Blueelm

I'm more than a little surprised that I haven't reviewed this as it was one of the first things I bought! Dragons milk is all sweet foody comfort... and I mean sweeeet. Like cherry marzipan. Then there is the slight resinous quality of the Dragon's Blood, which is bright and sharp. Despite that, this smells like comfort, and I've had many compliments while wearing it.

A winter’s horror: smoke and stillness, faded incense and the metallic tang of blood. How could I resist the description. Blood, Metal, and Misery. I'm glad I took the chance on this one, because the notes are wonderful. Almost aquatic, and very still. At first: Hmmm.... this reminds me of bronze, dulled metal. This is a very light scent that stays true to the bottle. It starts out some what bright, with a strong inscense note, bright and resinous like frankinsence, benzoin, or copal. The metalic notes are crisp, but soften quickly. Later: It gets closer, stickier, and softer. Now there's just a hint of metalic sharpness in what would otherwise be a soft sea-of-glass like scent. Less soap though. This is a perfectly still scent, clean and cold. It's an amazingly pretty metal smell, warmed and sweetened by incense, but not to the point of churchy-ness. Finally: Blood and metal. Two opposing forces, could either make for a clashing and discordant scent (what I expected), or a complex and delicately balanced one (what this is). The cracked bell is a wearable and delicate scent.

Ah this comes just in time, as the holidays have left me feeling lonely and sad. Great time for breakups, no? Anyway, I was surprised that Alone smelled so much like cinnamon since that's not mentioned in the notes. This smells like a sort of cookie-like christmas ornament my mother used to make from cinnamon, cloves, and glue. It's a very wearable cinnamon, not like artificial flavorings or unusual chemicals. I pretty much just get cinnamon for a long time, but much later the scent dries out to include a broader spice range, cardamom and something rather grassy. The patchouli is very understated on me and just lends an earthy dry quality. The wood from the Sandalwood becomes pleasant and warm for the drydown. However shortly after this, everything is gone. Leaving you missing the company. At first sniff I was dissapointed, but given time to warm up on my skin this is a good (and very unisex) wood/spice combo. One warning... on my tender neck this turned my skin red at first. The oil may be too volitile for me to wear undiluted. So a word of caution for the tender-fleshed.

Since opening the imp I've ended up wearing this a lot. It's been segregated from my other imps because the scent is so strong that my whole imp box smells of Grog. At first it smells like coconut coffee on me so I'm not sure what's different about my skin. Very strong gourmand with buttery caramel notes. This smells like candy. Then it quickly becomes all about rum. However it loses most of its strength and becomes a very mild background scent... almost like I spilled a drink some where earlier in the night. As strong as it starts in the bottle though, it still fades quickly on me (within minutes), leaving just a trace of a vague buttery scent. Could be nice, but in the end it's probably just not me.

This starts out so beautifully... Grassy fresh strong orchid... Violet flowers in a green field catching the light of the moon. Then it warms up and becomes spicy and sweet. Apple cider comes to mind. Drydown is cool and crisp with orchid and a very gentle hint of clover. Lovely floral. I wish it lasted a little longer, but this was lots of fun to wear.

I just want to say that she did it! She really did it! This is a rose scent I can wear. One that does not make me sick, or surprise me with heavy rosy horror. La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente is a sweet thick fruity fragrance. It opens up sweet and strong, almost like bubble gum. Aquatic peach tempered with dry leafy myrtle. The fruit lasts a little while, but is quickly opened up to include cool and dry notes and traditional florals. There's a sudden hint of leaves which turns cold and then very traditionally floral. The rose is soft and cool, and is still detectable many hours after applying the perfume. It's the perfect subtle effect of rose, a lingering scent. This is almost like wearing the each of the seasons in succession. Very lovely indeed.

Another addition to my list of must-haves. This scent reminds me of wonderful things. The opium notes are long lasting on me so this ends up reminding me a lot of Laudanum, except that there the poppy is on top and then recedes. Wet this smells very traditional, like an old fashioned French parfum, very dry and somber. The narcissus is very sweet and strong, but I like it even more than I usually like lily. It becomes sweeter as the narcissus sits on my skin, and then bitter as the opium emerges. This smoky phase lasts a very long time. I get more and more myrrh as time goes, but only after 8 or so hours does this finally fade to a deep flower-tinged myrrh scent. I agree that this is a perfectly named scent. It's also a sensual fragrance to me. A femme fatale effect.

hmm... I'll try to sample each of those in my next order. I know that I love pepper also. One of my favorite BPAL fragrances, Grandmother of Ghosts, mentions it. Maybe layering a woody scent with a peppry one... Thanks

This got raves from my guy. It smells like pure cleanliness. Just washed sheets, clean skin, clear skies, a clean house with open windows, and pure air rushing through. This is such a soft and lovely white flower scent. It starts out ozonic with a blast of lemon on me. Then it gets fizzy and quite aquatic. It smells like the best soap you could ever find. Then it becomes a pure crystaline aquatic/floral with a hint of salt. The drydown is creamy with white flowers... jasmine? Maybe tuberose? Some one brought up rose and I think maybe rose is a part of it, but I'm not sure. If so, then this would be the only rose scent I've ever been able to wear, let alone enjoy. Hmmm... I am so very glad that I tried this. What a great scent! I think this is my favorite clean scent yet.

Oh wow When I was a little girl there used to be this bookstore that my mom and I would buy things from. The store always smelled so incredibly good. The smell of new books, ink, incense, woods, fabrics, spices, oils and candles all meshed together into one comforting scent. This makes me think of red and gold silk. It actually has a bit of the smell of raw silk to it beneath the spice. I have no idea what note that would be. The fragrance starts out very sweet and spicy, and becomes more creamy and resinous. Too many wonderful spice notes to pick out, but I definitely get amber, musk or ambergris, cinnamon, and a slight floral (perhaps ginger flower?). I want to eat this fragrance up! I wish my whole house smelled like it.

Hmm... I thought for sure I would love this. I got it as a surprise sample in an order. I love getting to try out new things! I love grassy scents. I love turpentine. The first thing I thought of when I opened this was turpentine, or maybe gin. I was sure this would be a hit with me. Unfortunately it didn't work with my chemistry very well. At some point after contact with my skin, it turned into lemon pine sol. It is a very light, non offensive pinesol scent, but still... not something I would wear. Very straightforward: I have clean floors. It faded quite quickly, leaving not a trace. Oh well...

One of my absolute favorite scents. I sampled this scent purely out of lust after the description. I didn't expect to love it the way that I do. This actually converted me to aquatics. This smell actually puts me into a better mood when I wear it. Opening notes are bright and aquatic, with soft white florals. Cool rain, and crisp clean florals. This is still a rather dark. At first I was afraid this was going to be too aftershave-y. I love the vetevert with aquatic notes because it keeps it so grounded. This is such a brilliant scent. It so perfectly invokes icy slushy weather, the kind of fog that prickles your skin. Cold ocean waters, and mists. At the same time, it's so clean and soapy. I find the whole thing so calming, and somber. As the vetevert emerges and the scent dries down, it becomes some what salty. More soft florals emerge. The best clean scent I know of. Niflheim is so comforting, and so very very me.

Oh this gives me a headache. Just realized this is my standard reaction to rose. I'm not surprised. Rose, but it also reminds me of this dried orange and cinnamon pot pourri my mom used to make. Maybe I should give this to her to try. The spices in this are nice. This would make a good room scent around the winter holidays. As the scent progresses the rose fades into the background and the spices come out more. A good scent, but not right for me.

Ack! I smell of hippie. This was patchouli overkill on me. Very very dry and spicy. Earth(vetever), patchouli, and cinnamon. Later, in the drydown... cedar. I like all of these things, and I can't say that I hate this scent. I find this really different than Tarot: Death. It's spicier, and without the smoke and floral notes. On me, this fades quickly, and an hour later only the softest hint of dry spice is left on my skin. The drydown is pleasant, but I'm not sure if I can get through the commune phase.

This fragrance lasted all day and then some, and really never changed. Good thing I loved it from the start! I'm usually really good at picking out individual notes, but the blend in Medea is so complex I almost can't say more than "yup, love it". It reminded me a bit of Athens, but with a slight resinous pungence. Sweet, dark, and spicy. I get more fruit/spice than floral, although this is not a christmas candle type fruit/spice. Mulled wine, maybe. Dried currents, dark spices, and wood resins, and herbal scents dominate. With incense in the back. Sacraficial... Myrrh is my best friend, and comes out some in the drydown. At least, I think it's myrrh. Overall this is a definite purchase. This is something I would wear a lot, as it is a great sexy day to evening scent.

As others have said, this smells like Earl Grey tea. Tea and lemon, bergamot, and even hot water. So exiting and unusual. I love tea scents, and I particularly love that this is not a tea/floral. As it wears it gets more clean or fresh smelling. I get just the faintest hint of the leather. I would not call this a leathery scent at all. Then it is gone. Gone within minutes. I keep re-applying because I love the scent so much. I wish this lasted

This is a strong scent, but one of my favorites. I actually used the whole imp up before I tried any others. So this will have to be a purchase. This is definitely not a typical spicy-floral. Wet this smells woody and sharp with strong Lily and Tuberose notes, and a bit of peppery punch. I'm a huge tuberose fan, and the laurel, dry wood and oriental musk made this so unusual. I really got the peony. Definitely an oriental more than a floral. While wearing this settles some, which is good because it's so confusing at the start. I love it so much, but worry that it might be a bit strong for people near me. Laurel, for sure. One of my favorite notes in this. Not what you expect with lily. It gives it this dark undercurrent, and merges with the musk. Drydown is so pretty. More herbal and woody than anything, but warm from the musk. A complete whirlwind of musk, flower, herb, and wood leaves me smelling faint traces of each for hours.

This was my first BPAL purchase. I ordered it as a multiple use oil, to bring a little playful fun into my life. Love it for a functional oil, but I love this scent just as a perfume too. For me, it makes a great scent for evenings out. It's very strong, herbacious, and damp. This is so unique in a floral. There is a heady floral, but it's well tempered with lush green and woody scents. I love the mintyness. I'm glad I'm not the only one who thought of catnip. Wet grass and leaves, wood chips, potpourri, and something musky and sensual. Love love love!

Oh I really thought this was the scent that would make a rose convert out of me. I love the idea of roses. I love the smell of real roses. Some times I love the smell of roses on other people. But years of trying different rose scents has made it clear that roses do not like me as much as I like them. I'm heartbroken. For the first hour or so I was in love. This was so honey-sweet. I could smell rose without it killing me. But after that I started to feel slightly ill, irritated. Oh... it's because of that strong rose odor eminating from me. I got compliments from other people, but it hardly helped that this changed overtime into a big heavy mess. Poor Eve! That fruit looked so good in the first hour. Then she was expelled from the garden and forced to spend the rest of the day smelling way too rosy. I'm a fool though. I know there's a rose out there I can wear.

Hmm... I wanted to like this, but it never seemed quite right. I'm not a big fan of peaches for the most part, although I ended up liking Aglaea. So I shouldn't be surprised that this was too... peachy. I liked the idea of fruity patchouli and musk though. This starts out overwhelmingly like a peach jolly rancher, but becomes creamy with amber. This stage is my favorite, but it doesn't last. The drydown is fast, but so very soft, with just a hint of peach and musk.

Orange Flowers! I would never have tried this on my own, but got it as a lucky sample. This makes a very classic perfume. At first the orange/honeysuckle seemed like this would be too sweet and sharp a floral for me. Too standard. But this is such a nice respectable perfume, I could wear this to work. The initial blast of acridly sweet flowers gives way to orange-honey, and then to a powdery, musky orange and heliotrope. All the while there is a slight waxyness that reminds me of mimosa. Looking back, it fits very well. The scent starts out so brash, and ends up fading fast. It actually matures from pink lace and pointy high heels, to silk and pearls with pantyhose. I'm a little sad for it. The drydown is lovely and nostalgic. Powdery orange flowers, faint heliotrope. Such a strangely "me" scent. I have to say, this may not be as unusual as the scents I typically go for, but this is something I could really wear every day.

Fresh, green, crisp, and minty aquatic... but with a dark heart. I ordered an imp of this on a lark as I usually don't care one way or another about aquatic scents. I was drawn to the idea though. I ended up ordering a 5ml of this in my next purchase. Cooling, dark, and somewhat overpowering, I wore this scent when I got caught in a summer rainstorm with my lover. Now I can't get the three things untangled in my mind, torrential rain, love, and Undertow. I could go on waxing romantic, but I'll try not to. This opens up with tons of juniper and mint, over a really fresh ozone note. It goes through a creamy mint julep phase, getting a bit fruity. Mint Chocolate ice cream comes to mind. But the dry down is still cool and dark with lotus and juniper.

Why does this scent strike me as... sexy? I was much romanced by the notes. It sounded like the sort of dark fragrance I kept trying to find and failing. I am so in love! At first I was grossed out because the opening notes smell like a stale ashtray to me. Ash dry vetiver and sticky sweet anise, like the way your clothes would smell if you spent the night at a smoky bar drinking rootbeer and rum and spilling copious amounts on yourself. Yikes!! It smelled cold and dry, and then cold and damp. Dry leaves over cold damp lichens. But the scent kept drawing me back, getting darker and more soft. The sweetness and smoke gave way to civet, which has always been dead sexy to me. Nostalgic, that strange deadly combination liquorice and animalic musk, on such a cold background. This ends up mossy and powdery, with a sad soft sweetness that does some how remind me of old people. But in a good way. A completely unusual scent, and maybe my favorite so far...this is a definite full size order for me.

Lilly-of-the-valley, white lilly. Narcissus and lilly. Why does this remind me of childhood? Such a traditional floral, a very "perfume-like" scent, I thought it would be too much for me. It reminds me of a *first perfume* sort of experience. With a little time the lilly gives way to creamier tuberose and opium. The drydown is so different on me than the opening notes that it's hard to imagine that it's the same scent. The lillies vanished, and instead I have opium, smoke, and tuberose. This isn't the sort of scent I normally wear, and the waxy-virgin-mary-holding-easter-lillies opening is a little much for me. However the drydown is really lovely. This may not end up being something I order, but I'll definitely keep trying it as I keep being drawn back to the strange nostalgic feeling I get while putting it on. Come to think of it, this may just be a brilliant scent.

My first review had to be of this, which became one of my favorites after I had worn it a few times. This is such a hot and dry scent, full of bitter smokiness. The first twenty minutes are almost too much because at first this smelled like burning rubber to me, but for some reason I really liked it anyway. I love... the smell of... pool toys. But I digress. Nutmeg and poppy seeds being burned, that's the impression, hot and bitter but with a resinous undertone. After a while this dries down to a warm, creamy, myrrh-heavy scent. Not vanilla, I suppose maybe that's the sassafras. It doesn't ever get sweet or foody on me, just warm and intoxicating. It stays very dark to the end, and the drydown really lingers. I really love this, but it sometimes makes me a little afraid it might be a bit strong for work or certain company.