brilliantcat

I fear this will be screamingly rose on me, but I am determined to try any BPAL I get my hands on and since this was one of my imps in my last order, I shall be a trooper and give it a go. Imp: Definitely rose. It smells like crushed fresh rose petals. Wet: Sweet roses. I find it less offensive than some other rose blends though. Dry: Rosey roses in a rosebush. I suspected as much. Sad that I don't get any of the rosewood or hazelnut to balance it out.

Imp: Smoky opium and orchid. Deep, dark, and sensuous. Wet: The opium goes a bit screaming soapy but the orchid and rose are melding into lovely dark wonderfulness, despite rose not often working on my skin. Dry: Finally, an opium blend that likes me! Very slightly soapy opium, smoky dark florals. I may need a partial.

Imp: Yummy red musk with a bit of tart/sweet citrusy tangerine and spark of mint. Wet: Heavily red musk with just a bit of the citrus and mint. Dry: Honeyed red musk. This is not different enough from my other red musk scents to warrant a bottle, though it's quite delightful!

Imp: Cloves and what smells like a mix of the leather and vetiver as I'm getting a sort of "greeny-ness". Wet: Clove and leather. This definitely reminds of my clove cigarette and leather jacket days. I'm pretty in love with it so far. Dry: Smoky clove and well-worn leather. Oh yes

Imp: Cloves and what smells like a mix of the leather and vetiver as I'm getting a sort of "greeny-ness". Wet: Clove and leather. This definitely reminds of my clove cigarette and leather jacket days. I'm pretty in love with it so far. Dry: Smoky clove and well-worn leather. Oh yes

Black patchouli, honey, and thick vanilla amber. This is the best review I have ever seen. EVER. It's perfection. Edit: Durrhurr... I might want to post MY review. Imp: Banshee Beat patchouli and vanilla Wet: Yeah, this isn't BB patch anymore. He's big and wild and earthy. Not quite of the #ows variety because those have all been tranquilized and re-homed in safe environments in the wild (like my perfume box) but definitely stronger than BB. I normally like my patch more subtle and smooth, see: all the Sumatran patchouli in the Lupers this year, but since I get hints of honey and vanilla and amber, I think this will be amazing once it settles down. Wet: Still pretty rough around the edges. This patch is taking no prisoners! I can definitely smell a battle-of-the-notes going on. The honey and vanilla are trying to get him to simmer down and he's having none of it. I get dirt with the most lovely vanilla-honey-amber on top. I want a bottle to age because this has so much potential if the patch smooths out. Edit the second: After aging, I am in absolute, all-encompassing lust. The patch does indeed smooth out significantly and is very very similar to BB now (quite possibly my favorite BPAL scent EVER) and there's a hint of sweetness from the honey. Amber and vanilla deepen this surprisingly complex blend. I knew I should have gotten backups!

Imp: Very reminiscent of a fresh lily bouquet like I had at my wedding. I adore lilies. Wet: Still fresh lilies but more perfume-y. It has a creamy feel and I can't pick out the musk at this point. It's really all lily, all the time. Dry: Very, very faint musk with pure lily overriding everything else. It's very true-to-life and gorgeous, but I doubt I'd wear it much. I prefer smelling the real deal

Imp: Smooth, complex patchouli not of the hippie feet variety and lavender plus something sweet? Wet: Lavender, dry lavender. The patch is more apparent at arm's length and it's gorgeous, smooth, and earthy. Dry: Unnerving is the best way to describe it. Evocative, certainly, but not how I want to smell I also find it to be more masculine than I would want to wear and I normally couldn't care less about masculine vs. feminine scents. I'd swear this has leather in it. Quite interesting and suits the description to be sure, but not for me.

Imp: Almost beeswax-y honey and fruity ginger. Wet: Much fruitier on my skin, it's juicy ripe red fruit with soft ginger, not spicy. I also get a bit of the green, stem-like feel others have mentioned. This all gives the impression of sitting beneath fruit growing on the vine in the heat of summer when the air is slightly hazy, while nearby bees buzz around the hive and the scent of honey and beeswax is wafting around. Dry: Pickles?! Somehow I'm getting dill Since I don't really want to smell like pickles, this is a big no.

Orris, luminous ambergris, and golden amber illuminated by a sunlit golden musk. Imp: Smells very clean in a high-end soap way. I also get a big hit of the orris' violety scent. Wet: Still clean, but less soapy. I can get some hints of the other notes with the orris. A warm, syrupy tone develops. I would swear the musk is Egyptian musk as it has that slightly spicy feel that I love so much. It's very skin-close, I have to press my nose to my arm to smell it. Luckily the soapiness from the orris melds into the other notes and the blend loses the soapy vibe. Dry: This fades so quickly! It's slightly dusty but warm and cozy and cuddly and all the things I associate with amber/musk blends. It's really beautiful. I imagine this will age very well and I hope I can pick up a bottle before it's gone.

Imp: There's definitely sludge in my tester. I made sure to mix well. First sniff: vanilla lemon custard! Wet: Vanilla custard with a hint of lemon and cocoa. It's definitely foody at this point, leaning toward gourmand rather than true foody to me. Dry: It's gone soapy and rose-y. It reminds me of a tiny, round, well-coifed elderly grandma-type. Elegant and dainty, and smelling faintly of the cookies she's baked for tea. Definitely not for me.

Imp: Coconut and lemongrass with a smidge of anise hiding underneath. Wet: Mostly lemongrass but I get the creaminess of the coconut rounding it out. Very spring/summery. Dry: A lovely lemony coconut. I get very little of the other notes but what I do get is very pleasing. I think this would get a lot of wear in the spring and summer as I love coconut

Imp: Almost pure almond. Mmm. Wet: Rose is making herself known. We usually disagree but so far she's held in check by the other notes. I also get cedar and what must be the tamarisk adding a sweet/sour feel. Dry: A melding of rose, tamarisk, and sesame oil. Such a lovely idea but the rose isn't working for me, sadly.

Imp: Floral yet somewhat aquatic and resinous at the same time. Wet: Same as in the imp. It's very complex. I get a not-overwhelming rose and lily primarily, over a resinous base, with some ozone floating around. It does remind me of a classic, high-end perfume; not the stuff most designers are coming out with today but the elegant ones of yesteryear. Dry: It's not me at all, but it smells like an elegant older lady or perhaps a vintage flapper with kohl-rimmed eyes, smoking from one of those long holders.

Imp: I love "odd" combinations and the kick of cayenne is immediately apparent along with the honey and apricot. Simple, different, and lovely. Wet: Juicy apricot backed by syrupy honey. I don't get much of the cayenne but I believe it's cutting what could be overwhelming sweetness. I am lucky enough to own a bottle of March Hare and I actually prefer this so far. It smells very fresh. Dry: This just gets better and better. The cayenne gives it a surprising depth. Bottle for sure!

Imp: Geranium and traces of gorgeous patchouli. Wet: I don't find the geranium as pervasive as others seem to. I can definitely make out the red musk (but I amp that like crazy) and a beautiful, earthy patchouli. This is not a dirty-hippy-feet patch, it's oh so smooth and rich. I find the whole thing a tad astringent/medicinal at this point. Dry: Almost a red musk SN. Almost. I can make out the rich vanillic benzoin and smooth patchouli with perhaps the barest hint of geranium. I never at any point got any of the woods. I wasn't impressed at first because I have so many red-musk-heavy blends (can you tell it's a favorite note? ) but the drydown has that magical vanilla-patchouli that makes me want to weep with joy. I think I have to get a bottle.

2013 Imp: Very red musk-like. It has a dirty, herbal component that must be the kush. Wet: There's an oddly clean and soapy vibe to this, along with the musk and the "dirty" feel. I feel like it's going to be amazing once it's finished melding on my skin though. Dry: Welp, it triggered my husband's allergies so it could end up being the best thing I ever smelled but I won't know because it's getting washed off. His health > pretty smellies. Kind of sad I won't get to see (smell) what it was like fully warmed up on me but good to know he's sensitive to it.

Imp: Cologne-y and medicinal. A bit overwhelming. Wet: MUCH nicer on my skin! I get a delightful evergreen scent from the juniper berries along with fresh cedar and a snap of leather. I can see the comparison to Tombstone. It's Tombstone with evergreens. Dry: The amber has insinuated itself and it's a fuzzy, warm amber with a bit of musk and green notes. It's actually rather pretty but I don't think I need a bottle.

2013 version Imp: This is very green to me. Pine, green fresh apple, herbs. Wet: Definitely an apple-y vibe, which I like. I get a whiff of spices and honey too. It's not a strong pine like some of the winter blends, it's faint and blends well with the other notes into a cohesive whole. This is a lovely, springy scent. Dry: Oh, bummer. It's turned to Pine-Sol.

2013 Imp: Lilac and perhaps the cedar. Wet: Nothing but lilacs. I have such bittersweet memories of lilacs. They grew all over my great-grandmother's backyard and then my mother took a cutting from the bush and grew it in our backyard when I was growing up. Now that they're both gone, lilacs make me both happy and melancholy. This is a perfect scent in that regard. It makes me somewhat sad and contemplative. Dry: Slightly musky lilacs. I find it ethereal and lovely. I don't know how often I would actually wear it, but I'd like a bottle just for the memories it conjures.

Imp: Lavender, fields and fields of lavender! Wet: The mate is adding a citrusy undertone to the lavender. However, mate did not play nice with me with White Chocolate of this year's Chocolate Box so we shall see. Dry: All red musk. I do love red musk but I'm at the point where I have so many red-musk-heavy blends that I definitely don't need another unless it's very special. Edit: Ok, I revise my statement. I DO need more red musk and this IS special After an hour or so, the red musk backed off a bit and the citrus from the mate disappeared, leaving me with a soft red musk, honey, and lavender scent. I happened to catch a whiff of it while I was doing something and fell in love. I think this is another "need" for me and my red musk addiction!

Imp: Banana banana banana with a hint of something lemony, the mate perhaps? Wet: The throw is definitely banana but up close, it's brightly lemon. Not a cleaner or Pledge type of lemon, just a bright, slightly candy-like lemon. If I try hard I can pick up some banana at my wrist. Dry: I'm literally not getting anything other than lemon. How odd. Perhaps the mate is just super aggressive? While it smells nice, I have Shanghai and that's what this is reminding me of, if anything.

Hearing this could be a sister to Banshee Beat has me excited as that's one of my all-time favorites Imp: I definitely get the honeysuckle and the greenness of the hemp, though it's a much more tempered hemp than in BB. Someone else mentioned it having a creamy tone to it and I'm getting that as well. Wet: The hemp is more pronounced on me. This is creamy without being sour or rich, green like fresh, growing plants, and ever so slightly floral. It's definitely a greener, more herbal BB. It makes me think of spring and growing things and is really lovely. Dry: Utterly lovely. Slight herbalness from the hemp, creamy honeysuckle, soft honey. Much less a relative of BB but I still love it, I think it will be a wonderful spring scent.

Imp: Ocean, a churning, foamy ocean where kelp is washing up with the tide. Wet: Cool Water :\ Definitely getting the salty vibe though and that's just barely saving it at this point. Dry: I brain-farted and put on hand lotion over the test spot. Coconut scented no less. It sure smells good this way though, salty, musky, slightly resiny. I think I'll keep my imp and layer it with this lotion

Imp: Leaves! Trees! Wet: It smells so different on me. The same leafy, woody vibe is there to be sure, but I'm getting a hit of spice that wasn't there in the imp. Dry: Eugh, cleaning fluid and clove. Not a keeper.