to try it a few more times. EDIT: Tried a few more times, and ended up giving it away. On me it quickly turns into mild baby powder, unfortunately. I am finding that most sweet/powdery BPALs do that on me...

Okay, the first couple times I tried this (while I was on the rag, ahem) it was beautiful. Strong jasmine, red fruit, lemons, and a little spice. It went the tiniest bit soapy after a time, but I reapplied and it was fruity and spicy again. I was all set to order a bottle. Then I just tried it again and it went straight to floral soap. I'm so sad! I see a lot of aging recommendations, so I will try that and hope the soap goes away. Or maybe it can be my special period scent.