raisin

After a little waffling, I picked up a bottle of this at Bat's Day. It's not a terribly strong or attention-grabbing scent, but it was too interesting to pass up. It's cold and much like damp stone at night, but it's definitely the smell of physical darkness. I get a very vague sense of licorice in there, which is horribly fitting (since if jelly beans have taught me anything, it's that licorice is what black tastes like) because this is the kind of darkness you could actually taste. There's that touch of clean to it from being on the aquatic side of things, but it's a very sinister clean. It's absolutely evocative of the inspiration, and I kind of love this, and I'm very happy I bought the bottle. <3

I'd tested this a few times, but it never made enough of an impression, so I applied quite a bit before heading out this morning. This isn't a scent that would turn anyone's head, I don't think, but it's delightfully fresh and clean. I'm not familiar enough with snowdrops or crocuses to pick out those notes, but I'm certainly getting some subtle lilies in here somewhere. My first reaction to this was that it reminded me of, in the best possible way, laundry detergent. It just has a fantastically buoyant and clean smell. Thankfully, I don't get any of the fruits others seem to be getting, or any foody scents at all. I'm almost surprised that this is pure floral, because it's agreeing with me so well. Granted, it fades pretty quickly, but having applied a bit to my hair, I'm still getting a bit of it. I feel like I've got a nice little bubble of crisp spring air around me. It's a wonderful, light, spring fragrance. This might be bottle-worthy, since it's light and inoffensive enough that I feel very comfortable wearing this to work.

The humidity and wetness is so apparent with this one... it's extremely evocative of a place I've never been, which is certainly saying something. I get florals (would definitely agree about magnolia and would add some waterlily to that) but they're beautifully drowned out. The air is thick with the smell of plants and trees on a humid night, and there's certainly water, likewise teeming with life. It's a very beautiful, wet, living scent... you can practically hear insects chirping and buzzing. I'm not sure it's a bottle purchase, since I have so little occasion to wear something like this (I'm not sure what occasion might warrant it, to be honest), but it's been really nice to have in imp form, if only for lazy evenings at home.

I love the way this one starts out, because I get very fresh violets. (Though it actually reminds me a lot of actual, still-on-the-bush lilacs as well.) If only this was the scent that stuck around, but unfortunately, after only a minute or two, this fades and softens into something a bit more powdery and traditionally floral. It's not bad, exactly (I don't get soap or old lady), but it's just really not my thing. Alas. I really wanted to like one of the Hamlet gals!

I would also be interested in finding more of the menthol-ish scents! Jabberwocky sounds like I might need to give it a try.

I'm looking for two, with some similar notes. I'm still terribly new to bpal, but scents for cosplay are what brought me in in the first place. Like Ender, I'm looking for something that would suit Zuko from Avatar. But I don't want anything that just outright smells like something burning (which is what Djinn sounds like). I'd rather have something where there's a hint of fire in the background, but that mostly smells like an emo exiled Asian prince. Preferably something I could wear out of costume as well, that just has that hint of danger to it. (Recommendations for any other Avatar characters would be appreciated as well!) The other one is for Witch Hunter Robin. I'd like something like "Liz" (again with the hint of fire underneath) but with something besides florals and vanilla on top (those are more or less no-no's for me). Something that smells a little out of place in the modern world would be fantastic, and evocative of the color black would be a plus. I generally can't rock the florals, and try to stay away from excessively sweet scents. I tend to prefer fragrances that are a bit more masculine or androgynous than terribly girly.

This smells wonderful in the imp. Nice and complex, a spicy fruity floral from another time. But once it's applied, alas! Oh, if I could get the Renaissance, the colors, a whiff of something that actually suggests Venice... but it is not to be. Instead, I seem to get artificial lemon-flavored candy. Admittedly there's some stuff going on in the background, but mostly I just seem to have made myself smell like Lemondrops. (To its credit, I don't get a cleanser scent at all. It's delicious, just not something I personally want to smell like.) That hint in the background is nice enough that I'm going to try to find another use for what's left in the imp, but I simply can't wear this.

I obtained an imp from another member, and discovered a near perfect green scent for me. I adore this! I didn't pick up on the lavender, immediately; it's all green when it goes on. I agree with Nia above that it smells as though there might be some juniper in there, which really only adds to Envy's appeal for me. While I do get some of the lavender underneath, it's not terribly dominant for me, and just adds to the plant-like greenery of the scent. I couldn't pick out the lime and mint as especially strong notes, but they do seem to add a brightness to the scent that I love. It's mostly green herbs and leaves and juniper to me, and I adore it. The one downside I've found is that it seems to fade awfully quickly on me, so I've mainly been using it right before bed, knowing it will probably be gone in a couple hours. I didn't let that stop me from ordering a bottle from the Lab, however. Even if a fresh dose doesn't do the trick, I should finally have enough to slather it on.

I didn't love this one at first, but this latest time is different. I like greens and pines, so those notes are wonderful. The hint of florals (I don't get much that I can clearly identify as jasmine... wherever that is, it's playing nice with the other notes) originally seemed too strong and sweet for me, so I was ready to get rid of this. But since then, I've tried more of the aquatic scents, and I'm finally recognizing the ocean scent, which makes this considerably more fresh than cloying. It's androgynous enough (in the way that greens and aquatics are) and I love it for that. Throw is not terribly strong, but I kind of prefer that with such clean scents like this one. The verdict is still out, because the inconsistency of this one makes me nervous, but I think I'll be enjoying my imp at least half the time!

Twin islands near Newfoundland, now lost, that were believed to be gateways to Hell. The scent is of wet, dark greenery, carnivorous flowers, volcanic gas, and the hot black musk of the demons and wild beasts that populated the islands. This is a difficult one. Even if it had caught my eye on the website, I think the variety of the reviews here would have made me wary. But I got it as a frimp, so I gave it a go. I was wary at first, but I like the scent. I don't get so much on the order of greenery or florals, but I definitely get the musk and a very dry smokiness. There's some wood scent there as well that keeps it a bit fresh, as well. I suppose just enough of the florals are getting through that I couldn't call it a masculine scent, but it's close. Sadly, it does not last long on me at all, and I get almost no throw whatsoever. Might be a fun one to play with, but it seems like sort of a waste to wear it.

Deep herbs and apple with black amber. I think this is close to what I wanted Unicorn to smell like. I'm getting the herbs loud and clear, with the apple to give it some sweetness without overdoing it. (I may need to make a point of trying more of the apple scents... this is lovely.) The amber comes through, but only after everything else has settled down. It's a wonderful fragrance. I like that it makes me feel feminine without feeling girly, if that makes sense, and that it blends the fruit and herb and amber together in such a fresh way, without being something I could say was definitively warm or cool or fruity or green. It's really delightful to wear, and I can see myself doing that often, especially with summer coming up.

I'm in love. I think this is one of the first that I've tried that has such a metamorphosis where I actually like each stage. I cannot quit smelling my wrist! I get something warm and spicy at the start, not quite cinnamon, but close and extremely pleasant. Gradually (and beautifully) it gets a bit cooler, until I have something greenish and vaguely floral, with kind of a hint of ozone. This part reminds me of my favorite bits of Bayou and Lightning, but it's fresher than the former and more complex than the latter. This is a really gorgeous blend. I think I'll be picking up a bottle with my next order!

I wanted to like this one more than I do. I like most of those notes on their own, but the blend never seems to work out for me. When I first put it on, I get strong, straight-up lavender then strong, straight-up verbena. There is no blending going on between the scents, no very clear transition, and it's very strange. After it tones down a little, I get kind of a mix of things, which is pleasant enough. As long as the verbena lasts, it's very nice and fresh and I enjoy wearing it. Once the verbena is gone, though, I'm less interested. I wish I got more of the rosemary (I'd completely forgotten that was one of the notes I'd purchased it for) and I wish this worked better as a blend for me, and I wish the end result reminded me a bit less of old lady perfume. I think I'm too stubborn to give up on the imp, because I still want to like this, but I doubt I'll ever get a bottle.

I don't get so much of "crystalline" scent, but I do get plenty of lavender, which I love, and after a little bit the magnolia comes out, which is a floral I actually enjoy. It's less fresh or sharp smelling than I would have imagined, but it's very pleasant and doesn't go very perfume-y at all. It's a wonderfully feminine lavender blend, and something I can see myself wearing a lot.

I don't so much get "faith, love, and devotion" or any of the innocence I associate with Cordelia's character, but Cymbeline mentions "frank and honest", which are the bits of her character that come through for me. I get mostly cedar (not so much hamster bedding, though, thankfully) and musk, with possibly some of the tea. The florals are pretty much gone (which is a little sad, because I love lilac, but never really picked it out here) and I don't think the lemon ever really showed up for me. This is definitely a feminine scent, and one I absolutely don't mind wearing for long stretches of time. It fades pretty quickly on my skin, but I've had some luck with it in my hair. This is definitely a bottle candidate for me. ETA: Well... Huh. Bottle has been acquired, and it's a completely different scent. I get almost entirely lilac, which is a surprise, with a little tea and musk underneath, maybe there's some wood there too. The musk and cedar come out a little bit more as it dries, making it recognizable as the stuff that was in my imp, but with the lilac still sitting on top. I like this even better than before. It's kind of nice to accidentally add another floral to my collection.

This must be the first one I've tried where the rose does not jump out. At all. I'm thrilled. I haven't much gone for fruity or floral scents, but something about this one (maybe the musk?) is completely saving it. I also seem to get a hint of apple among the fruits, and the florals are just a fantastic blend with no threat of going "old lady." Sadly, it fades on me in record time. I'd be curious to try it with a scent locket or something to see if I could draw out the scent a bit longer.

It's difficult for me to separate the notes with this one (but then there's nothing I'd especially recognize, anyway) which is a surprise. I don't usually go for the sweet scents, but here they just seem to serve to make this one very feminine, while the patchouli (another scent I don't usually go for) and clove give it a warmth and spice that make it seem very natural and less perfume-y, which is excellent. I think this is one of the first I've tried that I can absolutely connect to the inspiration. It's very apt!

This is watery and floral, but I get a faint musk that keeps it interesting. It's an interesting mix of cool and warm. I'm not great at picking out the individual floral notes, and I wish I got anything I could identify as ginger, but this is nice. I don't love florals, but this seems to be all the things I liked about Ophelia without the overpowering rose to drown them out. I don't think I'd wear this every day, but for the times I'm feeling very girly, it'll be perfect.

I worried this would be too sweet and floral, but I think spicy florals may be the way to go for me. I'm not sure I can pick out the amber specifically, but there's a warmth to it that I associate with amber scents. I can't pick out any particular florals, but I get more spice than sweetness (thank you, pink pepper!) which I love. I got this with my actual order, and actually like it much better than the two florals I ordered. I think I may get a bottle of this when my imp runs out!

I had given this a run before, and I may return to try it again, but for right now... I'm getting something buttery, lots of vanilla, and sweetness. It is forcibly reminding me of homemade cookie dough. Quite at odds with "A sinister, sinuous incense of summoning, a herald and paean to the Primordial Gods of Darkness, Chaos, Madness and Decay"! Bizarre! Regardless, I think I'll be trying to get rid of this one. I'm not picking out any promising notes, but maybe someone who loves vanilla could appreciate it.

The perfect scent to wear to your next bondage ball, dungeon adventure or sojourn to your favorite pleasure dome. Smoky rum and black tobacco with a whisper of steamy leather with a splash of crystalline chardonnay, layered over a sensual, sweet, and deceptively magnetic base of tonka. I did not think I would like this at all. In the imp it was just overpowering and sweet. But after a few minutes, I'm getting fabulous tobacco and leather. I think I'm getting the tonka as well, but I'm losing the rum and chardonnay in the haze. It doesn't scream "perversion" to me, but it's nice and smoky and mysterious. I think, despite my first impression, I'll be holding on to this one! It would be divine for evening wear.

I got this one as a freebie with my first order, and it was the first I whipped out to try. My first impression of it was relatively favorable, but it seemed to get more sweet and cloying on me toward the end of the day and I put it aside for a little bit. I whipped it out again today, and have been enjoying it. I don't think I'll ever find a true lilac that I can wear (I do not seem to agree so well with florals) but this lilac musk is very nice. It's purple (which I love) and vaguely floral, but I get enough musk and spice this time. I don't get anything foody (if the blackberry were popping out to me, I'd be getting rid of this one immediately) but I do get a nice hint of something green in the background (not familiar enough with the other notes to pick something out). It went on very musky and pleasantly strong, which I sort of enjoyed, and while it's faded relatively quickly (it's been less than four hours) I highly enjoy what it's faded into, even if I have to sniff my wrists to get it. I'm not sure I'd get a bottle of this one, since I prefer my scents slightly more consistent and predictable, but this was nice to try. I'll probably use this one as reference for some similar notes.

I like this one... I risked the bottle since "linden" turned up so few results, and I was fairly certain nothing in this would offend me. It has been threatening to go soapy all day, but hasn't quite gone that way for me. I get more white florals than the green I would like to have, but I think I am getting some of the herbs underneath... there's definitely something there that's keeping it much more interesting than soap. It's very clean and light and I just seem to get some nice whiffs of it as the day goes on. It's very cool and fresh. I think it's a great candidate for everyday wear, so I can't really regret buying the bottle, even if I'm not totally head over heels in love with the contents. ETA: I'm afraid the florals totally won out in the end. I love this one so much when it's wet, but I can't seem to get that scent to last. Ended up finding a better home for this bottle.

I got this one with my order, and I think it's a winner. I do not love florals, rose usually gives me headaches, and I generally don't go in for the girlier scents, but I love Maiden. The carnation is spicy and fresh enough, and the rose is sufficiently subdued, that I am very unoffended by this one. I don't get as much green or citrus as I wish I did, but it's certainly more complex than simply "carnation"... I kind of get that "sophisticated innocence" thing myself. It's not something I would have ever picked out for myself, but as soon as I use up my imp, I think I'll be getting a larger bottle of this one, for the days I'm feeling more feminine.

This is one of my favorite "bonus" imps. It's nothing I would have picked out for myself, even if I'd sampled it first. It goes on VERY strong for me, almost sickeningly sweet. I wouldn't have picked out the honey without the description, but I think that's the culprit. It settles down after about 10 or 15 minutes, though, and from there, I really enjoy it. The musky smell is nice and warm, and it lingers perfectly. I ran the wand through my hair one day, and after it settled down, I think that's where I liked this scent best. The musky amber scents still aren't something I'd wear every day, but it was a great experiment and a very nice perfume. I'm too much of a green/purple fan to convert to something this warm, so I think I'll send this off to another home, but I did enjoy trying it.