Incendiare

In the imp, I detect soft amber and sweet pea. Very pleasant and inviting. Wet, I am definitely getting sweet pea as the top note. At this stage, I don't get any vanilla close up, but when I wave my hand in front of me, the sweetness from the vanilla pops out a bit. Still no sign of my beloved sandalwood, but I still like it at this stage. Dry, not too much has changed. I still get mostly sweet pea with a touch of amber in the background. I actually really like every single note that is in this blend, but a bit disappointed that the sandalwood never showed up and that the vanilla comes only in faint flashes. I can imagine that this one ages beautifully though. I am looking forward to trying this out more and seeing what happens.

In the imp, Sed Non Satiata smells sweet and earthy. I can smell the honey in there, and can smell a bit of alcohol, but without looking at the notes, I can't tell at this point that the earthiness comes from the patchouli. Wet, the patchouli comes out even more and is more pronounced on my skin. The cognac is one of the stronger notes at this point, as well. I smell something faintly floral in the background but can't tell if it's tuberose and/or geranium. As it dries, the myrrh sort of shows up, but it's only halfway through the door. I normally don't like patchouli but this isn't bad. The honey tames it a bit. Surprisingly, my nose seems to have more of a problem with the cognac in this blend. It definitely makes this blend very different and unique, but it's just not for me.

TKO massage oil has made me look at lavender in a different light. Normally, I don't like the stuff. It's medicinal and too sharp to my nose, but the lavender in TKO massage oil is softer and smoother. The vanilla rounds it off and makes me think that I'm sitting on a lavender marshmallow. On top of that, the massage oil isn't greasy at all. I keep on reaching for this instead of my lotions, both during the day and before going to bed. I also love how I can still smell it when I wake up in the morning, and how it clings to my clothing as well. I find that some scents tend to go off or a bit weird when clothing absorbs it, but not TKO massage oil. It stays true to its scent for sure. Everyone needs to try this, and I know that I will always want to have this on hand.

March Hare is impressive. It sounds simple and to-the-point but it definitely has a voice of its own. In the imp, it actually reminds me of my Grandma's canned peaches. She uses cloves in her recipe too. It's almost uncanny (har har) how similar this smells. On my skin, it basically smells the same, but even more alive. The apricots smell sparklier on my skin and the clove is just right. It adds a nice accent and doesn't run the show. Normally I amp clove, but in a good way, but the clove in March Hare doesn't amp as much as it usually does. Next time I visit my lovely Grandma, I am going to ask her for a jar of canned peaches.

Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo is sweet, sugary candy in the imp. As bright as it is in the vial, it becomes eve more vibrant on my skin. Pinker, almost fizzier and more alive. It's a definite mood enhancer. Too bad 3/4 of my imp leaked in transit. Don't think I would need a bottle of this but I wouldn't mind acquiring another imp of this at some point.

In the imp, sharp berries that aren't that sweet. Very tart. Wet, Slippery Poppy Tincture deepens. I can't pinpoint the honey but the berries are very much alive. The poppy note is definitely palpable and is a perfect match with the acai berries. This one is even better than what I imagined. I'll definitely use my imp, no problem.

Wow, from the imp, I get the darkest of chocolate with something more mysteriously dark lurking behind the cocoa. Wet, the sandalwood takes the spotlight and stays there. The cocoa complements it beautifully. This is definitely a dry blend. Velvet is very straight to the point and in your face. It doesn't morph on you and have a lot of notes going on at once. A bit simplistic, but I appreciate this one a lot. I keep sniffing my wrist. The myrrh kind of tags along with the sandalwood, which ultimately overshadows it anyway. Don't think it is bottle worthy, but Velvet is still nonetheless a beautiful blend.

In the imp, Florence reminds me of walking amongst the various plants in my family's garden during the evening in the summer. Oddly enough, the sharpness reminds me of a specific area of our garden where we usually grow herbs and mint. Go figure. Wet, I can smell more of the iris, but no spices or amber. Definitely more on the woodsy side too. Not even close to what I was expecting from this blend. It's alright, but not really my thing.

Soft woodsy root beer is what I get out of the imp. Wet, although the cedarwood becomes much more identifiable, the sassafras still challenges it and tries to dominate. Eventually the sassafras wins, because while I'm catching whiffs of Tombstone, I think to myself that it's like woodsy root beer, not cedarwood with a touch of sassafras. Probably one of the most unique blends I've come across. I'm kind of sad that the vanilla is shying away, but perhaps with a bit of age, it will show up.

In the vial, Dragon's Milk is a sweeter Dragon's Blood all the way. I cannot distinguish honey nor vanilla at this point, but the Dragon's Blood is definitely more well-rounded. Wet, it still smells vaguely sweet, but after a few minute, the honey begins to emerge. I only seem to get vanilla when I set my wrist down and allow the blend to waft throughout the air, but sniffing my wrist close up, the vanilla seems to hide. As Dragon's Milk dries, it becomes more powdery, and I am still detecting more honey than vanilla. It's the nicest Dragon's Blood blend I have smelled for sure, but there are so many other perfumes that I would rather wear.

Piercing is right. Dragon's Eye smells like über amped up lilacs. Maybe a faint whisper of lily in the background, but lilac owns the show here. The Dragon's Blood blends very well into the lilac. In the vial, wet, dry, hours later, it's all the same. The lilac steps on everything else and refuses to take a step down itself. It does remind me of a sharp-smelling bar of lilac soap more so than fresh lilacs in the summer.

Golden vanilla and gilded musk, stargazer lily, white sandalwood, grey amber, elemi, orris root, ambergris and sea moss.  In the vial, I get a sharp floral with no vanilla in sight. Wet, the muskiness protrudes but the florals dominate. It doesn't really smell like liles to my nose, and while I generally appreciate the sharpness of elemi, this is too sharp for my liking. Lyonesse seems to be getting muskier by the minute. Still no sign of vanilla. And sandalwood? Nada. You'd think the orris would dull the sharpness a bit but I get none of that either. Damn, really tried to like this one. Lyonesse happens to win the award for First BPAL Blend to Make Incendiare Sneeze.

In the imp, I get a drier cake drizzled with honey. Applied to the skin, it's reminding me of Gluttony, only it's not as nutty, and the honey is still there too. I get no wine whatsoever. Wet, dry, it stays the same as it stabilizes rather quickly on the skin. While I'm not turned off by it, this isn't something that I would really wear as a perfume.

Delicately aged Snake Oil in the bottle. I just had a bath with this and poured around a capful into the tub. The scent remained as aged Snake Oil, and it also seemed to be a fair amount to use for one bath. My skin feels silky and I could smell the wonderful exotic oils in the air throughout the entire bath. On my skin after the bath, I actually get Snake Oil with a touch of ginger in the background, interestingly enough. It remains as straight-up Snake Oil when directly applied to my skin, though.

What a bright and happy little blend! In the bottle, I get sugary berries. Applied to the skin, the lemon blossom and sweet pea come out to play. Smells like drinking a fruity cocktail in the summertime surrounded by sweet flowers in the garden. Rosy Maple doesn't seem to have a ton of throw. I've had it on for half-an-hour now and it's very light. This one will be my pick-me-up scent when I'm feeling down, for sure.

In the bottle, I get a warm, creamy, buttery vanilla. Freshly applied to the skin, I was frankly a little scared and disappointed. Smoky burnt something, but I don't know what. The butter is still present in the wet stage but overall I am getting this weird smokiness. Giving it some time to dry, the vanilla starts to come out a bit more and morphs into a creamier french vanilla. I don't detect any linen, though. You need to be patient with this one. I thought it would be nicer in my hair but alas, it turns smoky. Fortunately, the end result on my skin is warm and pleasant. I will use my bottle, but wouldn't purchase again if it were to return.

O is very pronounced even when still in the vial. With some blends, I find that they smell kind of vague in the vial and don't show their true colours until they're applied to the skin, but with O, it's BAM, amber and honey as soon as one pops the cap off. Freshly applied, I get more amber, whereas when applied to my hair, the honey dominates. As O dries down on my skin, the honey definitely catches up to the amber. I don't get vanilla from this, though. I personally don't find this to be an aphrodisiac but only because it reminds me of something from my childhood, but I can't figure it out. Instead, it's warm and comforting. For me, it's the kind of blend that isn't necessarily your favourite, but you're most likely going to pick up a bottle anyway because an imp won't be enough.

This is a wet, sweet floral. My nose is trying to pick this one apart, note by note, but can't seem to separate the notes from each other. I can smell the slight bitterness of neroli, and maybe some soft sandalwood in the background, but no ylang ylang, which usually has a very twangy scent. None here, though. Lorelei is light, pleasant, and feminine. Innocent seeming, yet lures you in.

Arabian spices, red sandalwood, and carnation. Before I even knew which oils were the bestsellers, this already looked like a winner to me based on those three notes alone. There is definitely a creaminess that mingles with the exotic spices. Morocco is so warm and comforting but not fiery and hostile at all. I'll admit that when I first received the imp, I thought it was a bit more 2D than originally anticipated, but after a month, it's getting creamier and warmer. The musk sandalwood ground Morocco beautifully. The carnation peaks through in the background and blends into the spices. Even though it is not my number one favourite, I can see this being a staple. It's supreme comfort in a bottle.

Nostalgia encapsulated. A soft, wistful blend of dry flowers, aged linens, and the faint breath of long-faded perfumes. In the vial, Antique Lace smells like soft vanilla. The airy linens come through once I apply it to my skin. The vanilla remains as the dominant note, and while creamy, has a sort of dusty quality to it, but in a good way. I swear one of my My Little Ponies smelled like this? I've had it on my skin for almost an hour now and the scent has barely stayed or changed. Great throw, for sure. I can definitely see why this is a favourite, and I would love to buy a bottle of this if it ever came back.

In the vial, Maiden smells like a slightly sweet but spicy rose. Freshly applied to my skin, it's a different story. The rose intensifies, the tea comes forth, and the carnation moves to the back of the row. The carnation gradually steps forward as Maiden dries, but the rose still remains strong on my skin. I love florals and florals love me, so I'll most definitely use up my imp, but not sure if I'd buy a bottle of this. Back to add more. After an hour, the carnation has taken the lead. It definitely seems more balanced now. Love this!

In the vial, I am hit with a punch of clove, but once applied to my skin, the violet comes out. I can detect a bit of incense in the background, but no tonka whatsoever. The clove is still overpowering the violet, and it's reminding me a bit of Lush's Skinny Dip. On the dry-down, I'm still getting more clove than anything else. It now reminds me of a cross between Lush's Skinny Dip and Chai shower gels.

In the vial pops out the jasmine with a mysterious spicy undertone. Directly on my skin, I get buckets of jasmine, perhaps a slight trace of rose, and the slightest hint of coffee. I definitely don't smell any fig or vanilla at this point. As its drying down, the jasmine is still way too overpowering. I can only catch the barely-there coffee note when my hand is at a distance (applied it to the top of my hand), but smelling it up close, basically just jasmine still. Weird how I don't really get any rose at this point. Thirty minutes later this doesn't seem to be changing at all. Just overwhelming jasmine with the practically non-existant coffee in the background. This is a disappointment. Based on the description, I was expecting something complex yet balanced.

In the vial, Desdemona is a soft, sweet floral, but once applied to my skin, the floral notes bloom and become more alive. I can smell the sweet pea and water lily in the foreground, while the carnation adds a bit of spiciness in the background. I absolutely love its sweet innocence and shall buy a bottle in the future.

In the imp and on my skin, it smells like a slightly nutty cake. The first thing I thought of when smelling this was Pumpkin Patch II from 2005, but it's minus the pumpkin note. I'm not entirely sure if this is something that I would want to smell like.