Silverstrike

In the imp this smells absolutely fantastic--Bailey's Irish Cream and coffee, a little bit of. . . dust? Very interesting and yummy (yes, I'm a foodie although not one that likes Sugar Skull). On my skin, it fades a bit and ends up less complex until I'm left smelling like sweet Bailey's and that's it. It was a fun ride, but I probably won't be purchasing a bottle.

An amorphous, radiant, incandescent scent. Ever changing, protoplasmic and primordial: white amber, green coconut meat, iris, palmarosa, Chinese peony, lime, water lily, snowdrop, muguet, lemongrass, osmanthus, wisteria, glassy musk, and hinoki. In the bottle, this smells kind of "meh", but after it's been on my skin it becomes fantastic--lemongrass and creamy coconut. In the bottle (actually, imp) I smell the lemongrass, something green and florals, no coconut. The coconut and something else make it smell like an expensive lemongrass, I think because it makes it so much more complex. I didn't quite know what to expect, but I love this and it's going on my big bottle list now.

To repeat earlier sentiments, oh my. I didn't even know I needed a ginger scent, but this is amazing! And somehow, Beth managed to make it also smell naughty--have you ever had your SO wake you up in the middle of the night due to an amorous feeling? Shub is like that--calm and sweet but naughty as well, if that makes sense at all. In the bottle, it has a bit of a cola gummi bear smell to me, which I like, but it unfortunately disappears after I've applied some onto my skin. It has pretty decent lasting power on me, and I am very happy to have a bottle of this.

In the bottle and wet it was hazelnut, not chocolate. But for me that's fine, because I love hazelnut. As it progresses, I'm not certain I ever actually get chocolate, but about 15 minutes later, it gets a little creamy. Then it reverts back to hazelnut, eventually smelling a little plasticky, but then I apply more. I love this scent better than Gluttony (too heavy on me) and 13 (not chocolatey enough for me and a little too citrusy, I guess). Haven't tried Bliss yet. But this is so nice and rich and foody, I think I have a new Top 10.

Yes! This is sweet and slightly floral/green, but if it's a floral, it may be the first BPAL floral I can wear. I cannot smell the ginger candy at all, at least not that I know of. At first sniff, it smells very tropical and sweet, but after it dries, there's a little something in there (the ho wood?) that seems to ground the fragrance so that it's not all sweet and light, now it has depth and whatever it is, it makes it smell more "expensive", I guess because it's multidimensional now. Anyhow, it's something I'd wear in the summer or on vacation (it really seems like a "vacation" scent) so I'm quite happy I picked up a bottle of this. It's the third moon I've tried (the other two were Milk Moon and Flower Moon; they did NOT agree with me) and the first I've bought, so I'm quite happy with my gamble. This scent doesn't smell like a hungry ghost, it very much does smell like the opposite, I guess what you'd use to try and placate a hungry ghost, so it fits. I just hope someone asks me what I'm wearing so that I can say "Hungry Ghost Moon!"

On me: fruity baby powder.

This was overwhelmingly floral on me. I'd agree it's a white floral blend; on me, the emphasis was on "overwhelming". I could see this on someone whose skin chemistry agrees with most BPAL florals; that said, I'm not one of them--the only BPAL floral I've found pleasing has been Snow White (and I'm not certain you can actually classify that one as a floral, you know?)--otherwise, I do better with foody (Midway but not Sugar Skull or Gluttony) or fruity (Katharina or March Hare but not Swank, for instance) scents.

The first time I tried this, it was mainly green tea and lemon verbena, which I liked. But since that first time, it's been different! Instead, it's heavily floral in a fuzzy sense (my nose reacts the same way to pollen) with barely any green tea or lemon verbena. In fact, they seem overpowered by the florals. I'll be passing this one on.

On me, this starts off as white tea and rose, which is not bad, but I think I like my white tea without rose, now that I've tried this. After about an hour, the scent changes and it's much more astringent, green and powdery--I think it's the carnation coming out because the white tea and rose have all but disappeared. Well, the white tea is completely gone, but maybe there's a hint of the rose with that astringent-ish note. I'm going to pass this on.

First impression: What the hell? What is this? It's kind of minty, kind of herby, and very *different*! I can't tell what kind of mint it is, but I don't get fresh-from-your-garden "mint" from it, more like "minty" spearmint? But not spearmint candy. I don't get anything fruity, creamy or candy-ish from this. Just green and mint. It's very unique. Other reviews have mentioned pennyroyal? I didn't know that when I put it on (when I try imps, I try them and afterwards, read the descriptions and/or some reviews) and I'm pregnant right now and have heard I should be avoiding pennyroyal for the time being, so off to the showers I go. This is a really interesting blend. I can imagine an urban male smoking a cigarette wearing this. I'm not sure why that comes to mind, but "smoke" and "male" is the impression I get. There isn't any smoke in this.

Oh no, no no no! This one sadly did not agree with my skin chemistry, although it shouldn't have been that big of a surprise since I haven't found a BPAL amber OR a musk (any variety, really) that agrees with me. In fact, this reminds me of another scent I've smelled before in middle school, but I can't remember the name of the perfume. And then it goes powdery on me. Off the imp goes to a better home.

A candyish tang sounds delicious! With that said, I got something completely different. There seemed to be two competing notes--something warm that smelled good on me (I'm guessing the myrrh), but there was also something faintly floral that upset the balance and did not smell good on me (the ylang ylang?). But, most BPAL florals (with the exception of BPAL violets and any floral that might be in Snow White) don't agree with me, so I guess it shouldn't have been too big of a surprise that this wouldn't work on me, although I'm still not completely sure what ylang ylang smells like.

First impression of Whip: florals? I was expecting something more like leather. Looked it up, and it's supposed to be black leather and red rose. The rose is *really* strong. After drydown, the rose gets prettier. A little of the black leather comes out, but mainly I get rose. Within an hour however, the rose fades to the rose scent I get from most rose things, which is not nearly as pretty. Ah well.

First impression: lemongrass or verbena, plus . . . a hint of something woodsy (guess it's the cedar or sandalwood). About half an hour later, the lemon verbena disappears and it's all cedar/sandalwood. Very dry and very masculine. If it still had some of the verbena or a hint of sweetness, I think I'd be able to wear it.

First impression: this is still wet on my skin, but it smells so dry! After about an hour, it starts to smell BO-ish though, mixed in with the resiny smell (and this is right after taking a shower). After awhile the part that seems BO-ish is toned down a bit and the resins come back out, but I can't decide whether it works on me. Something about this makes me sneeze. And the next day, when it's almost gone, just a whiff still makes me sneeze. Cool scent, but any hint of BO and sneezing are not my cup of tea.

A gentle, healing love blend, often used to help mend a broken heart. Brings peace of mind, soothes the sting of loss, and aids in finding closure. I tried this on before I looked up what it was, and when I found out it was one of the Voodoo Blends, I was surprised, because it didn't *seem* like a Voodoo Blend to me. Anyhow, Dove's Heart went kind of soft and floral (don't know which florals) on me, but then it goes kind of soapy. It was pretty but I'll be passing it along.

Strawberries and champagne make me think of my honeymoon, the only time I've had strawberries and champagne, and this is really close to the scent. Beth really nailed the champagne part, it's uncanny. The strawberry smells a little artificial to me, kind of like how Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo smells like artificial grape. That said, after I put it on, it smelled sweetly artificial (not yucky, just not. . . real?). After drydown, it turned into a greener/plasticky smell which wasn't unpleasant. I miss the champagne!

Mmmh, this smells "warm" and "golden", kind of like warm skin. I think this is the first BPAL amber (if Tamora can be considered an amber scent) that's semi-agreed with me. I'm still unsure whether I'd wear it regularly though. Actually, I'm picky, so I'm probably going to keep on looking for something that yells out "Me!"

After applying, my first impression was: "Hmm, a BPAL floral I can wear!". Most (like say, Eos and Euphrosyne) don't agree with me, some I can appreciate but not necessarily wear (say, Rose Red). But this is different. Upon looking it up (because I tried this out before looking up the description) and reading what it was, "Imperial violet softened by wisteria and chrysanthemum, but edged with the regal iciness of delphinium," I thought--no wonder. Violet. I can wear violet. I don't know about the other stuff. It's a soft floral, with a bit of fuzziness (like pollen?) but without being overwhelming (as Eos and Euphrosyne were for me). Seems to fade quickly and then change to. . . something that is almost soapy and almost reminds me of the way I smelled after swim practice, but not so blatantly chlorine. And I have to say, not unpleasant. I rather like this, but I'm not sure I need a big bottle.

Interesting. This is kind of sweet! I think I can smell the embalming herbs (some similarity to Embalming Fluid--ther herbs?)--something that seems floral. But it's not a runaway white floral (as most BPAL florals end up on my skin); there's something sweet and warm (is that they myrrh, storax or balsam?), something very relaxing about this scent. For what it's worth, I don't get anything feral from this, although it dries down to something not as sweet, well shucks. I liked the sweetness. This was great right when it was just applied; after awhile, not as great, but still nice.

On me, Penitence is resiny but with something that turns my stomach. I ordered an imp of this based on its similarities to Ambra (by Etro, not BPAL), but it's not as sweet (and again, some sort of off note--that makes me think "wormwood", even though I have no idea what wormwood is or what it would smell like. After awhile it gets spicier, but mainly, powder. I'll be finding another home for this imp.

The first thing that hits me when I put Phantom on is musk--dark, rich musk, mixed with something not floral (is that the myrrh?). After awhile, the musk becomes a little powdery on me, and I get some sort of rose and something else (not very descriptive, I know, but I'm not sure what they are!). This is a very pretty perfume, moreso for someone who really enjoys heavy scents, maybe Oriental scents?

Carnal the word conjures up sexual images and crashing, dramatic music. Carnal the perfume is rated PG. It's supposed to be mandarin and fig, but honestly, I can't quite pick those out--maybe a little citrus, but not much else--it just smells good. This is like a weaker March Hare, and I don't mean weaker in a bad sense--I find March Hare to be nearly overwhelming, so Carnal is great--it's a more wearable fruity perfume that doesn't overwhelm.

I'm afraid the musks did me in. On me, Ave Maria Gratia Plena smells like something between a church and an incense store, something kinda subtle, but it goes powdery on me. And not in a good way. It's not even an offensive smell, I could wear this, but I don't want to because it's not me. And there are so many other BPAL scents I could wear, why wear one that doesn't make your heart sing?

Desdemona is really light and kind of BBW-ish floral. This smells like a laundry dryer sheet or candy almost. It doesn't dry down to that icky floral scent that I get with Embalming Fluid though (perhaps from the white musk), and this fades quickly (within three hours). This is really easy to wear. I'm not a BPAL floral-scent person, but this is a floral I could wear.