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Malevolent, dark and shadowy: sinuous black musk, wet leather and vetiver. Swap with the lovely Miseraya. Vetiver's iffy, black musk scary, and I can't smell leather.... but dammit, one of my friends wrote me Cassio/Iago smut once, and I wants to try it. In the Imp: Thick, baby-powdery green vetiver with underpinnings of dark musk. Mostly vetiver, though. No leather (surprise surprise... not) It's heavy and wet and woody and just generally intimidating. I'm going to be sparing with this one. Wet: Spicy green vetiver. Black musk. A smoke note. A slightly slick, vaguely powdery, almost smell that's a good deal closer to leather than any other blend I've sniffed before-- hooray! Too bad the musk and the vetiver are so stifling; I like the leathery note a lot. There's something a bit transparent and sweet on top... I can't tell if it's part of the leather note or the nice bit of the vetiver or what. Dry: This really smells like the male counterpart of Wanda to my nose. There's that same highly polished leather note... not rawhide or soft suede or the comforting leather of a leather jacket, but the stiff, thick kind that shines like glass. There's a bit of smoke, that same vaguely sweet something, a good deal of musk, and a grassy vetiver behind it all. It's nice, and on the right person this could be fantastic, but I think I liked Wanda a bit better. The sweetness in here is a bit offputting, whereas Wanda's wine-and-flowers approach seemed like just the right amount of feminine. [edit] The very final drydown of this? Herbal vanilla. Swear to all the Gods. Skin, allow me to say.... WTF?!?!?!?!?

Part of a swap with the lovely LUSHarick. She's awesome, y'all. In the Imp: Dragon's blood! And florals! And that faintly green cooking spice smell that accompanies all the Voodoo blends (what is that?) Not bad. Not great, though, either; reminds me rather a lot of Dragon's Blood (the blend, not the resin), and that gave me a raging headache. We'll see how I fare with French Love. Wet: Strong, nose-tingling candy-like dragon's blood and flowers, accompanied by spice and something just slightly metholy... is there mint in here? No, seriously, there's something that's making my nasal cavities zing in the same way that mint does. Or cough medicine. Is this 180 proof or what? *puzzled* Dry: The tingly note has died off, leaving a floral blended gently with dragon's blood, a light musk and spice. This is pleasant, but not distinctive-- then again, I know the idea isn't to be distinctive, and I will test it again in.... appropriate circumstances. But, for now, this isn't smashing me over the head with its loveliness.

I almost bought a bottle of this when the Yule blends came out, and then... didn't. For whatever reason. (And have been kicking myself occasionally ever since.) But, thanks to the lovely and generous Diana, I get to try it! In the Imp: A deliciously clean, cold mix of winter trees, ozone or aquatics and... amber? Is that the "sap"? Or something equally golden? There's a bit of an ice note-- different than the snow note, more brittle and less delicate-- and a touch of something berry-fruity. Beautiful. Wet: Freshly crushed greenery with pine and fir (similar to cypress, but lighter and friendlier), and just a faint hint of birch. There's a fuzzy sweetness, a flashy, high-pitched ozone very much like the one in Jolly Roger, and.... wow, that's really surprisingly sugary. Doesn't quite seem to gel with the rest of the blend, either. Hunh. Dry: The background scent is incredibly familiar, but I can't place it (I've been having a lot of that lately.) It's hair-tearingly frustration to sniff it and not know! Anyway, the scent on my wrist has emerged from the forest and become a cool-but-golden, pleasantly sweet second-skin scent. It's pretty, but I'm sort of ambivalent about it. I think I will hang on to the Imp, for now, and see how often I reach for it.

Swap with LUSHarick. In the Imp: A soft, airy sort of scent, green and musky and a little powdery and a little fruity and a little sweet. Good deal like Oisin, actually, but it's a bit smokier and earthier in feel; it does smell like night air wafting over unsullied land... high and clear and wild. Wet: Musky amber and sweetness, brushed with herbs and something so incredibly familiar I can't place it. It's much more gentle and pretty and wearable than I expected; in fact, I kind of like it, and I'm not the biggest fan of Lunacies, generally speaking. It reminds me of Devil's Night, but with the sugary intensity and booze that wore out my nose in DN toned down several notches. I think there's a touch of some kind of citrus in here, too, and a white floral. Dry: A perfectly unified mix of clean, sweet, musky, tart awesomeness. A napped, suede sort of blend... This is really the feminine counterpart to Oisin-- gentler and golden, instead of a strong pure white. The throw is a faint sort of aura of cool outdoorsiness. I have a sneaking suspicion this won't hang around on my skin for much longer-- at least not in this form, the musk itself might last for days-- but it's absolutely gorgeous while it lasts. What a brilliant autumn scent. I'm sort of glad I never see bottles of this around, or I might be tempted to buy one. [edit] OH! Oh! That incredibly familiar background-- it's the same backing note as in Tarot: The Star! It's not as strong here, and is, I think, blended with other things, but it's lending Buck Moon the same rich feel.

I tried this once a long time ago, but I didn't review it-- it wasn't my Imp. Now I have my own, so it's time for a proper test. In the Imp: Cherry blossom! Much lighter and less thick than the actual cherry note, although very similar. I can smell the anise, too, but not the sandalwood... yet. The overall effect is of some tasty Oriental candy. Mmm. (Oh, man, now I'm craving licorice and cherry Twizzlers. Great.) Wet: A dry, pretty sandalwood comes to the fore, softening the impression of sugar. The anise drops back to a strong background note, spicing things up a little, and the cherry blossom floats lightly overhead, a faint impression of fruit and floral. It's a very unusual sort of smell for a perfume, but entirely pleasant. Not very strong, though, and I bet it'll be gone inside of five minutes. Dry: Soft but still there! Each note is now perfectly balanced, creating a melange of interesting, but very good, smells (I like anise). The overall impression is friendly but exotic. This is nice-- much nicer than the vodka spray version I originally tried it in-- and I'll probably hang on to the Imp, although I'm not feeling any pressing need for a bottle. For some reason, I'm getting the impression this would be good to travel in. *shrug* Go figure! Verdict: It's pretty and I'm glad it works on me.

The description for this makes me think of my mummy. Isn't that nauseatingly adorable? In the Imp: Wet, luscious, juicy flowers. Jasmine and honeysuckle and.... yeah, sure, okay, I'll bite and say it's buttercup (although I don't think I've ever actually noticed that buttercups have a scent.) Pure floral, but nice floral. Very summery and soothing. Wet: The jasmine dominates, with honeysuckle doing a little dance on top of it. Really lovely... uncomplicated and refreshing. Reminds me a lot of Black Dahlia, only, if possible, even sweeter. I bet the Boy will like this one; he seems to favour jasmine on me. Dry: Doing a side-by-side sniff test with Black Dahlia, I see that Eos is much lighter and less smoky. The honeysuckle is really noticeable, adding a gorgeous sweetness to the jasmine and buttercup. It's like a daytime version of BD, although they're both fairly tame. Me likes! Not enough to get a bottle, I think, but probably enough to keep the Imp, and, with my record with florals, that's stunning.

Oh, Desire, I have been aching to try you for absolutely ages now (not least because of The Sandman associations!), and now I finally can. Thanks to the awesome Juniperus Intrepidus! In the Imp: Whoa. This..... is..... wow. Strong, disturbingly feral black musk, layered over dirty, bitter patchouli and something piercingly sweet and powdery, with a touch of citrus and fruit and, at the very back, the dangerous softness of rose and vanilla. Damn. Heavy and dark and complex. Wet: Completely different. Vaguely soapy rose and spiced vanilla: now, nice but nothing exceptional, with only the faintest, whispery background of musk and patchouli and fruit. Oh, how I hope they rise again... what I have now is pleasant but just not the same. There is a definite similarity to Snake Oil at this stage, but it's... different. Older. More curtained. It's a soft, second-skin scent. Dry: The rose has turned into a faint hint of.... baby wipes? Not enough to ruin the whole thing, just a very odd little background smidge of aloe-esque soap. I think if I could get past the rose (and the fact the black musk is creeping me out a little), I would love this-- it's very unified in presentation, and actually reminds me of a cross between Hexennacht and Snake Oil. Mostly I smell musk and patchouli and vanilla and what must be teak, overlayed with wafts of rose. It's not quite strong enough for my taste, either. Verdict: Desire, rather appropriately, is full of almosts. It's almost fabulous, almost what I wanted, almost works on me. However, I'm sort of getting the sense that it would benefit, much like Snake Oil, from aging. The label style on the Imp indicates it can't be older than a month or two, so I think I will stick it in my box for a few more mooons and leave it to mature.

Swapped for this, on impulse, with eviltemptressdq. Thanks, love! I really don't know what I was thinking, since I hate birch, but hey, maybe it will surprise me! In the bottle: Pine! And birch! But not too much, just a sort of sweet golden fizz in the background. Maybe some fir, and a touch of something fuzzy-- a light musk or something? There's a cool snowy note, too, and a hint of something floral. It's a good deal like Dublin, only chillier, brighter-- there's a citrus in here, too, I'm sure of it. Wet: Citrus! And pine and snowy trees and spice-- cinnamon? Sandalwood? Something like that. There's a very faint birch note, but it's not overpowering and I'm having no trouble with it. No florals yet. We'll see if they come out on the drydown. Dry: .... cool, pine-y, sweet florals and citrus. It's nowhere near as winter-y as I was expecting, but it's very nice nonetheless. It's a little powdery and I'm almost sure there's a white musk in here, too. Beautiful, but not quite what I was expecting... I wanted more of an evergreen, decidedly snowy scent. Nonetheless, I'll hang on to it and ponder.... I'd love to keep an Imp around, but I'm not sure I need a bottle, you know? [edit] I really don't think I did this justice-- as I wore it, it grew on me. It's a musky, gorgeous, chilly floral-citrus-crisp-forest, and also (I'm almost sure!) a keeper!

I went through a phase of acute longing for this blend about a week ago, and LUSHarick must have read my mind, because she sent me a Hanging Gardens frimp! Rose and I have a vicious history, but I'm hoping that, since she's the last thing listed, she'll only be a whisper of soap in the background. In the Imp: Fruit! Juicy, powdery fruit and florals, almost like Titania, only not as bright. Much more... reserved? There's flashes of something gritty, tea-like and woody underneath: doubtless the palm and fig. Not sure what ebony smells like. On the whole it's much less... enthusiastic... than Titania, and I like it a lot better. I can catch a hint of plumeria, too-- such a nice flower, and even (sometimes) well-behaved on me. Wet: Hmm. Floral-powdery fruit: again, much like Titania. It's browner, though, a little drier, less bubblegum and more very fruity, very floral tea. Nice, but not at all what I was expecting. I wanted the notes to sing out separately a bit more, and instead they're all jumbled together and just lying there. There's a slightly perfumey aspect as well. Dry: The same. This is pleasant, and I might well hang on to it for a bit and see if it grows on me, but, right now, it's thrown me for a loop by being not at all what I was expecting. I'll try it again now I know what to expect, but, for now at least, I can say I'm not all that taken with it. You know, the more date/fig blends I test, the more I realize-- I should have hung on to Gomorrah!

Swap with LUSHarick. So pleased I get to try one of the newer GC blends. In the Imp: Oh, wow, that's really... interesting! It doesn't smell like anything I've ever run across before, which is awesome. I can detect tangy-sweet, sparkling fruit (apple? Pomegranite?) but the primary scent seems to be something just underneath that.... something very smooth and rich. The overall effect is almost like.... wine? Wine and amber: some of the strongest, darkest amber I've ever had the pleasure of sniffing. Like Oro, I almost taste this more than I smell it. Damn sexy. Wet: Spicy, smoky, just a touch powdery, fruity, round.... and yes, alcoholic! I'm going to second (third? fourth?) the sandalwood and vanilla guesses-- if not vanilla, then magnolia or tonka or something creamy and sweet. Might be just a dab of floral and musk, too. This is sophisticated and womanly and very much a night-time scent. Mutable, too; I keep catching whiffs and wafts of different things as I sniff, first close up and then far away. Completely enchanting. Dry: Baby's got throw! I can smell it hanging in the air, even with my wrists on the keyboard. Oddly enough, it reminds me of a fruity, wine-y Snake Oil, or the grown-up sister of Smut, or the cousin of Black Phoenix, or even of Tarot: The Star (the same fruit-over-deep-richness, although different fruits and a different kind of richness.) Instant BPAL classic, right here. I foresee this becoming a smash hit. Verdict: I went to say hi to my mum in the kitchen and she sniffed me and said, "It makes me think of winter-- heavy brocade." She's absolutely right. Candlelight and velvet and dark, deep reds... I don't know if I have enough of the right sort of occasion to justify a bottle of this, but I'm hanging onto my Imp, and I very well might jump at a 5mL, given the slightest excuse.

Frimp from LUSHarick. Can't thank her enough. I love the character Viola, and I love the description for this one, but rose is pretty much a no-go on me, 24/7, and mandarin turns into weirdly slick, spiced baby powder 99.9% of the time... so testing this is the triumph of optimism over experience. *sigh* In the Imp: Ohh, that's nice. Roses and florals and amber, intertwining gently and creating a very luxurious, clean sort of scent. There's a touch of spa-like mandarin, a bit of earthy moss, and some faint incense, which must be the myrrh and the sandalwood. It reminds me a bit of Baghdad, but more womanly and without the scorching heat. This is so much richer and lovelier than most florals-- I really wish it would work on me. But I'm not getting my hopes up. Wet: Gorgeous, spiced soap. Damn you, rose! It's the nicest soap ever-- and actually, it smells like rose soap rather than just soap-- but it's still.... soapy. Overly clean. Kind of dryer sheety. *weeps* It's really too bad, because every other note seems to be working well (for once, the mandarin's not making a fuss-- probably 'cause it's a bit lost under all the SOAP.) Dry: Rosier and more complex than most rose/soap blends go on me, but still not what I wanted. I'm probably kidding myself, but... I may actually hang on to this and give it another try; if I could just get past the soap, I know it would be gorgeous, and if it just tones down the tiniest bit more, it might be tolerable. [edit] The late, late drydown of this is a soft, second-skin scent that smells like a heavily spiced O. I can still smell it after a shower if I press my nose right up against my wrist. Gorgeous! Viola's so mercurial, it seems, I may just have to keep her.

Acquired in a swap. I wrote a review for this once already, but the board ate it, so here's round two. In the Imp: Mmm, mmm good. Thick, smoky peaches, with amber and lots of very headshoppy, incensey patchouli. This baby is stroooong. Delicious, though. In fact, I kind of wish I knew how to make a dessert that smelled this good-- peaches and spice! For a peach scent, it's surprisingly dark, and seems to have just the tiniest hint of booze about it. Wet: This is definitely not a summer blend, and I say that as one who likes to match her blends to the weather (hot blends for summer, icy ones for winter and so on.) I think this would be best in fall; warm and luxurious and fruity, with a touch of menace. Every note blends perfectly, harmonising with the others-- it's mostly peach, yes, but it's oh-so-much-more, too. Dry: Peach incense over a bed of musk. An un-girly peach I can actually wear, unlike Tamora. Unlike a lot of BPAL, this really doesn't seem to tell much of a story to me. There's no message, no mood behind it... on the other hand, it smells so damn good I don't really care. The Imp's a keeper for fall, definitely, and while I may not have found my OTP peach blend, I'm looking forward to slathering this on in cooler weather.

Swap with... someone. Thanks! In the Imp: Oh baby, oh baby. Thick, steamy, almost waxy sweetness, like an urban jungle full of sweet, boozy drinks and perfumed flesh. Rum, glorious rum, but buttery and rich, without the bite of, say, Hellcat, layered over syrupy tonka and bright chardonnay. I've not smelled the Lab's tobacco note before, but there's a slightly earthy, smoky touch winding through everything else, and I'm going to call it tobacco, although I could be wrong. I can almost smell the leather, too, which is a minor miracle-- oiled and sleek and hovering on the edges. And a splash of coconut milk? Quick, someone convince me I don't need to drink this. Or dump the entire imp down my cleavage. Wet: A burst of the tobacco, but smoothed and underscored by rum and tonka. Slowly the sweet notes emerge to dominate, and-- oh my God, yes, it's the leather! Wooooo! I can never smell leather! But I can smell this, expensive and a tiny bit sharp and ooh, oooh, Perversion, I need to go clubbing just so I can wear you. I only dabbed a tiny bit on, and you are not only detectable, you are positively delicious. Dry: Helloo, liquid sex. Tombstone's city sister, the harpy of the family. I can smell coconut, and chardonnay, and rum, and tonka, and leather, and tobacco, and the overall effect is seductive and teasing and a bit naughty and..... oh Beth, why do you do these things to me? 5mL, as soon as I can scrape up the cash. 'Cause, seriously. There are some things one simply has to roll around naked in, and this is one of them.

Frimp from the wonderful lab. In the Imp: Floooooraaal! But drier, more settled than most florals. Nowhere near as juicy and loud. Still, I bet it won't work on me. *sniffs again* I can smell lily, and paperwhite, and it's going to be soap, I just know it. Can't identify the poppy or tuberose, but I'm not terribly familiar with either, so that might be it. Wet: Stroooong floral. Very strong. Kind of generic, actually, probably because the tuberose (I think that's what it is, anyway), is beating everything else down with a baseball bat with nails in. It's very sweet, and pretty, though, just not what i was expecting. Dry: Well, I'll be. The tuberose and lily backed off, leaving a dry, sweetly complex floral with just a hint of smoke behind it. It's surprisingly unsoapy, and reminds me a good deal of Asphodel (must be the lilies.) I can see how someone into florals would really love this, it's quite unusual, but, unfortunately, it hasn't yet turned me into a floral sort of girl. Off to swaps! This one deserves a better home.

Stolen from my mummy. In the Imp: Mmmm. Clean and watery and aquatic and a teensy bit floral-citrussy. A powdery blue colour, in my head. Maybe some tangerine? Maybe a teensy bit of violet? I really can't tell. It's lovely, though, very soft and comforting. Wet: Soooooaaaaap ahoy! Soap and lily or something like it, and a faint dab of orange or tangerine. Nice soap, though, and, after all, with the Voodoo blends, it's not just about scent. I'm already in quite a good mood, but I'm tense, too (and have cramps)-- and the smell of this is very relaxing. Brilliant! I have what I think is a guardian spirit, whom I'll actually see out of the corners of my eye occasionally. This blend sort of reminds me of him, which is good, since I haven't seen him lately and sort of miss him. Dry: Soap-powder, but pleasant, oh so pleasant and calming. I... sort of feel like I'm melting, but being buoyed up at the same time. It's very nice. I'm reeeeaally relaxed, which is exactly what I needed. Even my cramps aren't as bad. And I'm sort of lazy smiley. Good show, Water of Notre Dame, good show. Now, have I got time for a nap? [edit] This one knocked me on my ASS. I slept from right after until I finished the review until the scent was almost gone. Then I woke up and was fine. Definitely can't wear this while driving!

Frimp in a swap with OriginalWacky. In the Imp: Faintly spicy, lemony florals. Iris, musk, lemon, honeysuckle, carnation... all present, all easy to identify. Can't find the white poppy, probably 'cause I don't know what it smells like. It's surprisingly nice; the musk and lemon really help to round things out. Wet: Carnation! And faint lemony goodness, and dry, pleasant florals. There's something a little sticky and sweet in the background; gotta be the honeysuckle. The musk sort of blends in, giving the florals a little substance. Dry: Pretty much the same. This is pleasant, but it actually reminds me of other essential oil perfume blends... it's not, to me, terribly distinctive or striking (although I am surprised by how much I like it: I expected to find it foul.) My mum loves it, though, which is good, since it's really hers anyway!

Bought a bottle for me mum, and... well, I had to try it, didn't I? Shhh! In the bottle: ...... Fruit. Correction: FRUIT! Smells like a grape-peach juice cocktail, with a giant sweet pea flower stuck in it and a side order of baked pears. Thick, syrupy, and, Christ in cream cheese, is it fruity and flowery. I'm not sure what moonflower and snapdragon smell like, but I can't smell any rose. Wet: Oh, that's better. It calms down considerably, taking on a slightly powdery edge that balances out the overwhelming OMGFRUIT! of the first olfactory assault. It's probably the rose going soapy on me behind layers of other things, but for once I'm glad of it. Dry: There's a certain bubblegum aspect to this I'm not terribly keen on... a better comparison, actually, might be a super-fruity alcoholic drink, as this has a slightly sharp twinge I tend to associate with the lab's booze notes. It's bold, sweet, in-your-face, a little mischievious, and, much like Titania, totally over the top. I'm glad my mum likes it, but I'll stick to my Fr00t M00n. Verdict: That's some... uh.... that's some... wow, that's some fruit, isn't it?

Lagniappe from the Lab. In the Imp: Almonds! Almonds and spice. Mmm. Smells like a wonderful holiday cookie or something. There's a touch of neroli hovering in the background, bitter and powdery and floral-orangey. It lends a bit of depth to something that might otherwise be straightforward. Wet: Cinnamon... leaf? Hang on, now I have to compare! *runs off to her oils cabinet* Yup! It's got the same brightness. Cinnamon bark EO smells drier and dustier to me. So, cinnamon leaf, almond, and maybe, as some others are saying, clove. The neroli seems to have died away.... honestly, though, I can hardly smell this! I only put a tiny drop on, thinking it was going to be uber-strong, but I'm thinking maybe I need another slather. Ah, that's better. On second application, the almond comes through a little more strongly, and-- hey! Wait a minute, it's vanishing again! Come back here! Dry: This is surprisingly light... as in, almost gone already! What's left is primarily cinnamon, with faint hints of almond and other spice. (The neroli never really put in an appearance.) It's nice, but nothing I feel the need to hang on to. I've now tried all the Dark Elements, and of all four, only Hurricane seems to have any staying power on me. And it's also my least favourite. Figures.

Frimp from the Lab. In the Imp: Sharp wood and green herbs. The only thing I can identify for certain is some fizzy golden birch... which is really too bad, since birch and I don't usually get along that well. The overall impression is of astringent, dry wood, and wet, crushed leaves. It's quite strong, as well, and I have to say, I'm not digging it very much at this point. Wet: Oh, Lord. Birch attacks! There's something about the smell of birch I just can't bring myself to like. The other notes are softening, though, becoming much more palatable, and the green is rounder, richer. There's a bit of a soapy component in there, but that's my skin for you. Dry: The birch has burned off of my right wrist (although oddly enough not my left), leaving a faint woodsy soap, with a touch of sweetness underneath (berry?). Honestly, it's just barely there at all. What I can smell of it is nice, but not worth suffering through the birch for. Verdict: Yggdrasil and I just didn't click. Onward and upward!

Swap with... someone. Thank you! In the Imp: Man smell! But much, much nicer than traditional man smells, and much subtler, too. There's lavender, and bright bergamot, and earthy, velvety thyme, and the smooth tonka, and a tiny touch of floral jasmine, and green moss. It's vaguely spicy, vaguely sweet, very clean, and abso-freaking-lutely gorgeous. It doesn't leap out and punch you in the nose with "I AM COLOGNE!" like Casanova, nor is it quite as unusual as Old Scratch, but it's.... oh. Oh my. If my skin does anything horrible to this, I will get a graft. I'm serious. Wet: OhmiGod. It's the male counterpart to Santa Eularia des Riu! It's breezy, but gentle, and a little sharp, but round underneath it. Clean, too, without being soapy, and herbal without being overpowering.... wait, wait, is that a touch of spicy, dirty patchouli coming out? It is! This just keeps getting better. Dry: Nose jammed into my wrist, it's warm and round and a little spicy, with herbs and a rugged floral over top. From a distance, there's a fantastic aura of clean, green, citrus-tinged sweetness.... It's everything every men's cologne, shower gel, and aftershave wants to be, only it's, y'know, actually good. I don't care about staying power. I don't care about the eternal, "But when would I wear this?" question. I don't care if my mum likes it. 5mL, STAT.

..... frimp? Swap? I can't remember! In the Imp: Spicy florals, which I just know are going to go soapy on me. Maybe a hint of cinnamon, something else a little sweet (almond?), oranges, and that vague green cooking spice smell that almost every Voodoo blend has. It sounds delicious, but the overall effect is surprisingly sharp and watery-- the florals, doubtless. Damn them. Wet: Cassia or cinnamon, faintly, and something else... clove? Nutmeg? And florals. And maybe honey, or almonds. And oranges. It's not soapy, I'll give it that, although it's not as rich and thick as I wanted it to be, either. Surprisingly subtle, really, and so far it's not bashing me over the head with its sexiness, either..... Oh! And resin! Dragon's blood, maybe? It's got a nice, warm redness to it, but not the heavy velvet curtains feeling I was expecting. Dry: It's certainly inoffensive-- reminds me a bit of Blood Amber, really, although it's even lighter and closer to my skin. I will say I am feeling a tiny bit lustier than before I put it on, but in a languid, warm sort of way, not an energetic, kick-in-the-pants one (that might have something to do with the drizzly weather outside.) It's really quite pleasant, though. Not my favorite, scent-wise, although certainly not bad in any way, shape or form, and I think this one merits hanging on to for a little further... testing. Rowr! [edit] I went to sleep with this on several months after posting the review, and HOLY MOTHER OF GOD, EXPLICIT DREAMS WHOOP WHOOP WHOOP. Like, the most explicit I've ever had. In my LIFE. And I'm a TEENAGER. This stuff is fantastic. *about to post* Whoa! Wait a minute! My feet and hands are suddenly burning.... mostly my feet. Biiiig surge of.... something, warmth or power or summat. Weird, but I like it! Red Devil's got a lot of personality, I think she's a keeper.

Picked up an Imp off of.... someone whose name I don't recall. In the Imp: Strong citrus! Astringent but smoothed out by a lovely, deep base of tea and slightly bitter bamboo and something rich and a little incensey-- oude? The fruit seems to be... orange, or maybe tangerine, with a splash of something floral. Wet and crisp and nice. Wet: Hmm. The same, but slightly soapy, and a little less zingy-bright. It's okay, but it's a bit..... cleaner-y for my taste. I think my skin is doing something horrible to the floral (must be rose or lily or.... hell, just about any other flower has been known to pull a soap occasionally, too.) There's a perfumey edge, too, that I'm not terribly keen on. Dry: Am I crazy? I can't tell if I'm smelling soap or just bamboo and tea and floral. Damn my untrained nose! At the moment, this is varying wildly between an "I don't like it that much", and a "Whoa, that's unusual and kinda cool!" It's leaving a tingly feeling in my nasal passages, too, sort of like menthol. The base note of this is very similar to Neo-Tokyo-- must be the bamboo-- but overlaid with sharp, citrus and floral rather than fruit and ozone. Holiday Moon is nice, even with the aura of soap, but I think I prefer the former. [edit] And now it's starting to give me a teensy bit of a headache. Off to the swaps with you, my dear!

Acquired in a swap with.... someone. Thank you! I've been looking forward to this for a while, but it seems to go to soap on a lot of people, and I have soapy skin, so I'm nervous. *chews nails* In the Imp: Hmm. Interesting. I get the ozone, and something coolly, almost bitterly, green (the bamboo?). It's very wet and crisp and clean and yeah, a bit soapy. But in a pleasant way. There are floral and fruit overtones, too, that come out a little on second sniff. This is really high-class smelling stuff... and it does remind me of minimalist design and Asian mountains. Me gusto! Wet: Soap. But really expensive, spicy-wet-green-fruit soap with just a hint of flowery goodness. There is a certain hard-edged quality to it as well; maybe the metallics? I have to say, for something that smells essentially like detergent, it does a really good job of capturing the feel of Tokyo. Beth, you're magic. Dry: Cherries! And woody, grounding bamboo, and clean ozone, and a little floral, and an unidentifiable sweetness. The overall effect is very freshly-scrubbed, polite, but powerful. Remarkably understated and luxurious, but still present. The soap can be a little much at times, but I'll probably keep this around and see how much I reach for it-- it'd be great to cool me off on hot summer days, particularly when I need a suave boost of confidence.

Frimp from the Lab. The sweet, sweet Lab. I already know this isn't going to work on me, since mandarin tends to turn to slick, orange baby-powder, and nothing goes to soap faster than rose.... but "thrust into Arabian musk!" A tiny spark of hope burns deep within my soul, contrary to all previous experience. In the Imp: Whoa, weird. Cleanser? Soap? A citrus-floral, surprisingly delicate, with the smooth background of Arabian musk that I liked so much in Othello, but the overall effect is very.... it smells like a cross between a really good soap and a really good, light cocktail. Honestly. There's a hint of Sweet Tarts, too, from the neroli. It's nowhere near as bad as my nose makes it sound, though. Wet: Light, tartly orange... soap. With a hint of lovely, watery jasmine, over a bed of transparent musk. No myrrh, which might help ground things, and no detectable bergamot, which is too bad. I think I'd really like it if my soap smelled like this, but on my wrist...? Dry: Fading already! I just don't get the richness other people are describing. To me it smells kind of thin and generic... probably a side effect of the damn roses! *sigh* Oh well. You can't win them all. To the swaps with ye!

Don't remember where I got this, I'm afraid-- probably a swap! Thank you, whoever you were! In the Imp: Guh. Mmm. Oh. Oh my. Chocolate. But not just any old chocolate. Chocolate: thick, buttery, almost alcoholic chocolate, over the richest, most-- yes-- velvety base of rough spices. Sandalwood and myrrh, doubtless. Excuse me, I need a moment to convince myself that drinking this isn't a Fantastic Idea. It smells like Abuelita before you mix it with milk (Mexican hot chocolate-- the chocolate part comes in big round cakes, and it's actually solid chocolate with all kinds of yummy things like cinnamon in it.) This is.... I hope it stays this good on. Wet: The same, only.... stronger. There really is an alcoholic tinge to this, but it's not in a piercing or annoying wa-- holy mother of God, what is that? No, seriously, what is it? Am I picking up..... hand wipes? No, don't do this to me. Velvet, please. Tell me I'm wrong, baby. Tell me my nose is deluded. Tell me it's the way you're interacting with the leftover Greed on my wrist..... Actually, I think it is. It's died down now, and is a bit closer to the chocolatey-incense I was hoping for. I've worn this at least once before and liked it very much, and I don't remember a portable towelette phase, so it's gotta be the Greed. Right? Right? Dry: This dries down to sweet-spicy-rich vanilla, with heavy incense laid over it, and just a touch of chocolate in the background. I love it. It's not really weather-appropriate for these 95 degree days we've been having, but it's very comforting, and it will be great in the winter. If I can ascertain that it was indeed the Greed causing that brief hand-wipe phase, this is a big-bottle contender. [eta] The staying power on this is amazing. I went out to work in the yard with it on, sweated buckets, and was still getting wafts of delicious, Velvety goodness 4+ hours of mowing later.