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I was thrilled when Twitch frimped me this. I haven't tried any of the Steamworks scents, and they seem like something I would just adore. Imp: A sweet, woody citrus-- definitely cedar and either bitter lime or grapefruit peel, along with the verbena-- along with a smattering of deeper, incense notes. Very reminiscent of a deeper, more golden Embalming Fluid. Wet: Tons of cedar, then pow! It fades into the background, overtaken by the verbena and citrus and the polished amber. I can definitely see how this is meant to evoke gleaming polished wood and brass fittings. The oud lends a biting, almost ozone-ish note. I almost pick up hints of wax, too. Love it! Dry: Despite the delicacy of the notes listed, overall this acquires quite a sturdy feel, and very much makes me want to go build something (maybe those papier-mache chairs I always said I would...) Unfortunately, while it keeps the polished gold and spice scent that I really dig, at some point down the line this develops a strange, smoked-plastic smell which is not so awesome. I am not going to give up on Aelopile yet, the poor thing did just come through the mail after all, and maybe aging will help, because while he works, damn does he work!

Imp: Sweet violet and lovely warm musk. There's a space in the scent that I know will bloom into amber on my skin, and hints of dusty sandalwood and airy florals. Pretty. Wet: Violet + sandalwood + amber + musk = sweet, round, expensive violet incense. It's almost sort of bubblegummy, but in a nice, very sophisticated way. After a moment the woods pop out and there's something almost kinda peppery in the background. I think there might be orchid in this as well, I'm getting that sugary high note. Nice but it's not a stunner yet. Dry: Spiced violet and orchid seem to be predominant on my skin, backed by sandalwood and musk. I'm not getting much amber, and no vetiver at all, but then I'm beginning to think I amp sweetness. This is lovely, but not something I'd really ever wear.

Rosemary? Check. Orange blossom? Check. Roses? Not a check, but rather soap. Imp: Mmm, that dark sweet rosemary I remember from my garden at home, with that sweet florally orange blossom and just a hint of rose. Herbal and lovely. Wet: All strong rosemary and sophisticated orange blossom at first, but then the rose rises and there's an ever-so-slight soap underneath the sticky herbs. I like the throw, though, deep clean rosemary and bright orange blossom. It almost smells like an infused honey. Dry: A very nice, very expensive herbal honey soap. Lovely, but I like Santa Eularia Des Riu a lot more-- it's brighter, tarter, and of course doesn't make me smell like I just got out of the shower.

Imp: A lovely, sharp, deep black patchouli with sandalwood. I'm not getting cedar or any of the other notes, just that dirty, wooden patchouli incense smell. There might be a touch of something green and sweet way back there. Wet: Oh, there's the cedar! Patchouli, sandalwood, cedar, but with a heavy, smoky overlay. Very, very incense-like, but good, expensive incense, not that cheap fruity porn store stuff. There's myrrh, too, because I'm getting an ever-so-slight salt note, which is one of the things myrrh does on my skin. Dry: This dries down to a dark, sweet patchouli. Pretty, but it's almost a single note on my skin, and I grew out of my SN-patchoui phase in high school.

Frimp from the awesome jj_j. Imp: An incredibly sweet, bubbly sugared snow, with touches of bright pine and almost alcoholic citrus and peach. In color it's a pure, blinding, diamond white, insanely cheerful and so sweet it makes my teeth hurt. Lovely! Wet: If you took a snow cone and flavored it with lemon Bacardi and peach schnapps, and then ate it outside under a frozen pine-tree, this is what it would smell like. The brightest, most piercing lemon and peach with tons of spun sugar and cold winter air. It's relentlessly effing cheerful, like that one girl who's always SUPER-INTERESTED and has a LOT OF QUESTIONS in your eight o'clock class. Dry: This dries to an incredibly airy, crystalline vanilla-mint with strong overtones of alcoholic fruit. If I shat cupcakes and farted rainbows, this is what it would smell like.

Swap with the lovely jj_j! Bottle: Warm, but stale, pumpkin bread. There is something about a lot of the Lab's pumpkin notes that just smells slightly wrong to me-- almost woody, like sawdust. Here it's balanced and made much nicer by the spices. I can smell orange and fig leaf too, creamy and sweet and ever-so-foody. Wet: Squishy pumpkin and spice with distinct touches of sawdust. Damn, damn, damn. It's not as bad if my nose is right up close, but in the throw it smells like fruity, sugared playdough. It almost, almost smells like unbaked pie-crust, which would be delicious, but it's got that sourly dry note to it at as well. Dry: Eventually the playdough vanishes and this dies down to a close, almost straight-up pumpkin with touches of warm spices. This is very, very pretty, but it doesn't wow me. I can't see picking this over, say, Queen Alice, for a fall scent. It's lovely but it's not me-- too simple, warm and sweet.

Imp: Smells like... charred wood, which I know is that heavy, smoky vetiver that usually calms down and becomes much more manageable on my skin, and... grains? Seriously? Why does this smell like the sweet, nutty malts my dad uses to brew beer? Holy crap, it DOES smell like Dad's brewing something! Exactly! That's so weird! And cool. It makes me a little homesick, to be honest. Wet: The same at first! The smoky smell of the vetiver is combining with the sweetness of the orange blossom and the dry, toasted sandalwood and making this smell exactly like grain malt. After a minute, the orange blossom comes forward more, and the sandalwood and the vetiver die back, leaving a smell like burnt flowers. It's actually kind of nice-- a tremendously grounded floral with an earthy edge. Dry: A fairly nice, sweetened-and-incensey vetiver. I'm not at all sure how much I would wear it, but it's certainly much more pleasant than I thought it would be.

Imp: Gorgeous sweet, crystalline florals, particularly iris and jasmine, and a heady, deep musk. Not getting a lot of spice, but this smells just like a warm evening spent outside the languages and literature building on my campus-- in the spring these absolutely huge irises come up in every conceivable color and just bloom and bloom and bloom, and in combination with the clean night air it is just heavenly. This smells a lot like that. Wet: Musky musk mcmuskpants, but sugary rather than animal, with the same strong jasmine as The Perfumed Garden and just a hint of iris. There's a little bit of soap lurking in the background but not enough to ruin it. Pretty but it's turned kinda generic. Oh, there's the spice-- I do get the comparisons to Morocco. Maybe red sandalwood? And there's almost something watery behind it, it smells almost like night dew. Dry: A clinging, soft, musky floral, pretty but unexceptional. I liked this one a lot more in the Imp, before my skin had a chance to halfway kill it. I may end up keeping it for a room scent-- I can just imagine coming home and having my apartment smell like this in summer. Mmm!

Received a tiny drop from ravyn1. Imp: I definitely get the Morocco comparisons-- this is a rich, warmly spiced Egyptian amber shot through with vanilla musk and red sandalwood. Soft and almost powdery in feel, but still very sexy. Wet: HOLY CARP AMBER, that strong, almost milky amber from Jacob's Ladder, but made much friendlier, warmer and sweeter by the vanilla musk and red sandalwood. I'm not getting a whole lot of myrrh, cedar or carnation yet... which is too bad, 'cause as nice as this is it could use some punch. I think maybe I amp sweetness of all kinds? I agree with the people who said it's kind of caramelly, though. Dry: A sweet, vanilla-musk amber still, with tiny hints of spice. Pretty, warm, luxurious and golden, but it's a damn ringer for Morocco on my skin, so I don't really feel the need to track down more.

Frimp from the lovely ravyn1. Imp: Strong moss and spikenard with a heady, perfumey mix of musk, amber, ambergris and strong sandalwood/cedar. It's cologne-y, but not in a bad way, and sweetly herbal with airy resins rounding it out. Me likes! It has an almost citrussy feel, but without any actual fruit. Wet: Oooh. Ambergris and the richest, softest musk, with a very, very manly overtone of moss and herbs and wood. It's very hard to describe, but it smells like a clean man to me, someone who's just used a very expensive soap and an ever-so-soft towel. A delicious man. A delicious, clean, aroused man. Don't lie, you know exactly the smell I'm talking about... damn it! Why is the boyfriend out of town? The throw on this is hayooge, too, so I can't get away from the sexy man scent! Dry: Up close, this is a thickly spiced, gooey caramel-vanilla, but in the throw, it's all a citrus-tinged, spiced, masculine musk. Gorgeous! I wouldn't wear it, it's too manly for me, but I am not responsible for what might happen if I succeed in enabling the Boyfriend with it. I might even have to hunt down a full decant. [edit] I figured out what this reminds me of-- Morocco! It has the same sweet vanilla and musk, but instead of being overlaid with feminine spices and carnation, it's the most awesomest manly moss, woods, and citrus. FANTASTIC.

I have yet to meet an oil that PalmOlive Free and Clear Spring Fresh dishsoap will not remove and replace with a very light apple-blossom smell... that stuff is the bomb dot com!

Frimp! Imp: Strong, strong, cloying dirt with a side-order of sweet coconut and vanilla... it smells like freshly unearthed coconut rice. Weird but not unpleasant! Wet: WHAM POW COCONUT IS HERE. There's a softer, sweeter note behind it, I swear it's rice, it smells just like the rice milk in Lovers in a Ricefield. Actually this smells a lot like LiaR with no plum and dirt instead of nutmeg. There's only the tiniest hint of dirt left, giving it a bit of punch. Dry: Sweet, smooth, fluffy, with the faintest traces of dirt. It smells like Easter to me, sugary and airy and a little like spring. Me likes! It's probably not big-bottle worthy for me, but I will certainly treasure my Imp.

Frimp from the awesome ravyn1. Imp: Strong, strong lemongrass (a scent I'm not terribly fond of-- sometimes it makes me nauseous), and patchouli. The combination, to me, smells like polished wood-- smooth and brown and shiny, a hint of citrus from the wax. Very grounding. Wet: Nothing but lemongrass at first blush, that astringent, bitter-lemon smell, then patchouli, strong and dark, backing it, with a bit of cedar. There's rose in this too, since I'm getting a distinct soapiness. There's another floral too, sweeter and more pleasant... guess it's jasmine. Pretty, but not delicate. Namaste seems quite sturdy. Dry: It stays true on the drydown, becoming a nice, woody patchouli-cedar-sandalwood with flashes of bitter lemongrass and floral. By itself, I don't find it all that fascinating, although it is very calming-- but it might be extra-super-nice layered with something vanilla-ish, to really give it that punch of spice.

This is a fresh bottle and everyone says I should age it for a bit, but I just have to try it! Bottle: PLUMMY PLUM MCPLUMPANTS, with a small side-order of red musk. Snake Charmer, Smut and Mme. Moriarty all smell the same in the bottle to me, just all plum all the time with a touch of musk, like the sexiest bubblegum ever. Mme. Moriarty isn't quite overripe and sweet, and I can definitely catch hints of patchouli and vanilla bean. Mmmmmmm. Wet: The plum dies down immediately, becoming a sweet purple overtone to the incredibly sexy red musk, the dark patchouli leaf, and the round incredible base of vanilla bean. There's a lighter, tarter fruitiness to it as well-- the pomegranate, I suppose. This is frackin' gorgeous-- sweet and deep and round and dripping sex. I think I might like it even better than Snake Charmer (which is intensely fruity on me) or Smut (which is so musky as to be almost inappropriate.) It doesn't smell like perfume, it smells like a mystery, beckoning you to come closer. Dry: The vanilla comes up more as this dries, eventually leading to an absolutely gorgeous vanilla-swirled patchouli-musk with touches of the ripest fruit. This is GORGEOUS, the perfect midway point between Smut and Snake Charmer. Aging is only going to make this more amazing and more unified. Definitely going into heavy rotation. Verdict? YES YES YES.

Frimp from the Lab. Imp: That's the opium note I remember from Laudanum, definitely. A sharp, biting, almost peppery floral with a clear, almost aquatic aftertaste. It's sweet but spicy, kind of medicinal and brown-smelling. A LOT like Laudanum to my nose, opium must really be the dominant note in there. Wet: Weird, an almost citrussy floral with a definite burning paper or tires component. Yuck! So strongly bitter that I can taste it. Oh, wait, now it's turning into baby powder and soap and rubber with a hella strong through. Awesome. Perhaps it's just the power of suggestion, but I do feel really, really sleepy now. Dry: A hazy, sleepy floral with strong hints of baby powder. It's giving me quite the headache too. Gonna have to go with a big ole "NO!" to this one.

Frimp from the Lab. Imp: LAVENDER. Backed by a frankincense-rose smell and a very strong, very sharp white musk. I'm not getting a whole lot of orchid, which is a shame, because while lavender is good and frankincense and white musk are okay, I might really like this if it were orchid-heavy. Oh well. Wet: Oh, there's the orchid. And the rose, which of course = soap. The musk in here is very, very high-pitched-- not the clean man-sweat smelling white musk but the perfumey, shrill, almost ozone-ish one. I agree with whoever said it smells like generic soap. In this case, it's generic soap with a much nicer orchid scent trying to peep out from underneath. Reminds me of Ode on Melancholy without the sweetness. Very light, very transparent. Dry: The rose and musk have died back to leave a sweet, sophisticated, primly sexy scent... but it's awfully faint. Oh well, I can't say I'm terribly shocked. Although I have to say, the tiny bit of throw that this has is a gorgeous lavender-orchid with a twist of incense, that part I quite like, but I'm not sure if it's worth hanging on to yet. It might age well. Ah well, we'll see.

Let me preface this by saying, I am not a huge fan of chocolate scents, and it was the absence of a conspicuous chocolate note that made this appeal to me, so if there ain't a damn hint of cocoa, that's fine by me! Bottle: NOM NOM NOM NOM. Brown sugar, both crystalline and caramelized (two different but still tasty smells), with dry ginger powder and pumpkin pie spice. If I had to guess at some of the other notes, I would say white pepper, allspice, anise, myrrh. There's a swirl of dusty green in there, too, like bundles of dry herbs hanging from the rafters of a witch's kitchen. Mmmmmm.... it's Gingerbread Poppet's grown-up sister; drier, more spice-and-herbal than dough. Wet: A very distinct brown sugar scent, and just a touch of cocoa, combined with herbs and spice and resin and something that might be a very faint, pleasant wood in the background. Delicious! It goes a little salty at first, a sure sign that myrrh is present, but it's not at all offputting. The throw is very light, but if I put my nose to my wrist I get the most wonderful, comforting smell of strange baking and witch's brew. I love to smell like this: intriguing but familiar, mysterious but not threatening. I think this is going to become one of my every-time, every-mood BPALs. Dry: I am wrapped in a soft cloud of earthy, spicy, incensey, herbal, magical goodness. To me this smells like a kitchen witch should. The drydown is much the same as the wet phase but everything settles and melds. I am so glad I sprung for a bottle of this-- I love it now, but I agree with everyone else that aging is going to make this simply phenomenal. I couldn't be more pleased! [Edit] Because it's "allspice" not "allspcie".

I got super-excited about this, because jasmine and I get along, incense and I get along, and I had just discovered I loved the sugary floral of Fairy Market. I was hoping that MotM would be the nighttime cousin. Bottle: A very odd, artificial smell, like pink bubblegum Bazookas, sugared musk and the faintest of cloying florals. What the hell? The bubblegum note is definitely strongest, but I don't think it's lotus-- lotus only smells LIKE bubblegum to me, this IS bubblegum. So. Weird. Wet: Bubblegum and dryer sheets, which is strange, but better than the bubblegum and soap that it was the first time I tested it. After a minute, sugar and incense emerge more strongly, and the bubblegum dies away. The florals are honeysuckle, muguet, jasmine, poppy-- strong, heady, Southern warm-weather blooms. There is a clean musk underneath it all. It's fuzzy and very light, despite the huge glob of oil I accidentally dabbed on. It almost kinda smells like... nothing. Fuzzy, sweet, nothing. I guess it could be due to it being That Time of the Month... *shrug* There's the slightest tang of smokey incense in the back. Dry: This dies down to a soft sugary bubblegum with hints of floral and sweet, ashy incense. I don't actually dislike any of these components, but it seems very disparate and strange right now. I'm going to chuck this in the cellaring box for a few months and hopefully by the time it comes back out it will be one unified scent full of spun sugar incense floral magic. Edit: Hurrah! After sitting at the back of my box for a while, I'm pleased to announce that the bubblegum has died down, the dryersheet is now a bit player, and most of this is lovely nag champa ash with hints of flowers, night air, fried foods. It's gorgeous and very purple-smelling-- a great summer blend! Glad I held onto it.

This is, I think, some of the coolest label art I've seen so far. I don't know why I love it so much, I just do. HornedGuy! is awesome. Bottle: Honey, fig, and nose-wrinkling, overly-sweet, sharp and unpleasant pomegranate and white grape. I like pomegranate and grape is okay, but something about the combination is just not sitting well with me. Definitely get the sour milk comparisons, but it's sharper and greener-- not rotten, just sort of wrong. Damn! I really thought I'd love this. Oh well, there's time for it to morph. Wet: Beautiful and lovely milk, fig, date and honey notes, but still with an undercurrent of that sharp-sweet-green smell that I really don't like. Smells like a pina colada with a side-order of nail polish remover. Blast! It's giving me a headache, too, far too strong and sharp. Dry: Now it's a pretty, flirty pina colada with cream. Nice, but not worth suffering through the wet stage for-- my poor nose just can't take it. This would be great on someone else, though! Swaps.

Swapped for a bottle of this. Cocoa isn't my favorite but I wanted to try it! Bottle: Rich, dry, deep chocolate with spices. Like a Green and Black's Mayan Gold chocolate bar. Delicious, spicy, incensey, and chocolate-sweet. No rice milk and no teakwood yet, just straight-up chocolate Snake Oil. Wet: Whoever said that this will stain your skin was not lying! The oil is so dark brown it's almost black... And it smells almost like unadulterated Snake Oil to me, that fresh green-spice-vanilla-powder-incense smell, but with hints of dry cocoa and the woody teak. It's decadent and sensual but doesn't quite smell right on me-- too sophisticated, too adult, too... luxurious. It doesn't smell mysterious (which is how I like my incense), just incredibly rich. Definitely not an everyday scent. Dry: This dries to a strong Snake Oil with faint twists of cocoa and rice milk, lending it a creamy, foody edge. The overly-heavy, decadent smell dies back some, making it much more wearable. If I loved the original Snake Oil I would be squeeing my pants for this one, but since I'm not that big a fan, I merely find this very, very nice. I may hang on to it for now and see how much I wear it.

Frimp from the Lab. I was expecting a fig scent until I remembered that strangler figs aren't figs at all, so we'll see about this. Imp: A very watery, faint smell of crushed greenery and honey. The oil runs down and beads on the end like water, it's so thin-- the very first BPAL I have seen do that. Wet: A strong, green, unripe, but sweet fig and honey and the oozing sticky sap from fresh-cut stalks of green growing things. It is an outdoorsy sort of smell, but a very light one, not strong or earthy at all. It's a little spicy too. Maybe like a handful of crushed green leaves. Pretty, but I miss the coconut and milk I get from Eden. Dry: This, to me, smells kinda like carmelized figs with cream, which is a great idea in theory (and the kitchen), but not so much on my arm. It's not that I don't like it, because I do and it's very nice, but I think I like Eden a good deal better. This is really delicious but just not engaging my interest.

Frimp from the Lab. They seem keen on giving me Mad Tea Party and Rappacini's Garden frimps lately. Imp: Pineapple, toffee, a sweet baking smell and a hint of bright cherry. Smells just like pineapple upside down cake with a cherry on top! Gorgeous, I want to just pour the Imp into my mouth. Sticky-sweet and fruity, but absolutely sugary too. Wet: Pineapple and a hint of..... dammit. Something a bit like custard, and something else a bit like playdough. Blast. It's very plastic and fake at first. I'll give it a few minutes. I think maybe it's the toffee or toast notes, it smells weird even in the throw. There's a touch of the dust, too, that I get in Miskatonic University. I think maybe it's a nut note that goes wrong on me, hazelnut or something. Or maybe it's the turkey! Dry: Still pineapple, cherry and heavy, dusty woods with a touch of playdough. Looks like this little baby will be finding a new home.

Frimp from the Lab. The black musk will not work on me, but hey, I will try anything once. Imp: Mmmm! A delicious, cool peppermint with the sharp bite of pennyroyal. We used to put on my dog to repel fleas, I always liked the smell. There's a little bit of lavender in there, too. Gorgeous-- cool and bracing and almost a little sweet. Wet: Sweet citrus and almost vanilla-ish lavender, with lovely mints and herbal pennyroyal. I definitely get the chocolate mint comparisons, it's just beautiful. The black musk is even behaving on me, which is a small miracle. The throw is a sweet vanilla, powdery musk with a hint of mint. Black musk will never be my favorite but it's not bad at all in here. For a mint blend, this is surprisingly warm and friendly and cuddly. Dry: After a while, this takes on a slightly powdery edge from the musk, but overall it stays largely the same. I like this a surprising amount-- I am definitely going to keep my Imp and see how often I reach for it.

Frimp from the Lab! Imp: Ridiculously strong, smoked vetiver-- the same kind I get from Baron Samedi-- with a touch of dusty cedar and saffron. Pungent, earthy, and masculine, but in a good way. There might be a little brightness from the tangerine. It smells scorched... not a pretty blend but definitely an interesting one. I think I'm learning to like even the heaviest of vetivers; it makes me feel very grounded. Wet: Whoa charred cedar wood! Like campfire smoke. VERY hot; the cedar, vetiver and saffron sear the nostrils and take no prisoners. There's some amber in the back, too. Unfortunately the cedar is going a little bit suffocating and salty on me. Hopefully it will calm down. It smells like a cross between Baron Samedi and Tombstone, but without the sweetness that either of those has to temper them. Dry: This dries down to a pleasant, spiced-citrus, woody and masculine cologne smell. For straight up vetiver, I think I prefer the slightly sweet edge of Baron Samedi, but this would be really gorgeous on the right man. I may slather my boyfriend before I pass this on.

Frimp from the Lab. I used to really like the ozone note, but my tastes have changed somewhat, so we'll see. (I really need to get around to swapping that bottle of Jolly Roger...) Imp: Oh. That's... unexpected. What I actually get out of this, instead of ozone, is a cool floral and some light citrus, maybe grapefruit? And something that really does smell a lot like rain or water, but with a musky, spicy edge. Smells like a weird solid perfume my mum used to have; it was some knockoff of China Rain. It's quite nice. Wet: Still a sweet-cool, musky, vaguely citrus floral. It actually smells a lot like Orpheus without the greenery or some of the other sharp notes. Sort of a traditionally clean perfume smell. Quite pretty, and despite it all I think it might be quite fabulous on a man. Or great for summer, even. Dry: CUCUMBER MELON! That's what someone said further up the thread, and it's spot on! A slightly musky, spicy cucumber melon with a pretty white floral. It's the same category of scent as Jolly Roger but this one is sweeter-- fresh water instead of salt. I will hang on to this until summer and see how much I use it, but the perfume edge might be a little too much for me.