KesHiro

Frimp in one of my orders. I figured that this wouldn't work due to the floral and rose notes. Rose and I do not get along -- at all -- and florals are real hit-and-miss (mostly miss). But I have a good relationship with oak and teak and hoped they could save this from turning into a disaster. Sadly, I was mistaken. In the imp, I get acrid, burning wood. Uh oh. This is not a good sign. Things go from bad to worse during the wet stage; here, I get medicinal burning wood. During the drydown, it smells like liniment and smoky wood. Dry, I'm left with floral muscle rub and burning wood; it eventually fades into the dreaded rose single note. Aiieeee, this was an epic disaster on my skin. I suspect that Ouija would be incredible on the right skin chemistry. It *sounds* like a fantastic scent but it obviously doesn't work for me.

Frimp in one of my orders. Man, I wanted this to work. The White Rabbit is one of my favorite characters from Alice in Wonderland. Sadly, this little bunny and I are not meant to be. In the imp, I smell orange juice. Seriously. Wet, it turns into peppery orange juice. During the drydown, the ginger and linen emerge. Dry, I'm ultimately left with spicy orange juice and a dryer cloth. You know, if you had asked me where this scent could have gone wrong, I would have pointed at the milk note, since it sometimes turns on my skin. I have a pretty good record with tea, honey, ginger, and vanilla but apparently all of them together equals Sunny Delight. I'm really disappointed.

Seconding that this sounds like cocoa absolute. Try rolling the bottle between your palms for half a minute of so. I own the Yule blend Black Temple Burlesque Troupe and it stains my skin like crazy. I have to make sure I don't wear it in places that aren't covered by clothing because it looks like an old, recovering bruise until I wash it off in the evening. I've heard that Boomslang does the same thing (I haven't tried it so I can't say for certain).

Frimp in one of my orders. I'm weird. I like smelling like a forest. Seeing the notes for the blend, I thought it had a lot of promise . . . and it does after a rocky beginning! In the imp, I get fancy gentlemen's cologne or after shave. It's nice, and I like it, but it reminds me of my grandfather and while I loved him, I don't want to smell like him! Wet, it becomes a musky gentlemen's cologne. I wasn't holding out much hope at this point, but during the drydown, those lovely mossy woods that I adore emerged and beat back the generic cologne. Dry, I'm left with mossy woods, sage, and a touch of heather, the latter two popping up as the oil dried, adding just a touch of green sweetness. I need to test this a few more times in order to determine if this warrants an upgrade. I like my scents to be a touch sweeter than this but it is wonderful and reminds me of some of the drier type forests in the Southern California mountains, as oppose to the damp ones in the northern half of the state.

Frimp in one of my orders. All the notes in this blend are pretty much a win for me. Sadly, once blended all together and on my skin, it reminds me a Nippon Kodo incense display stand. In the imp, I get a sweet patchouli. Wet, it's patchouli, red musk, and something else. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I think it's the myrrh. During the drydown, the ylang ylang emerges and this is a lovely patchouli, red musk, ylang ylang blend with a touch of myrrh. It's the same once dry, although the patchouli and myrrh gain a little more strength and the red musk fades a bit. This is very pretty but every time I smell it, I think about incense sticks. I think I'll use this as a room scent or I'll revisit this in the fall, when it starts to get cooler. I'm really on the fence about this one.

Frimp in one of my orders. I wanted so much to like this! It sounded like something that I would wear during the spring! In the imp, I get soft, sweet tangy florals. Wet, I get the same sweet florals, but with the addition of wood and something earthy (probably the dried leaves). At the drydown, the aquatic note emerges and stays the same once dry. This is so pretty but something in the oil triggered a near asthma attack. During the wet stage, I suddenly experienced shortness in breath and had some of the breathing exercises my allergist taught me not worked, I would have had to go grab the inhaler. I think it might be the "dried leaves" note, as this is the first time I've come across it. I'm so disappointed because I like this scent! It's floral, but the leaves, wood, and water notes keep it grounded and it smells more like a forest in bloom rather than a flower garden. Aaaaargh!!!

Frimp in one of my orders. In my teens, I was obsessed with fuzzy peach scents. When I got this in one of my orders, I had visions of finally finding the elusive grown up version of my beloved peach perfume. In the imp, this is a heavenly musky peach. It smells like peach nectar and I want to drink it (but won't for the obvious reason!). Wet, it's soft musky peach skin. During the drydown, the amber and myrrh come out and keep the scent from becoming too fruity. Dry, this is a light, fresh, airy peach with touches of amber and myrrh. It's perfect for warmer weather. A bottle upgrade is definitely in this scent's future!

Frimp in my will call bag. Coyote is one of my favorite Trickster/mythic figures, plus a nice dessert scent would be great for the summer. In the imp, I get dry grasses and wood. Wet, it's the same with the addition of amber. The drydown is the same as the wet stage and once dry, I'm left with a warm fragrant wood scent. I like this scent a lot but it's a little dry and a bit too masculine for me. I keep going back and forth on whether to upgrade to a bottle but am not sure how often I would wear this. If this sounds like something you love, though, I say get this!

Frimp in my will call bag. I had high hopes for this one. While I don't generally like florals, I can't get enough of the creamy blends. Sadly, this one didn't like me. In the imp, I get creamy magnolia. I love this stage, it's gorgeous! Wet, it's a musky magnolia with the dreaded soap note. It stays the same throughout the drydown with the mandarin emerging before turning into lovely high end floral soap. Pretty, but not as a perfume. Not for me, anyway.

Frimp in my will call bag. I have trouble picking out notes when I don't have a guide, so please bear with me . . . In the imp, I get lovely sweet spicy berries. It's quite nice, if not a bit unusual. Wet, it's sweet juicy berries and . . . soap. Uh oh. Things go from bad to worse during the drydown and my skin turns this into perfumey berries. Dry, I smell like a damn Yankee Candle. Argh. I'm so disappointed because I loved it in the imp. I'm going to see if this works in a scent locket, otherwise it's going in the oil burner. It'll make a nice room scent.

Frimp in one of my orders. Hmmmm. I wonder if I got a mislabeled imp, because I don't smell any of the notes. Oh well, here's my take on Tweedledum. In the imp, this is Bubblicious watermelon bubblegum. Wet, it's the same. During the drydown, it takes on a faint herbal note (maybe the patchouli?) but otherwise it's still watermelon bubblegum. Dry, it's gone, leaving behind nothing but a faint sweet ghost. Not my cup of tea, but I'm glad it works for a lot of other people because it sounds interesting.

Frimp in one of my orders. I have no idea what actual wolfsbane smells like but if the oil is any indication, I'm going to hazard the guess that I'm not going to like it much. In the imp, this is a green herbal scent. It's pleasant enough at this stage but it gets very sharp once on my skin. Something very evil happens during the drydown and it suddenly changes into an acrid, wet burning wood. It's not the wonderful smell of a bonfire on a rainy day or the comforting smokey wood from your parents' hearth. This is wet ash and something very bitter. It's the same once dry. Interesting concept but my skin chemistry (and my nose!) do not like this one. Not one bit.

Frimp in one of my orders. This is an interesting scent. I wasn't sure if this particular combination of notes was going to work but the result is fascinating. Plus, I learned what zdravetz is and I'm amused when perfume educates me. =D In the imp, this is pure tangerine. Wet, a sweet lime emerges with a hint of lavender in the background. During the drydown stage, the oil takes on a citrusy chocolate scent with a touch of peppermint. It smells exactly like those chocolate oranges you whack on the table in order to break apart the segments (I love these, by the way). Dry, this becomes a perfumey citrus, with all other notes vanishing. I think the lavender and zdravetz is responsible for this. I'm on the fence about an upgrade. I love fresh, clean citrus scents but this is one is just a smidge too perfumey for me. I need to do a few retests before making up my mind.

Frimp in one of my orders. I like the smell of the ocean on a cold winter's day and had high hopes for this oil. In the imp, it's perfumey seawater for lack of a better description. Wet, I get perfumey floral seawater. It's the same throughout the drydown and is only slightly less perfumey when dry. To me, it's like lovely high end department store perfume. You know the kind of store I'm talking about; the salesgirls treat you rudely if they think you earn less than $500,000 a year. Oh yes, I'm looking at you, with the variation of number five in your name! This a great dupe for that kind of perfume and would be perfect for tempting the traditional perfume lovers over to the BPAL side. I like it and think it's quite pretty but it is a tad too generic for me. I'm going to pass it along to a friend and hope it enables her.

I figured it was a good sign when A-- the notes caught my attention and made me immediately think of my favorite incense and B-- the picture made me laugh out loud. After much "hmmmm"ing and "haaaaaw"ing, I finally tossed a bottle into my shopping cart and that has proven to be a wise decision. In the bottle, I get a light musky vanilla. Wet, it's the same but with the addition of the bergamot. During the drydown, the scent becomes a soft lemony vanilla musk. Once dry, the amber begins to bloom and it's an ambery vanilla musk with a faint touch of citrus and maybe some lily. There is something floral there, but it is very faint. I don't know if the cardamom pod every shows up, but it might be mixing with the amber. This is very similar to The Girl, so if you love that scent but missed out on it, or couldn't wear it because of the jasmine, you might want to consider giving Okayaki a try. To me, it's a great alternative. My one complaint is that it fades much quicker than most of my other oils. It never fully vanishes but after four hours this is a true skin scent and I have to put my nose up to my wrist to get anything. I don't mind, though, as I don't always want tons of throw and this means Okayaki can go in my work safe group. I love this and am glad I have a bottle. Edit: whoa, where did that emoticon come from?! Edit #2: 3/18/10 I'm taking back what I said about this fading quickly. It still becomes a skin scent after four hours of wear but after wearing this on 3/17, it didn't fade as much as the first time. I might have been having bizarre skin issues the day I did the initial test. Edit#3: 5/27/10 -- I bought a backup bottle of this scent and it's a wee bit different than my first one. The final result of the scent is a very cool floral with a touch of cardamom and the snow note is more slushy than creamy. It's quite similar but still different. I much prefer the snowy version to this more slushy floral one but it's nice too.

In the bottle, I get a sweet black tea with a hint of lemon. Wet, it's the same but with vanilla, as if the sugar cubes in the tea were made with vanilla infused sugar. During the drydown, the pale musk starts to emerge and once dry, I'm left with all of the above, plus lavender, although this element stays very much in the background. This is a sweet scent, almost a little too sweet for me, but it's not a big deal and it does not overpower me or make me feel ill. I don't get debauched gentlemen from this so much as one with a very mischievous and randy sense of humor. He's the perfectly put together Victorian gentlemen who playfully winks at you from across the room, treats you like the lady you are, brings you your cup of tea, and then gives your bum a playfully little squeeze when no one is looking. Despite the sweet element, I like this scent and am glad I have a bottle. Edit: 10/10/10 Definitely gets sweeter as it ages. It's now starting to smell a bit like lemon pastries! Yum.

Frimp from the lab. I have a love-hate relationship with roses. I love them as flowers. I love getting them as gifts. I love their real life scent. I hate the fact that the perfume oil note usually amps into the mutant rose monster that eats all other components. In the imp, I get a lovely, subtle rose with sandalwood. This is hopeful and I quite like it at this stage. Wet, it's patchouli and a somewhat stronger rose. Uh oh. Drydown, I get mutant rose monster with teeny tiny helpless patchouli and sandalwood, cowering in the background. Dry, Godroseilla has completely flattened Patchouliville and Sandalwoodsylvania. Obviously, I won't be upgrading to a bottle, not unless I can I find a way to keep it at the imp stage.

The only cocoa blend I've tried is Black Temple Burlesque Troupe and it's absolutely wonderful. I tend to think "brownies/brownie mix" before "chocolate bar" with this one. On me, it's mainly a musky cocoa with a very faint touch of tobacco. Very grown-up and not entirely foody. Edited to add: This was a Yule 2009 release but you might be able to find it on the sales boards. Drat! I new I should have picked that up! I'll keep a close eye for it now! You might want to try Boomslang (part of the Snake Pit line of Carnival Diabloque); I saw a lot of reviews comparing it to Black Temple Burlesque Troupe. I haven't tried so I cannot testify as to how cocoa-ish it is but it might be worth a shot. Plus, the reviews imply that you don't need to wait for the Snake Oil portion to age; it's currently on my "Maybe order" list. =)

The only cocoa blend I've tried is Black Temple Burlesque Troupe and it's absolutely wonderful. I tend to think "brownies/brownie mix" before "chocolate bar" with this one. On me, it's mainly a musky cocoa with a very faint touch of tobacco. Very grown-up and not entirely foody. Edited to add: This was a Yule 2009 release but you might be able to find it on the sales boards.

Someone please tell me why I didn't buy this sooner? I can't believe I passed on it for the first few months it was out and I'm kicking myself for this. Yes, it is that wonderful. In the bottle, I get plum, amaretto, ginger, and red musk. Wet, it is the same. During the drydown, more scents begin to emerge and in addition to the plum, amaretto, ginger, and red musk I start to get currants (or perhaps this is the candied fruit) and possibly chocolate (it's a dark, semi-sweet note that isn't easily identifiable). Dry, it's the same as the drydown stage. This is a fantastically blended oil. Every note is there, with no single one dominating over the others. I can see why people are calling this Bordello's older sister; it has the same plum and amaretto elements, but the ginger and red musk take the edge off of that sweetness and instead make it sophisticated. Don't be scared of this blend if you do not like foody scents; while it has a foody element, the red musk and ginger tame it down, and the ginger adds in a spiciness that keeps it from becoming sugary. This is sexy, elegant, and sophisticated. Definitely a fitting tribute to Countess Willie.

My skin reaction to this scent is the complete opposite of LadyMedb's; this was not sweet at all. In fact, this is what I had hoped Ded Moroz would be! In the bottle, Ronin is a cool mossy sandalwood. Wet, it's the same but with the addition of a subtle pepper. It never escalates into pepper spray territory but instead hovers around the edges, giving the other two notes a little oomph. During the drydown, this becomes a cool forest and mossy kind of fragrance. For some reason, I thought I was picking up a faint mint, but I suspect it's the rice flower and honey blending and creating a cool creaminess. Once dry, it's the same with just a hint more sandalwood. This is a dark, shadowy forest on the night of a full moon, with raindrops from a previous storm clinging to the leaves. I can totally picture a ninja hiding in the bushes or up in a tree, silently watching his surroundings. I really like this scent and will keep it on had for summer; it conjures up images of cool, both temperature wise and from all those ninja videogames I played (and sometimes still do). This blend is unisexual, bordering on masculine. I'm so glad I have a bottle. Plus, the label is hilarious.

Even though this is called "Autumn Moon of the Mirror Stand," I find this a lovely spring-like fragrance. It's perfect for when the weather starts to warm up or for when you want to be reminded of afternoon teas in a blooming garden. In the bottle, I get a tangy sweet peachy citrus. I suspect this comes from the quince and Spanish Mandarin. There is something else there, although I cannot tell if it's the cognac or honey. Wet, this is honeyed citrus. It's like orange blossom honey and although the honey note started amping like crazy, it never fully overtook the citrus note. During the drydown, I got quince and sweet golden honey with a touch of tobacco. Once dry, I think the vanilla or cognac emerges (I can't tell, aside from the fact that it is a sweetish note) and this becomes a sweet honeyed citrus with a slight oomph (probably the cognac or tobacco). This is a beautiful scent. I find it very sensual; it does not scream sexy, but for all it's sweetness it does not come off as childish or teeny-bopper. The honey, tobacco, and cognac give that nice grown up edge. I should note that I put a little too much on during my first test and this did become a bit cloying. I do not like super sweet scents, so you might be all right with slathering. I found that doing my usual drops kept this from becoming "GAR! Honey!!! HELP! Bees will try to kill me!!!" All in all, a beautiful, golden scent. Very well blended and perfect for any season.

Aw, don't be sad! I'm sure you've developed some great label art. Vintage boy booty would have been nice but I bet you came up with a great alternative. *squirms with excitement*

I am a vanilla and woods combo freak so when I saw the notes listed for this scent (with the addition of some lovely tobacco), I knew it was a must-buy! In the bottle, I get a strong patchouli note with a hint of men's cologne. It's very strong and the patchouli almost seems like a single note. It's a little scary -- I'm okay with patchouli hanging out in the background but I don't like it as a main note! Wet, the woods come out and beat down that weird patchouli. I think I'm getting teak more than oak, and now the tobacco starts to emerge. There are five minutes where this turns into scary ashtray, with the tobacco overwhelming everything, but then about halfway through the drydown the woods gain strength. Dry, this remains a wood/tobacco scent until about an hour has passed and the faintest touch of vanilla emerges, turning the tobacco into a sweet pipe tobacco. The mental image I get is of a gentleman sitting behind a polished oak desk in his wood paneled office, prepping his pipe for a nice, relaxing smoke as he surveys his business deals. This is a lovely unisexual scent, bordering more on the masculine side, but I think women can comfortably wear it too. This is the kind of scent for when you want to seem no-nonsense and powerful but still have a touch of femininity (thanks to the vanilla). It's like the one woman in the boy's club; she wears a simple but wonderfully cut black power suit, she keeps her hair in a bun, she wears tiny pearl studs in her ears, but paints her lips dark red. She heads the entire operation and if a guy talks back to her, all she has to do is give him the long silent, emotionless stare in order to scare the bejeebus out of him. Highly recommended if you love this kind of scent and I'm so happy with my bottle!

Forgive me if someone has already said this, but this scent reminds of the warm, friendly brothel in East of Eden BEFORE Kathy/Kate poisoned Faye and turned it into the scary den of humiliation. I bought this because so many people were comparing it to Countess Willie, which sounds glorious and somehow made her way into my cart when I placed my last order. I *almost* regretted the Bordello purchase after the first test, but if I've learned anything it's that you always need to give an oil a second chance. In the bottle, this is a scary super sweet tutti-fruity with a slight bubblegum element to it. This is teeny-bopper hurt your teeth sweet and that is so. not. me. Wet, the amaretto and wine kick in and the boozy notes, while not diminishing the sweet plums and currants, definitely take that teenage edge off this scent and give it a slightly more adult kick. During the drydown, the wine fades and the amaretto takes over as the main booze note. Dry, I'm left with a very sweet plum/currant candy scent with just enough boozy almond to make it playfully adult and not bubblegum popping jailbait. This scent is more bordello candies than bordello itself and is all ruffles, lace, giggles, and shimmering wallpaper. I do not think I will wear this scent outside of the house but it's going to get a lot of use when I'm at home. Even though I'm not into the super sweet, this one is growing on me and it's one of the few times I'm glad I'm amping that booze note. Definitely a keeper. Edited to add that I agree with the other reviewers: it fades faster than some of my other oils. I don't mind, though, as I'm left with a pleasant skin close scent and not a super strong sweet one.