lavenderfrost

As dumb and plebeian as this may sound, to me all of the phases of this oil were like the most awesome shampoo ever. I love clean just-showered scents, so it was pretty much an instant winner. Predominant note was sweet pea, with sage giving it enough sharpness to make it clean instead of, well...sweet.

Wistful and vulnerable: lotus, water blossom ivy, stargazer lily and white rose. Thank GOD I got one last imp of this before it got discontinued. Perfect blue/green watery floral - I get lots of rose and lotus. It ages well too - I've owned an imp of this since around 2009, and it still smells just as divine. Since I own 1.5 imps' worth of this, I'll be hoarding it like freakin' GOLD now. It is officially a Special Occasion scent.

Decanted imp from the 2011 version. In The Imp: Plum all up in here. Immediate Application: Pure candy - bubblegum meets Jolly Ranchers. Ironically enough, this is the first time a plum scent hasn't gone totally Christmas-candle on me. ^^;; 30-45 Minutes Later: I think I'm getting cavities. Verdict: Cute, but not buying a bottle.

Decanted imp from the 2011 version. In The Imp: Rose, rose, rose. Pretty much the same as, well...The Rose. Immediate Application: Slightly minty rose. Very slightly. Um. *BURIES NOSE IN CROOK OF ELBOW* The mint isn't overpowering - just enough to work with the rose scent to prolong the FRESH-CUT ROSE STRAIGHT FROM THE FLORIST stage. There may be eucalyptus in there? Not sure. Either way, whatever else is added keeps it nice and chilly. 30-45 Minutes Later: Still rosy, still cold where The Rose warms up a bit. Verdict: It's very nice, but between this and the aforementioned other oil, I've got lots of straight-up-rose already, and while I love rose, I also want to experiment more. Will keep the imp, pass on a bottle.

In The Imp: COOL AND FRESH AND CLEAN AND SWEET. ♥♥♥ Not sure/can't remember exactly what tulips and peony smell like on their own, so I can't pick out all the notes, but it's awesome nonetheless. YAY MORE HOT WEATHER SCENTS. Immediate Application: Same. It's like enjoying a perfect spring day outside with the flowers and the trees and the allergies. The kind of day where the sun and I have an uneasy truce going; cool enough that it doesn't roast me alive, so I don't curse its' very existence. ^^;; 30-45 Minutes Later: Warms up a bit, but still mostly the same. Love it, as I figured I would - this kind of blend is right up my alley.

Decanted imp from the 2011 version. In The Imp: Coconut and pineapple. Throw in some rum and you'd have a piña colada. Immediate Application: Pretty much the same. I feel like this would be a bar-hopping girls'-night-out blend. Y'know - if I bar-hopped. ^^;; 30-45 Minutes Later: Piña colada meets frozen sugar cookie dough? Not sure how else to explain. Very chilly, very sweet, very fun. Like a couple having a snowball fight that dissolves into a tickle-match. Verdict: Jury's still out on whether I'll buy a bottle. It definitely bears re-testing, and even if I don't buy a full 5ml, I'm hanging onto the imp.

Got a decanted imp of the 2011 version. In The Imp: Veeery clean. And cold. Pretty much what I'd expect a "frost" scent to smell like. Immediate Application: I'm pretty sure I smell the sage and pine, and I *think* I can pick out the tobacco, but I'm not completely sure that's what it is since I've never actually smelled tobacco that wasn't, y'know, rolled up and on fire. 30-45 Minutes Later: Sweetens up just a tad, thanks to the honeysuckle and orange blossom, but nowhere near my usual bpal fare. This blend is by no means a girly/femme scent. It's very androgynous, and I'd actually love to try smelling it on a guy sometime. It stays very clean and cool - almost aftershave-y. Verdict: I like it, though it needs to be applied with a lighter touch than I did here. But that was an accident, anyway. I didn't lose a substantial amount, I just ended up applying more than usual. ^^;; I won't buy a bottle, but I'll definitely use the imp from time to time. Given how long imps generally last for me, I already feel I have enough here.

Pure craft store candle, through and through. Pleasant, but not something I'd wear often as a perfume. Sad, really - I'm on a carnation kick and loved the idea of being able to tell people the name of this oil and watch the looks on their faces.

This brings to mind the ultimate Christmas candle - sweet, spicy and comforting. It's not really what I'd imagined for the birthplace of King Arthur, but it's nice. I probably wouldn't wear it, but this would definitely be one for my oil burner around the holidays. Keeping my imp for that, at least.

La Belle Dame Sans Merci? I meant to try it, but alas - I couldn't save the money in time and now it's bitten the dust.

Dammit. Wanted to love this one since I love carnations and usually get along well with the other flowers in here, but something about the combination gives me that dreaded sharp almost-cat-pee smell.

What you read in the description is what you get - sweet, coco-nutty rose. The rose is present but not very strong in this, and the other notes keep it from doing anything weird. (Much as I love roses, it's kind of a craps-shoot when I try rose blends. I have ones that I love, and ones that turn into bathroom potpourri on me.) While I don't love this one as much as I love Ophelia or The Rose, it's definitely nice. A 5ml isn't very high on my list of priorities, but I'm certainly keeping the imp.

It's...nice. I don't normally dig honey oils, and that note does keep me from being uber-excited about this blend, but - the jasmine adds something that I do like. I think I may keep this one, at least have it on standby in my "only-trade-if-I-see-something-REALLY-exciting" pile.

This is definitely mens' cologne, but more of a gentleman's blend (as gentlemanly as one can be in the wild west, anyway) than a rugged outlaw blend. It's pretty much straight-up vanilla cedar on me, if I had a guy in my life I'd definitely make him try it. Another frimp for my "hypothetical future bf" stash.

OH MY GOD EUCALYPTUS. It's chilly and sweet and fresh and did I mention Eucalyptus? Because OMG. O_O This is a freebie I'm glad I got because I can definitely see wearing it. Often.

Strange as it sounds, this really reminds me of Wolf's Heart - comforting, rather than sexy. Maybe I have weird skin/body chemistry. ^^;;

Oh, wow. It starts off sweet and almost creamy, which I usually shy away from because I don't dig gourmand scents. On the dry-down, more of the spiciness pokes through and makes it gorgeous. (And sexy as hell.) It's the first mideast/oriental-type blend that doesn't leave me feeling like I've got someone else's perfume rubbed off on me. My only nitpick is that I'd love more carnation in the blend, but as is, I definitely want to get a bottle. Eventually, anyway. I want to slather it on, but my (lab-fresh) imp is only about 2/3 full to start with. Ah, well. It's a special-occasion scent, I guess.

I have better rose blends (like, say, The Rose) - something in this makes it a bit too sour on my skin.

*sigh* Wanted to love this one, but I dunno. Myrrh and rosewood are 2 approach-with-caution notes and while they don't make it bad, it's not something I'm excited about. It's definitely more complex and grown-up than blends like Juliet and Desdemona - I like that added air of maturity, just don't know if some of the notes in the blend fit me.

Meh. If you like amber and/or dragons' blood, give it a shot because it's a good, even mix of both. As for me, I'm glad it was a frimp. Just not my thing.

It's not really air-before/after/during-a-thunderstorm in the imp or on me, it's more CALGON TAKE ME AWAY! But that's cool, because I like fresh, clean smells. I'll definitely use the imp, and may buy a bottle.

I love aquatics and was hoping for another nice, chilly scent to cool me off in the summer months, but something about the way the components work together just doesn't float my boat. I think it's the juniper that makes it just a bit wrong for me. Ah, well. No biggie - one more for swaps.

At first, it's TASTY GREEN JOLLY RANCHERS AND LIFESAVERS. Then, it dries down to something nice and light, cool and just fruity enough to keep it interesting. I got this as a frimp and while I probably won't get a bottle, trying it out was fun and I might keep the imp.

Pretty much identical to Seraglio. I don't dislike it, but I'm not excited by it either.

Oh, man - how could I forget those? *headdesk, etc.*