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I bought this one primarily because I love carnation, and ever since somebody gave me a bottle of carnation perfume when I was a child, can't remember the brand for the life of me, I've been trying to find another that would be similar, because I used that bottle to the last drop. After Bordello and now Bathsheba, I've discovered that plum is a note of doom for me. In the imp, it smelled cloying, candy sweet mixed with gym socks. I'll assume that's the Arabian musk. Wet, even more cloying to the point of putting a weird sort of taste in the back of my mouth, and no, I didn't lick it! I couldn't even stand to let this one dry down. The scent literally nauseated me. If your body chemistry likes plum notes, go for it. On me this was as huge of a disaster as The Chicken Legged Hut. 0/5

When I ordered this, I had forgotten what my mother's favorite perfume in the late 1980's, Poison, did to me. Opium gives me a headache to end all headaches. This smells like a high end, expensive perfume, very lush and yes, dark, and sadly it killed my head. I think I'll give this to my Mom, because not only will she wear it, she'll love it. The saddest part to me is that I actually loved the smell. Narcissus and myrrh are delicious together, and they played nice with the opium. The smell just doesn't love me.

This was one I bought for my husband. We had such rousing success with Calico Jack that I thought if anyone could make a scent my man will actually wear and not whinge about, BPAL is it. Success! In the imp, this smelled the most like what I associate with cologne of any BPAL scent I've sampled yet. There's a sharp, refreshing citrus tang and unmistakable lavender. Wet on him the musk rears its head in a most pleasant way and harmonizes nicely with the lavender. I usually adore lilac and have no problem picking it out in a blend. It's not strong enough in this to fully assert itself, but there does seem to be something a little sweet. The citrus keeps it refreshing. Dry down is where this totally shines with his body chemistry. He has gotten quite tired of me grabbing his arm randomly just to sniiiiffff tonight. It really does hearken back to a more gentlemanly time, but the gentleman is a rogue. Make no mistake. This would've been left behind faintly on a calling card left by Dr. Moriarty. We both love this. It's too masculine for me to want to try. However, this will be a good alternate for nights he doesn't want to smell like a pirate. Don't worry, Jack. You're still our first love.

O my goodness! OK, silliness aside, this was another imp I ordered in my latest batch. I figured that I love amber, honey, and vanilla, so how could this go wrong? In the imp, the scent was much sweeter than I expected. Was I just crazy not to expect a honey scent to be that sweet? Maybe. Vanilla and honey jumped out, grabbed my nostrils, and wouldn't let go. At that moment, I couldn't detect amber at all. I dabbed some on. When first testing, I'm very much a dabber, not a slatherer. That way if things go dreadfully wrong--The Chicken Legged Hut, I'm looking at you! -- it's not hard to scrub it off before violent nausea ensues. My caution was unnecessary with O. Wet, the amber began to assert itself and ground its sweet playmates. There was also something of a vague fruit note at this point, almost orange blossom-y. On the dry down, the almost cloying quality of the honey settled down. It became a lot warmer and more sensual, and the vanilla sort of floated atop it. Several hours later, there was still a very decent throw. The scent hasn't morphed again. It has stayed a very harmonious blend of the three notes listed with still something a little fruity and flirty beneath it all. It doesn't smell even remotely like sex to me, but it is a nice, sexy scent. When I start running low on my current bottles, this is one I'd consider having more of. I can't stop sniffing my wrists while wearing it.

I ordered this in my latest order because I'm partial to violets, and while I loved Nocturne, the tuberose didn't love me quite as much as I hoped it would. It became something of a bully and beat up on the violets. So, on to Saturnalia! In the imp, I could definitely smell violet and vetiver, but there was also a bit of a strangely medicinal odor that made me think of eucalyptus. The only time I like eucalyptus is when I have a cold and need to breathe, so I was a little concerned as I dabbed it on. Wet, my skin amped the violet very strongly and more of that...so hard to describe...kind of cold wind eucalyptus scent, but not sharp and obnoxious, just...intriguing. OK, so far, going with the flow nicely here. On the drydown, the vetiver began to assert itself a little bit, kind of smoky, kind of dirty, but in a good way, not a bad one. The staying power of this is better than any other BPAL scent I've tried so far, and the throw is BIG. HUGE. This violet is a lot less candy-like than Nocturne, not sweet at all, kind of smoky, and sinister. I still get the impression of a cold wind, an aloof sneer that somehow manages to be sexy and draw one closer despite one's better judgment. Saturnalia just replaced Nocturne as my favorite BPAL floral to date. If this is what the lab's vetiver does for me, I'll have to try more with that note. I like this a great deal.

I had ordered this with my second to last order and thought for sure I had left a review, but apparently I only managed to convince myself that I did. In the imp, this smelled very sweet and fruity. I didn't get much in the way of floral from it, but it was lovely. At first application, the aquatic note came out to play with the juicy fruits (not like the gum, though), and I thought, wow, this is going to be really gorgeous. Then for some reason it dried down to grape soda and church incense. Within three hours, it was gone altogether. Not one of my more favorite blends, at least not with my body chemistry. Boo.

I'm not sure if I got a bum bottle of this or what, but this is the first BPTP claw polish that I don't really love. The color is beautiful, everything that everyone has already said, a very complex pink with gold shimmer and a tendency to look more lavender in brighter light. It's the texture that gave me serious issues. When I opened the bottle, it was very hard to open because some polish had somehow leaked during shipping and gunked up the glass threads. The polish itself was very thick. It was hard to get a neat application without having to close the bottle and continually shake it. Even so, the layers went on a little gloppy and uneven. I couldn't get a smooth application. It reminded me of old polish that has been sitting around a long time, and it took nearly three hours to fully dry. I'm wondering if it got overheated somehow during shipping since I live in a very hot climate, and we're at the peak of summer. I like the color enough possibly to try for a second bottle in the winter, and I've been so happy with the other polishes I've bought that I can't help but to think maybe my bottle was some sort of fluke.

OMG, this is so delicious it's all but edible. (No, I haven't tried to taste it. I learned as a small kid that food smelling bath products, no matter how yummy they might smell, taste AWFUL. And no, I won't be telling that story. ) Anyway, Just smelling from the bottle, it had a very rich cocoa scent with some lovely sweetness of honey and currants. For me, the caramel and sugary notes didn't come out until it was on my skin. I've been using it as an after shower moisturizer, just giving it a little shake, squirting a small amount into my palms, and rubbing it over wet skin before toweling off. Man, it makes my skin feel amazingly soft and smell soooo good. Once on my skin, it goes a little less foody and pretty sophisticated. It also blends really well with a few other BPAL scents. I've layered it with Gypsy Moth, Shub Niggurath, and Snake Oil so far to really nice effect. The scent lingers for hours without cloying, and even after it has faded greatly, there's a hint of sweet goodness left behind. I love this! Oh, I almost forgot to add that even though I've been adding the oil straight to wet skin, it doesn't leave behind any sort of greasy residue. It absorbs in very nicely!

This sounded so intriguing to me I couldn't pass up the chance to give it a try. In the imp it smelled so strongly of dirt that I thought there was no way I could ever wear this. I could smell the rose, too, but the dirt was just so strong that it overwhelmed the floral. The rose is also not wet, fresh rose but dry, crumbly rose. Maybe it's the moss giving it that dry quality. Wet it smelled about the same as in the imp, crazy strong dirt and rose. Here's where it got a little interesting, though. I wandered into the kitchen where hubby was putting the kettle on, and he whirled around. "What's that smell? God, that smells so good!" He grabbed my wrist and sniffed. "You don't smell dirt?" "No. Whatever that is, it's amazing!" So while I felt like I was being buried alive in dirt, my husband was climbing all over me. Disturbing mental images aside, I felt that this was not at all a bad thing. On the dry down, the dirt went away. Rose, a deep, sultry, dark rose, amped up and combined with the mosses. It was complex and lovely. The throw is amazing. I dabbed very, very sparingly initially because the dirt scared me. Even so, several hours later, it's still going strong and getting more beautiful as it goes. I am really in awe of the talent at the lab. Since discovering BPAL just two months ago, I've been taken on some pretty amazing journeys in scent. I may really have to give Zombi a chance in bottle form, because I have a sneaking suspicion this one will age like a fine wine. 5/5

Exquisitely melancholy. The background scent to an ancient exequies. Heavy, dark and floral: a blend of roses, with a touch of amber and musk. This was a frimp from the lab. I love rose scents, so I was excited when I saw it. In the imp, I smelled wet, lush rose with something dark and a tad smoky curled beneath it. Uh oh. Is that my nemesis, black musk? Wet the rose amped beautifully with amber, but I know the note of doom lurking beneath. Dry down. Black musk did the same thing to me it <b>always</b> does. It took a lovely, complex blend and turned it into baby powder. Dammit! Had that not happened, this would've been my favorite rose from BPAL so far. As it is, I'll have to reserve it for a clothing scent or a scent locket.

This was one of my most recent orders. I liked the description, and I am a storyteller, so I decided to give it a try. In the imp there's a sweet, spicy melange that's difficult to separate. I can smell the saffron and red musk. Something a little incense-y, too, but I can't place it. As it warms on the skin, in addition to what I listed above, I think I get warm amber and golden champa. It starts to smell a lot more perfume-y, but not in a commercial way. It's a very sleek, sensual scent. I felt very confident in my skin wearing this. It stayed spicy and lovely, too. My only complaint is that by the time it dried down completely, my skin ate it. I had to keep reapplying to keep that lovely scent, and even after slathering, it didn't have much throw. I'd find it bottle worthy, except I'm afraid I'd go through that bottle in record time!

This was a real disappointment to me after reading all the rave reviews. In the imp it had a sharp, acidic odor, savory food spices, not anything sweet and no vanilla whatsoever. Still, I've promised myself I'll skin test every imp I get, because I know these scents do amazing things on the body sometimes that you'd never expect out of the bottle. So I dabbed it on like I do with anything I try for the first time, no slathering. Patchouli, but not the rich, earthy patchouli I like. It was very dry. I also thought I smelled saffron, which while I find delightful in food, I don't want to smell like, or maybe even tumeric, which is even more bitter. Still no vanilla. Nothing sweet. On the dry down, it got more acrid and bitter. After just two hours, it was gone, leaving nothing but a tiny bitter smelling spot on my wrist. I'll age it like others recommend, but I'm wondering if this is just a major no-no for my body chemistry. Until it's aged and I can try it again, I'd give this a 2/5 for me, not horribly wretched, but not good. ETA: I gave this some more chances, and I'm really glad that I did. Vanilla in a totally non-foody way, spicy, sexy. Maybe I was having a bad body chemistry week when I first tried it. I've since bought a bottle. My husband also loves this on me.

This was a frimp from the lab. When I opened the imp, I got this really foody, comforting scent of buttery, caramel popcorn. I thought it would be a good night scent to fall asleep to. Wrong! Wet on my skin, a strong hay note took over and got crazy. There was a sort of hot breakfast cereal note under the hay, but all of the caramel goodness fled. Then somebody lit some brimstone. On the drydown, I got brimstone and burning hay, a very unsettling, unhappy scent. I decided to wash it off. I can't go to bed smelling like that, or I'll wake myself up thinking the house is on fire. This is not for my skin chemistry at all.

This was a frimp from the lab with my last order, yet another that I probably wouldn't have tried on my own. I suppose I should give these woody scents more of a chance, because aside from Odin with its black musk of doom note on me (baby poweder! ), they've been working really well. In the Imp, pine and juniper with a very sweet note of vanilla and a deeper hint of amber. I told my guy this is supposed to be a masculine scent, and he wrinkled his nose. "Too sweet for me!" He's picky, and I don't push. He has his Calico Jack which makes both of us happy, so I'm not complaining. That just meant more for me if it worked on my skin. Wet. Wow! I mean seriously, wow! Pine and juniper jumped to the fore, so strongly that it was like being out in a conifer forest at mid-morning, just as most of the dew had dried off, the sun was up, and the sap rising in the trees. Where did the vanilla and amber go? Where is rosewood? It wasn't cleaning formula pine or anything icky like that, but boy was it assertive. Dry down. Oh, well, hello thar vanilla and amber! Here they came to save the day. Together, holding hands, nuzzling each other, making nice, and giggling at haughty pine and its prickly juniper friend. I wanted to inhale my entire wrist and just keep it in my nose. This was hands down one of the most unique scents I had ever experienced. It was at once assertive and playful. I think it would take both a confident man and a confident woman to wear this blend because it's so...hermaphroditic...pretty much with equal parts masculinity and femininity. At the same time, I found that it really boosted my mood and made me feel really happy and positive, like I could do whatever I set my mind to. I'll definitely turn to this when I've got a difficult project to tackle. I still never did managed to find the rosewood. Maybe it was hanging around in the background and grounding the other scents, keeping them from getting too stuck up or silly. Anyway, over five hours have passed since the application. I'm left with the sweet, delectable scent of vanilla and amber and a very slight, wistful hint of pine. I loved this way more than I would ever have expected just hearing the ingredients. I'm not positive I'd want a whole bottle, but I can easily see myself going for another imp when this one is used up. Really unique!

This was a frimp from the lab. I have to say that based on the description, it's nothing I ever would have tried on my own. How is it those lab folk are so talented for picking out things we'd like if we just gave them a chance? Amazing. Anyway... In the imp I could smell the elm pretty sharply. I also got a cedar note and maybe even aspen? Am I nuts? Anyway, very woodsy, and very herbal. Kind of sharp and bitter. Lots of green. It scared me just a little bit, actually, because I had no idea what that would do on skin. I dabbed anyway, because I'm curious like that. Wet it smelled even more like cedar with something dry and a little musty. I actually liked that a lot. It was very different and not nearly as masculine as I was expecting. Musk started coming up, and it's not the Egyptian or red musk that likes my body chemistry. No. It smelled like my nemesis, black musk. Dry down. Is that you, black musk? Dammit, why must you always go baby powder on me? Baby powder. Nooooooooo. Odin does not smell like baby powder. I'm sure of it, but sadly, wearing this, I do.

I bought a 5 oz. bottle based on the soap I got from the trading post, because I loved it that much. I wore it to bed last night, which may not have been the best idea. I kept smelling myself, and it smelled so darn good, I kept waking up from it. Plus ginger is a very stimulating, energizing scent. Maybe something more appropriate to wake up to! Anyway... I suppose I'm very lucky this doesn't go foody on my skin. It flirts with it a little bit but never quite makes it there. In the bottle, the scent is very sharp, the bite of ginger, something bitter that makes me think of myrrh, maybe even a little sweet of frankincense and a little pepper. Wet the ginger bites the nose sharply. That tickle of pepper seems to get stronger. This blend literally warms my skin without burning me, so I don't think there's actually cinnamon in it, although I detect an undertone of it. Cinnamon usually gives me the worst sort of contact rash. If it's there, it's spare. On the dry down is when the magic happens with Shub. It's an incredibly warm scent with a dark, bitter undertone. I've honestly never smelled anything quite like it to compare it to. People keep saying gingerbread, but it doesn't go bread-y on me at all. Just this rich melange of warm spices, and something of an amber scent develops. It was still lingering on my wrists this morning before my shower, very sweet and faint, but positively delicious. My pillow still has the lovely scent clinging to it. I am SO glad I bought this as a bottle, because come fall, this is going to be my signature scent. 5/5

This is the second soap I've tried by Villainess. It's a truly lovely summer soap! The green tea, lemon, and aloe really shine here. It's very much like the Embalming Fluid perfume oil, except that the scent doesn't linger on the skin. In the summer, I really don't like for my soap scents to linger, so this is a positive for me, not a negative. Despite our very hard water, pH 10.7, it gives a nice, silky lather. The entire shower fills with the refreshing, clean scent, and for something with a slightly astringent smell, it's not drying to the skin. I've tried lots of natural, hand blended soaps over the years. My first bar, Shub Niggurath, lasted almost two months with heavy use both from me and my husband. It never got gooey or dissolved like some other vegetable based soaps I've used. So far, Embalming Fluid is showing the same lasting power. It's well worth the price.

I bought this for my husband. He really, really hates commercial colognes and is always complaining about how strong they smell and how they give him a headache, but I really, really like for my man to smell good. Like the good sport that he is, he agreed that if I bought an imp of this, he'd give it a fair try. He has been enjoying the various BPAL scents I've bought for myself mainly because they don't have an artificial odor and don't give him headaches like a lot of perfumes do. So, we both took a whiff of the imp. He smiled. "Hey, that's really not bad. Kind of pirate-y without the B.O." No, not bad at all. I think I may have had a little drool on my chin. I hope he didn't notice. "So, you ready to try this?" I asked nonchalantly, lashes lowered so he wouldn't see the crazed look of lust. Leather? Salt? Kelp?! Jeez, Louise, this should be called "Verra Sexay Pirate". Ahem, I digress. He let me swipe it on him with the imp wand. Not only did he really, really like this, I really, really love it. All men should smell that good. Seriously. Seriously. It came out really balanced with his skin chemistry. Like...a delicious sort of bay rum without whatever gets sickly in bay rum that makes me hate it and added leather. Maybe even some tobacco. I dunno. I could smell this on him all day and night and never get tired of it. Delectable. Sexy. Sinful. The throw was good without being knock you down and in your face, and it lasted for hours. I won't wear this, because I'd wind up molesting myself and never leaving the house. I will be getting a bottle of it for him with my next order. Thanks, you wonderful, talented people at the lab for making something my husband will actually wear that smells divine. I've only been trying for 20 years to turn him on to something scented he'll wear!

When I read the description of this, I knew I wanted a bottle, period. Skip the imp, no testing, no nothing. I'm so glad I listened to my gut. I adore this. I put it on last night about an hour before going to bed. In the bottle, the cardamom really popped and overwhelmed most other scents. I got a trace of vanilla under the spice, but not much. I couldn't detect the Egyptian Musk at all, even though it's my favorite of the musks, or the tonka. The scent was a lot more spice than I expected. I dabbed it on very sparingly, afraid that a cardamom wallop might keep me awake. Wet the cardamom was still quite strong. My skin took it in a woodsy direction. However, more of the vanilla began to rise, and there was the tonka. Still no musk at that phase, but there was also something dry, a note that reminds me a lot of orris. On the dry down is where this blend really began to shine for me. The vanilla got very warm and a lot sweeter. The cardamom settled more into the background, adding a delightfully spicy note that was not at all foody. At last, the Egyptian Musk revealed itself, and the scent went from comforting and interesting to complex and even sexy, something I very rarely associate with vanilla. My husband grabbed my wrist after I got into bed and inhaled hard. "What is that?" "Gypsy Moth." "Get a bottle!" "I already did." "Good!" He almost never reacts that way to scent. It's just not his thing, so I know if he likes something that much, it's a keeper. My only regret is that this is a LE, so when it's gone, it's gone! As far as lasting power, I could still smell it on my wrists when I awoke this morning, and the throw for me was very good. That small dab went a very long way. 5/5

I love violet, and this is the first violet blend I've tried from BPAL. In the imp, it smells almost exactly like violet candy, very sweet and sugary, but not in a cloying way. I thought I detected just a hint of lilac, but I couldn't pick out the tuberose at all. Wet, violet amped up high with something almost bitter and medicinal. I wondered for a few moments if I was going to have to wash it off, because that medicinal scent was threatening a headache. On the dry down, it settled down a lot. It was back to violet candy. The lilac disappeared, and the tuberose made an appearance. Unfortunately, within 2 hours, it was mostly gone, nothing but a tiny trace of scent left behind. I'll try some more violet blends, as this one doesn't have the staying power I'd like and has that funky stage. 2/5 with my body chemistry. I'm betting it will make an awesome room scent, though. EDIT: OK, this is really weird, and it has never happened to me before with any perfume oil. After my skin seemed to have eaten the scent entirely, it came back with a floral vengeance. I did not reapply or do anything to my skin like add lotion or whatnot. Now it's primarily violet laced with lilac, very feminine, very lovely. I'll be trying it several times more to see if this happens again. If it does, I would up my rating to 3.5/5. I still don't like that medicinal phase it went through. I love how it smells now, though.

This came as a freebie gift from the lab with my most recent order. I opened it a little too enthusiastically, so a bit spilled, and I rubbed it on me well away from the other scent I also spilled a bit. I got excited! I can't help it. Anyway, straight from the imp, this smelled so much like a perfume and also bath powder my grandmother used to wear it took my breath away, not the strength of the scent, but the strength of the memory. I was right back in her adorable pink and white bathroom with the claw foot tub. I can't recall the name of the perfume. Maybe White Shoulders? I recall it was White something. I could instantly pick out the Lily of the Valley, way more than the lilac. The dragon's blood gave a sort of slightly incense-y undertone. Very nice, I thought, after recovering from the time travel memory incident. It was literally that strong of a visual, like being there. So I rubbed it on higher on my forearm than the other small spill. Wet, the lily scent amped even higher, drowning the lilac and the dragon's blood entirely. On drydown, the dragon's blood returned and anchored the floral. Now it all smells a little soapy after a little over an hour, but it's not an unpleasant soap scent, more like expensive soap you've washed with a little longer than you normally would just because you love the fragrance. As much as I love this scent, and I truly, truly do, I'm not sure I can wear it, because every time I catch a whiff, it makes me tear up and want to cry from missing my grandmother who passed away over twenty years ago. I will never wear this around my mother. I think it would have an even worse effect on her. Still, gorgeous scent, not at all "old lady" or old fashioned. If you like lilies, give it a try. ETA: I got over the wanting to cry bit and wore this before a hard workout. Even after I had sweat pouring off my body, I could still smell the lovely lilies. I think I'm a little bit in love with this!

I got my new order in today, so the moment I ripped the box open I was totally The was so strong that I was a tad careless popping open two of my imps. Slight spillage dictated what I'd be wearing today. hehe That was OK, because both of them are lovely, and I was able to put them on me far enough apart that I can follow each of them as they progress on my skin without one interfering with the other. Two, Five & Seven is everything, and I do mean everything I hoped it would be and then some. In the imp, it smelled more of grass than roses to me, a really fresh, sharp, green grass scent that reminded me exactly of stepping out into the yard in the early morning when the dew is still down and the blades crush a teeny bit under the bare feet. That is such a yummy smell. So I rubbed what little bit spilled on my wrists. There's the rose! The grass was still there, too. For a few heady moments while it was all still wet, I smelled exactly like a rose garden, not like a perfume oil interpretation of one, but like the garden itself. Bliss. Heaven. Joy. Insert appropriate word of delight of your choice here. In the initial dry down phase, a soapy note came out, but it wasn't at all an unpleasant, chemical-y soapy note. It was expensive French milled soap fresh after washing your hands and dabbing them dry on a plush, decorative towel. I'd say that lasted maybe twenty minutes before rose came back to the fore, a very intense, sophisticated rose, not tea rose. The grass note faded to the background, yet even now I can detect a slight hint of green. I'll come back to edit later to reveal how long this lasts on me. If it has decent longevity on the skin, I think I may have just discovered the perfect rose for me. Apparently, my skin adores this and vice versa. What a great way to start the newest sampling cycle!

I haven't tried this by itself yet. I just did a French manicure tonight with Maiden and white tips, then did three coats of Embalming Fluid over the top and finished with an ice finish top coat. My nails look like opals! It is such a lovely, lovely effect over Maiden. It went on very smoothly and dried very quickly. The top coat keeps it from feeling too textured. So of course, I had to test it in the dark. I went from chic and sophisticated to thirteen and squealing with delight. The glow was *bright* and very neon green-ish. I adore, adore, adore this polish. It allows you to create a lovely, age appropriate look and still indulge the inner kid.

This polish is so sophisticated and lovely. Even with three coats, it's still slightly translucent, a pinkish nude that is very flattering on my skin. I am fair with a bit of pinkish undertone. This actually gave me a little illusion of a gold tone to my skin. I did a French manicure on my fingers with white tips, and it came out salon quality. The polish applies very evenly, no streaks. I'm far from a nail polish professional. For most of my life I refused to wear it, so it's not like you need expertise to get this looking good on you. So then I coated it with Embalming Fluid polish because I can have sparklies, and wow! My nails look like opals in the light and neon green glow in the dark, best of both worlds!

This was the other free sample goblin squirt I got with my most recent order. I tried one downstairs and this one upstairs. This scent is making me cry, not in a bad way at all, but it smells exactly like my aunt and uncle's old house on the lake. My aunt used to sell Avon and all sorts of other things from her home, and the whole house had this general nice, pleasant fresh scent to it that I've never smelled again, until this day. I have such wonderful memories of staying with them during the summers, so I can't really get anything coherent out in this review except to say what a lovely, unexpected blessing, and yet it makes me miss them so much.