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Black opals are my favorite precious stone. Imp: A sweetly soft, powdery vanilla. Like magickalbrownies, I get something sort of starchy in here too, but it reminds me of corn starch instead of potatoes. Still, I can see how that would translate into rock flour (ha! Who knew that I would ever actually use a term from my geology class in a BPAL review?) Where Snake Oil's vanilla is a lovely cream or even brown color, this is bridal, virginal white, and reminds me of an even milder form of Morocco. Wet: A faint, soft, inoffensive "perfume" vanilla, rather than a bakery or spice vanilla. Very, very light, very shimmery, very pleasant but not at all distinctive. Girly and elegant but oh-so-mild and refined. I can see myself wearing this to work and meetings for when I don't want to distract people with my scent, and for layering. I do also get the rock or stone aspect everyone else has been mentioning. Dry: This fades quickly away to a sugary powdery nothing, but I have to say, I quite like it while it's around. It's nothing at all like I usually wear, but I'm strangely fascinated by it. I will definitely keep the imp for work and other such purposes.

Imp: Strong, salty aquatic bitterness, brackish and nasty, an amazing facsimile of real tears. There's a touch of floral underneath it, and the overall effect is almost kind of nauseating-- like swallowing ocean water or when you cry so hard you make yourself sick. Admittedly I have a head cold and it's an interesting time for me hormonally so I could be totally off my rocker. Wet: Ack! Strongly, lily-scented dishwater, then soap. This is extremely aquatic and ozone-heavy, and is giving me quite the headache. After a minute it softens and gets much prettier, a soft fresh aquatic with hints of floral. The headache, however, is too much. I ended up washing this one off. I did, however, like the trace of scent left after washing-- a pretty, gentle, dewy carnation and maybe a hint of violet or rose.

Imp: Incredibly sweet mimosa and canteloupe on top, wet and sticky and wonderful. There's something a little darker backing it, like spiced tea. Oddly enough I quite like it. Wet: This goes straight to an odd bitter powder on me at first, which I think is because I've been sick the past few days and not the fault of the blend itself. Then the melon and mimosa come back up, backed by something that I think might be violet, and then some orris or violet and lovely spice. It's a floral, but it's a heady, fruity, spiced, tropical floral that I'm actually digging. The combination of floral and fruit almost makes it smell like some lovely boozy mixed drink. Dry: After a while, this smells just like a melon salad + lovely, slightly dusty florals + incense, and I'm definitely liking it. Great for summer wear, inoffensive but still definitely interesting! I don't think I need a 5mL but I will happily keep my Imp for everyday use. [edit] I might add that, after reading everyone else's reviews, I strongly suspect that this has civet in it, and I simply can't smell it due to the lingering headcold and hormonal fluctuations... so this has the potential to go horribly wrong once I recover... but I hope it won't!

Bottle: I get a very fruity, very orchid-ish floral at first, with just a hint of soap lurking somewhere in the background. Not anywhere near as dark as I was hoping, but still definitely pretty. Wet: At first very strong floral pear-- a combination which makes for shampoo on my skin. Slowly the champaca, clove and olibanum come up, making it sweeter, darker and smokier. The base note of oakmoss is just gorgeous here, green and a little bit salty. Gardenia is the topnote, which is fine by me! This is pretty strong-smelling next to the skin but doesn't seem to have much throw. Dry: After a while, this turn into a lovely, incense and smoke-touched pear-and-orchid blend. It's nice but not really dark enough for my taste-- so I ended up giving it to my mother for Mother's Day, and she loves it!

Frimp from the incredibly generous, lovely Bain! Imp: First and foremost... guys, have you seen this oil? It's PURPLE! Like, light eggplant with touches of almost greyish green. That's the most badass thing ever! And now, ahem, on with the review. At first sniff I get a little touch of a lot of things-- definitely a browned sugar, like the topping on flan, and cream, and a lovely sweet bakery vanilla and almost a yeasty aspect, with some florals, and then, weird but awesome, a sensation of, like, rubbery texture. Like fried eggs. It doesn't smell like eggs, it smells like bouncing your fork off an egg that's been poached for too long, but in a good way. No, I cannot explain, but I do love it. Like cream brulee with gardenias and carnation and extra cinnamon on top. Wet: I definitely get a blast of the florals, strong and heady, backed by some seriously sweet vanilla, caramel and heavy whipping cream and spice. I smell downright edible and oh God, now I really want a milkshake, and when did I get so hungry? The vanillas stay true on my skin, which is kind of rare with foody blends, and the florals don't go soapy, and there's just enough spicy to give it bite. Spring is entirely the wrong time to be wearing this; it would be dynamite in winter. Dry: This is the "O" of foody scents-- sexy, dripping with sugar, downright lickable. I'm not huge on smelling sweet but this is so well-balanced by carnation and spice that you will pry this imp from my cold, dead hands. Definitely stashing it until the weather gets cool, and then, oh, how I will make everyone around me gain weight by smelling like home-made custard ALL THE TIME. Seriously, this is better than actually eating the custard it smells like, and if that's not high praise I don't know what is!

Imp: Strong lovely lilies in the imp, cool rather than warm. It smells just like something that will go soapy on me, which is too bad. Wet: Hunh. It's got sort of aquatic overtones, but it's definitely floral. Maybe something kinda berryish, too? And dragon's blood, I think. And cinnamon and some other spices. It's pretty but it actually kinda smells like generic Christmas potpourri due to the cinnamon/berry influence. Dry: This is a pretty, fruity, faint floral now. Nice, but not something I'd ever really wear.

Frimp from the amazing Bain! Imp: Mmmm! This smells just like baklava to me in the imp.... it's got that lovely honey-sweetness combined with dried fruits and something kind of nutty smelling and something else that smells... grainy. Not like the stuff you eat, but the actual texture. It's sweet and foody and heady although the wheat-germ effect is kinda throwing me off. Wet: All wheat germ for a moment, and then the honey comes back up, and with it the glorious, glorious florals. I'm not a floral girl but damn, if I were these would be the florals I like-- big sweet round blooms, honeysuckle and jasmine and carnation. Sweet fig and apricot and almond follow, and under it all, that gorgeous honey. This is very, very light and summery. I do still catch some of the wheat-germ, though... maybe it's the tonka combining with the fig? Dry: Damn! That wheat-germ smell just won't go away, and it's ruining what would otherwise be a lovely blend.... fig, honeysuckle, carnation and honey are the dominant notes on me, leading to a bountiful summery loveliness (except for the grain note.) Oh well. Hopefully the person I frimp this back to will love it.

Frimp from the lovely Bain. Imp: A pleasant, soothing herbal floral, with definite touches of lemon. Kinda reminds me of Chiroptera, but not richly herbal. Wet: Ugh! Something floral in this goes straight to baby-diaper hell on me... clean diapers, but still! Is there violet in here? *suspicious* I don't see any listed, but this smells just like violets do on me. I ended up washing this one off-- overpoweringly powdery and headache-inducing. Oh well, too bad, I was really looking forward to a Chiroptera knockoff!

Imp: Very similar to Bayou and Jazz Funeral at first sniff-- strong dirt and florals and a hint of citrus. Wet: Sweet dirt and a lovely hint of jasmine. Very much like Jazz Funeral but without the rum and some of the more sophisticated elements. There's a touch of something almost slightly foody and a bit more incense. Surprisingly nice, I didn't expect to like this. I agree with Luna that it's a bit more feminine than Jazz Funeral, but it's also simpler to my nose. Dry: Something in this is going rather soapy on me, but that's okay, because this is so much like Jazz Funeral I don't need to hang on to it. Definitely kissing cousins if not twins-- but if Jazz Funeral was a bit too masculine and heavy for you, try Crossroads, you'll love it!

Imp: Dark, powdery, woody violet with touches of sweetness from the lilac and tuberose. Pretty but a bit horrendously floral. Wet: Sharp, medicinal violet at first, rather unpleasant-- I think I'm learning that violet just doesn't work on me, at least certainly without some strong sweet element accompanying it. Under it is strong, bathroom-cleaner lilac and a bit of tuberose. Dry: Ugh. Soap and (clean) baby diapers. The violet here is tempered by the sweeter tuberose and lilac, but it still isn't enough to overcome that slight bitterness. I'll take a pass, thanks.

Bottle: Strong, fresh apples-- definitely red delicious, complete with their peels-- and hints of gardenia, plumeria, and maybe just the lightest bit of citrus. There's Snake Oil in there too, but I can barely smell it. It lends a foody twist, so this almost smells like baked apples. Wet: Yum! The apple dies back a little, but is still very present, and lets more of the floral and Snake Oil shine through, and even a bit of the blood orange. The overall effect is of something a little fruity, a little spicy, a little floral, and a little vanilla, but not overwhelmingly any of those. It's warm and inviting and has a bit of throw, although it's not terribly strong. Fresh Snake Oil has a tiny bit of a playdough effect on me, and I'm smelling a touch of that here, but oh well. I know it will go away with a bit of aging, and it's not enough to ruin it anyway. Dry: This is lovely! It's a warm, spiced apple rather than a cool, crunchy one, and has serious overtones of citrus and florals and vanilla and spice. It will be great for a late summer/early fall day, with all that lovely sunshine and fluffy white clouds, and (I suspect) even better with some age on it! All in all, a definite keeper. It does fade fast, alas, but that's just an excuse to slather more!

Sugar Skull 2006 Bottle: Whoooooa momma! Carmelized brown sugar, brown sugar dust, rum raisins, booze-soaked fruits, crumbly sand cake and a hint of spice. Damn, I'm getting cavities already! Smells like the best dessert in the whole wide world, and it's hella strong. Wet: At first blush it's all straight-out-of-the-box brown sugar, pleasant and crumbly, then it gets a hint of molasses and cake (sort of like Queen Alice, actually!) The booze comes through more after a minute, and there's a phase where it smells exactly like rum-soaked raisins. Then it morphs into strong sweet brown sugar caramel. I'm not getting even the faintest hint of floral from this and only a tiny bit of fruit. Crazy strong and insane throw, too! Dry: After a while a smoked aspect develops, and it's rum-soaked raisins and melting brown sugar with a hint of campfire again. This is lovely, very warm and comforting and yummy, but not really something I'd ever wear-- too much sweet and not enough spice or complexity. On to someone who can give it a more loving home!

Midnight Mass '08 Bottle: Lovely, soft waft of sweet incense ash, polished wood and a tiny hint of sweetness. Very subtle, very pleasant. Wet: Much the same as the bottle. It smells like the soft grey fluff left behind after burning incense more than the actual smoke. It's very warm and golden and soothing and pleasant. Dry: Woodier now, predominantly sweet polished wood with just a few hints of ash, and already fading. This is pretty, but I wish it lasted longer.

Imp: Soapy sweet floral dirt with distinct hints of lemon peel. Weird. Wet: Lemon Palmolive, dust and a hint of fresh aquatic and white musk. On the other arm it's even stronger spicy dish soap. With kind of a nutty undertone. No, I don't know why either. Dry: Faint traces of soap and nuts. Well, that was interesting, but nothing I feel the need to repeat.

Imp: Damp lavender and a smoky smell combine to make something that's almost kinda like wet dog. Wet: Dark lavender, with soft incense ashes and smoking tobacco behind it. It's predominantly lavender, though, and a little bit of sandalwood. Everything else is just a bit player. Dry: A smoky, dark resin with an almost vegetable-like quality. Pretty, but there are a lot of other incense blends I like more.

Bottle: Incredibly smooth, cool-smelling musk with a hint of tobacco, patchouli, and spice. The pine pitch smells gummy-- not like gum, but like you could reach into the bottle and grab some and roll it between your fingers, sticky and sweet. There's a touch of honey and the slightest vanilla. This reminds me a lot-- a LOT-- of Buck Moon, but sexed up. Wet: Wow. This is almost indescribable. It's... the word that comes to mind is sheer, not that it's faint because it's not, but it's transparent, see-through. It smells like soft, warm skin, exotic unburned resins and tobacco, and like the night air. It does the most amazing thing on my wrist; I will sniff it once and it will be an almost manly, cool-feeling blend of pine pitch and musk, and then twenty seconds later I'll put my arm to my nose again and it's sexy, womanly vanilla, honey, and resins. Indefinable, but incredibly beautiful. It smells like being outside, at night, with the most gorgeous, distant woman you've ever met in your life. I have never smelled another BPAL quite like it-- like I said, Buck Moon would be the closest but it's not exact. This is much more adult. Dry: A little softer, but still the same amazing scent. Pine and musk and tobacco dominate, with touches of vanilla and patchouli and honey and resin. This is sex in a bottle.... I gotta say, I really hope that CD goes GC, because I don't ever want to be without this stuff.

The lovely VioletChaos swapped with me for this, including the Queen's Crypt, which is awesome! Bottle: A swirl of polished red and purple fruits, rose, a little musk, some sharp black pepper that smells like freshly cut wood, a hint of dust, patchouli, and just the faintest whisper of something that smells a whole lot like blood. Dark and a little threatening and sexy as all hell. Wet: At first it's a bright sweet raspberry, but then the bitter pomegranate and juicy plum come up behind it. There's definitely some gardenia too, and rose, which magically doesn't go soapy on me but instead smells like dried roses. Musk and patchouli next, and splintered black pepper and just the faintest whisper of dirt. Good Lord, sirs and madams, this is amazing! It's fruity, but really dark and complex underneath it. Dry: This smells like spilled wine and overripe fruit, dried roses, musky incense, dust, old wood, dirt and an unnerving hint of blood. But the weird thing is, for smelling like all that, it should be gross but it's so, so, not-- instead it's an incredibly sexy, delicious, draw-you-closer intoxicating scent that keeps my nose firmly glued to my wrist every time I wear it. Absolutely deserves its status as a BPAL classic. I it. It makes me feel sexy and womanly and vampy and mysterious!

Imp: A sweetly spiced, sheer, transparent orchid with a hint of Sweet Tarts and... cinnamon? Some kind of lovely sugar-spice. Wet: Orchids always smell "wet" to me, and this is no exception. It's a strong, lovely, straight-up orchid, extremely femme and classically sexy. I agree with whoever said this has a tropical fruit vibe, except without the actual fruit smell, if that makes sense. It's definitely a "come hither" scent, but in a summery, floral way. It makes you think it's not all that strong, and then pop! You're catching unexpected hints of it. Works for me, as orchids are one of the few florals I really like. The smell of this orchid is full of "almosts"-- it's "almost" like water, almost like pears, almost a little like vanilla, there's almost an incense vibe to it as well. And I'm almost getting a headache from it. Damn! Dry: A little more fruity, a little more powdery. This is quite nice-- assuming it doesn't continue the headache pattern, I will certainly be keeping my Imp!

Imp: Sharp, bitter frankincense, thin cinnamon and bitter violet. Ugh. Wet: At first, potatoes. No lie. Must be the violet, it smelled like carrots last time. Root vegetables seem to be its thing. Then banana-scented soap. WTF? Frankincense must have a banana smell on me, I got that in Midnight Mass '06 a little as well. Banana soap and cinnamon. Aww, man, it's making me crave fried bananas! Dry: Boy says: "Smells like cinnamon bananas and diapers." Definitely not for me.

Bottle: In the bottle, Clemence is kind of harsh-- she's dark, and smokey, and spiky, with definite overtones of wood and tea and exotic, fiery spice. She smells kinda like an import shop-- not a big, classy, commercial one, but a small, dark, basement import shop, with mysterious wooden masks and chests full of rare resins. I love the smell, but it's kind of an assault on the nose. Wet: On, however, she is a different lady entirely. At first it's nothing but splintered shrapnel-ish black pepper, but after a few seconds the round, warm patchouli comes up to sweeten and soften it, the cardamom and tea emerge, and clarion clove and carnation cut through it all, making it smell like smooth, warm, well-polished wood, old books and spice tea. There's definitely a slightly dry, paperish quality, but it's merely an overtone, a suggestion, not enough to make your eyes water. I completely agree with whoever said Yogi Tea's Classic India Spice. Mmmmm. Dry: Much the same, but if possible a little softer and creamier. Do you ever find one of those perfumes that is just so familiar to you, so much like you in some indefinable way, that you could wear them comfortably in any mood at any time for the rest of your life? Clemence is like that for me, she's the sweet spice and books scent I've been searching for since I got into BPAL. It's like curling up in a corner with a cup of strong tea and reading a book about the Silk Road. Wild and adventurous, but at the same time comforting and homey. Instant

Imp: Pale green oil, which, I'm not gonna lie, is pretty cool. Upon first sniff I get strong pine, fir and cypress with possible overtones of rue or mugwort or maybe chamomile. Something bitter and herbal, anyway. Wet: A sticky, whip-sweet smell, like pine sap and soap. Oh my God-- it smells just like the Simple Green eco-friendly soap cleanser detergent stuff we use at my parent's house! Definitely trees and sharp flowers. Dry: Almost gone already. Only the faintest hint of bitter herbs and sweet sap is left. Oh well, I didn't really want to smell like soap (environmentally conscious or not) anyway.

Bottle: Soft, sweet, a touch tropical, a touch clean, a touch sexy. Extremely hard to pick out notes-- definitely date palm and ambergris, a little lime, salt, tobacco and other sweet, dry, brown notes and something that smells a whole lot like clean cotton. It smells exactly, EXACTLY I say, like a balmy, mildly breezy, sunny, warm-but-not-hot day at the beach. Just uncapping the bottle is a major stress reducer. Wet: The same, but with a little bit more green bite to it (lime?) and a bit more tobacco and musk. It doesn't smell like fruit, and it doesn't smell like booze, and it doesn't smell like sex, it just smells like happy. Like warm, comfortable, lazy contentment. Holy crap I love it. I agree with whoever said it's like wearing your man's old shirt. It's not that it smells like worn out old man shirt, it's just so natural and conforms to your own scent so well, it feels like the easiest thing in the world. Dry: Much the same, but even more seamlessly blended. If I search, I can smell musk, ambergris, citrus, a number of woods, something like hot sand, salt, tobacco, dried fruits and cloth... but mostly this smells like sitting on a beach on a spring day, nestled in the arms of someone you love. This blend is probably my #1 stress reliever, and is what I put on when I can't face the thought of getting up in the morning. It's an olfactory hug and a much-needed massage. I love it.

I've wanted to try this since I first got into BPAL, and I squeed my pants when the lovely Twitch sent me this for no reason at all! Imp: Smells like... nothing? I get vague hints of frankincense and basil but not much else. Wet: Ambergris! I love ambergris, truly I do. It's this soft, fuzzy, barely-there smell, almost like a white amber but with overtones of salt and sunshine. After a minute the basil and frankincense peak their heads through, making it smell like a sunny herb garden. I'm not getting much leather, which is good, because leather smells awful on me. On the other hand, I'm not getting much of anything else, either-- this is pretty faint. Dry: Drat. Unfortunately the basil and the frankincense team up to make me smell like an expensive bar of men's soap. Oh well. It might just be because this poor little imp has been in the mail for a while-- I'll try it again once it settles down. If it still doesn't work, looks like it'll end up in the Boy's pile.

Swapped for a bottle of this with the awesome Twitch. Bottle: Make sure you roll this one well, because I can see a layer of chocolate on the bottom! In the bottle this is incredibly strong, deep, dark chocolate, with a concentrated, intensely fruity cherry, something that smells a lot like teak, and spices. It's rather reminiscent of a dark chocolate cherry-chili bar (they are delicious, by the way.) It's a wonderful smell and is making extremely hungry. Wet: All musk all the time at first, which is interesting. Definitely getting red and black, but maybe some Siberian too? It's not terribly animalistic but it is very strong. Underneath is spiced wood and sweet cherries, and below THAT is the chocolate, a rich dark background note. God, I want to eat myself... I think I'm getting a little of the bamboo, too, there's a wet green scent somewhere in the middle of it all. I can't possibly use the word "intense" enough to describe this. It's manhandling my nose-- it's not that it smells bad, really it's delicious, but it's almost like being punched in the nostrils. Dry: Damn.... this is so heavily layered and complex it's giving me a raging headache. It's a great scent, but apparently not something I can wear. Swaps!

Imp: Spiced floral, orchid and cereus mostly, with smoky resin underneath it. Wet: Orchid with an almost lavender-like twist, strong poppy, sweet labdanum, resins, and something else that reminds me of the way expensive soaps smell. It doesn't actually smell like soap, mind you, just like the stuff they put in soap, which is much better. Still almost all floral with only bare traces of incense. Dry: A barely-there, spiced white floral. Never got any myrrh, or green things, which is too bad, because without them Medea is just kinda blah.