LushNatty

In the bottle: patchouli and sandalwood. Applied: it smells like a dusty attic. Definitely conveys a sense of loneliness and distance. As the smell develops, the sandalwood sweetens up quite a bit, but it is still the predominant note. Fairly heavy throw, at least at first. I’m not detecting the other scents really, except that I can smell citrus and cinnamon developing out of the scent as time elapses, and those are strangely absent close to the skin. Interesting. I’m discovering that I just don’t like sandalwood as a primary note, but this is one of the nicer ones that I have experienced. For a dry scent, it has a bit of warmth to it with that cinnamony/citrusy thing going on. It’s also evocative of its title. (I LOVE this poem, BTW-- one of my very favorite E.A. Poe poems.) On a scale of 1 to 5: 3.

In the bottle: very vetiver. Applied: At first it’s all vetiver and smoke, really heavily so, but as it sinks into the skin you can really detect a lot of complexity. I could smell the lemon and thyme, for example, and it really did a lot to make the vetiver and smoke less acrid and more interesting. I can also detect the white musk after a while. Overall, it has a sort of sharp and dusky character, like if you could imagine a smoky, musky mint. This is a really interesting scent and definitely one of those lovely morphing ones, but I don’t work well with smoky scents so I won’t be wearing it. This would be at the top of my list for scents I would like to smell on a guy, though. This would be a perfect scent for a very stylish and intellectual guy—the kind of guy that would have a lot of money but not care too much about it, and spend a lot of time in his library. I could almost see Mr. Darcy smelling like this—it would have to be a guy that is all of the above and also doesn’t talk unless he has something to say. On a scale of 1 to 5: 4 (for a man.)

In the bottle: Lemony, nice. Applied: Fresh smell—gardenia and orange over roses is the first impression but then I can tell it is lemon. Don’t know where the gardenia is coming from, but it fades away quickly—must be my skin chemistry. Gives a feeling of lightness and happiness.I would say the throw is medium at first with an average amount applied (a few drops total, on wrists, neck and cleavage.) The rose develops a lot more as the minutes elapse—along with a watery smell. Smells like white rose petals floating in a pond—very impressionistic. The rose gets darker as more time goes by. The citrus notes have gone away for the most part and it smells like a quality, dewy rose. As half hour and then hours go by: cloying, as all roses seem to do on me so far. The dewiness is going away and it is smelling more hard, like perfume-y, which is too bad because I really liked it a lot at first. If you are fortunate enough to be able to wear rose, you will want to try this. On a scale of 1 to 5: 3.

Speaking of improving concentration for studying: I have used Niaouli oil for a few years for that purpose. It's eucalyptus-y and it's great for clearing the head, both literally and figuratively. I had a psychologist who used to use that in our sessions and that's where I picked up the habit.

Roses and metal. That’s about it. Definitely smells like rose incense being burned in a metal chamber. After a couple of tries, I really can’t describe it any other way. On a scale of 1 to 5: 2.

In the bottle: mostly jasmine, some lily, with a hint of mint (not sure where this is coming from, but it’s there). Applied: freshly on, it is still jasmine and… eucalyptus (that was what I thought was mint in the bottle, and I still don’t know where it’s coming from). Nice, though. The minty/eucalyptusy thing fades the further I get away from my skin and it smells like jasmine tea. Yum. Actually, it reminds me a lot of Lush’s Noriko soap, even though it doesn't actually smell like Noriko (I checked). As the minutes go by, it gets more herbally, and then the lily REALLY develops. Not a particularly strong throw, but enough so that you know it’s there. It’s a bit powdery, but I like that—I generally think that jasmine and lilies smell like that, and those are my two favorite florals. In keeping with the overall concept, it’s a very romantic scent. Very feminine, too, and delicate and fresh. This is definitely a scent I need a big bottle of....I'm thinking, until the drydown hits about an hour and a half later. Now for some reason it has morphed into kind of a general "floral perfume" smell with an herbal undertone-- kind of like this solid perfume that my grandmother used to have from Avon when I was really little. Wow-- I wasn't expecting that, at all. It happened so gradually I didn't even notice it. On a scale of 1 to 5: 5 before the drydown, then 3.

In the bottle: Cherry NyQuil. Which, ironically, is kind of appealing to me right now as I am at the one-week mark of a really bad chest cold. Once applied, it turns into cherry Toostie pop, and then to cherry/strawberry Jell-O. As it develops on my skin, I can kind of get the pepper coming out a bit, and some other spicy smell, but it is overwhelmingly cherry and strawberry Jell-O. Not that this is a bad thing-- those are two flavors of Jell-O that I really like-- but not really what I want to wear as a scent. After some time elapses, however, I can see what people have said about the throw being not as "tangy" as the close-to-the-skin smell, and that makes it much better. In fact, the throw almost smells like a totally different scent. I had to think hard to remember if I had applied something similar earlier. I might imp some out of this, but I'll be keeping some too. On a scale of 1 to 5: 3.5 (not quite a 4, but not a 3 either.)

In the bottle: grapefruit juice. Applied: really tangy grapefruit, which after a few minutes turns into a very nice, although masculine, perfume, in which it is difficult for me to discern the different notes. It is aquatic, although darkly aquatic; there’s a kind of manly sharp note that stands out amongst what I can only describe as a manly aquatic floral. Sounds weird to say manly floral, but it’s totally manly. So manly that, although it is nice, it’s not for me. I would be very happy to smell this on a man, though. As a scent that smells, to me, like a man’s cologne, it’s head and shoulders above the "usual" guy scents—it smells of quality and character. And there’s not a terribly strong throw, so it would be nice for a guy since 1) they tend to overdo it with the application and 2) men’s scents are best if you have to get close to them to smell the scent. In my opinion, anyway. But since there is no man in my life right now, it’s going to swaps. On a scale of 1 to 5: 3.

Heh. I'm going as a student, which is to say I'm not going to do anything fun for Halloween because I'm too far behind in my work, and also broke... and the student smell is pretty much indigestion and coffee. However, I am planning on wearing Samhain '05 on the day, because, well, you know. So I'll smell better than the usual student smell. Frankly, I generally am wearing BPAL all the time so I think I probably do smell better than most students.

In the bottle: Mmmm! Cedarwood, and a faint hint of patchouli! Application: Wow! Cedarwood that punches you in the face! Actually, the cedarwood in here is very rich and nice, but the fly in the ointment for me is that there is a really, unbelievably strong smoky note to this that I just cannot handle. I noticed this on both the times I tried to wear this. Offhand, I’d love to smell a version of this that was minus the smoke, plus a rose. Anyway, I just can’t handle that acrid smoke smell, so off to swaps it goes. On a scale of 1 to 5: 1.

In the bottle: weird. I’ve noticed that people have sometimes said this about other scents, but this is the first time I have ever not been able to smell a scent in the bottle. Initial application: very cinnamony, with possibly some clove, and a fruit/honey background. Smells like Christmas cider—or, as I finally identified—Market Spice tea. Dead ringer for Market Spice tea (with a little honey in). I have to say, since I couldn’t initially smell it too strongly, I applied a little more oil than I normally do (although still in the usual spots) and I am still not getting a lot of throw off of this. This might be a slatherer. I actually tried a bit of this about a week ago when I was wanting an initial sniff of each of a new batch of imps, and I remember that, at that time, I didn’t like it. I don’t know what I was thinking, because now that I am wearing it, I can say that there is absolutely nothing objectionable about this scent. Maybe it was a hormonal thing. WAIT—an objection—it’s making me itch. First time this has happened… Damn. I really like this scent. I’m not sure what component could be causing this itch but I’m really bummed because this is a very nice scent and the rose and amber are starting to really add a wonderful complexity to it all. It's no longer straight "Market Spice" now-- just the most gorgeous blend of spices and a rich sweet base. Ooo-- there's the sandalwood peeking out a bit (this is definitely extremely light on the sandalwood). I’m going to see how successful this is as a room scent—if it works in my oil burner I might order a 5 mL for room use despite my itchiness. On a scale of 1 to 5: 4.5—almost the ultimate spicy scent, with a foody base that makes you want to lick your skin. ETA: Now, given the few most recent reviews, I am curious as to why the reviews are so different-- are these two different scents? Is this the correct Baghdad? Only time will tell...

In the bottle: It’s amazing how distinct each of the three notes is in this one; this has never happened before for me. There is coconut, rum, and a third item (must be the tobacco?) that smells tangy and bitter, and I really don’t like that one. Too bad it is hovering in the background, because otherwise it smells like coconut rum. (YUM—my favorite.) Initial application: yep, that tangy, bitter thing in the background is ruining it for me, because it’s in the foreground now, and very unpleasant—making me nauseated, in fact. It must be the tobacco. I don’t know what tobacco (as a leaf) smells like; I smoked for a few years but I only smelled the smoke. As it develops on my skin, however, the tobacco tang is fading away and it’s blending more into the coconut. In fact, as it blends in it’s getting sweeter, and the tobacco is getting less bitter, gradually. If it ever goes away, I might like this, but I really can’t stand that tobacco smell. Medium throw, but the scent got a lot stronger as it developed, so I think I overapplied initially and thus the throw may be milder with a more normal amount. It made my companion allergic, though, and didn’t wash off easily after she told me. Unfortunately, the tobacco is not going away. But hey, at least I identified a heretofore unknown (to me) scent! If you like tobacco leaf, though, I would imagine you’d love this blend as the other two notes are gorgeous. On a scale of 1 to 5: 3.

In the bottle: Tart, almost sour berries. Initial application: I tested this a bit differently than I normally do—this time I was applying it surreptitiously in class and so I only swabbed the side of my hand with the imp wand, and WOW does this scent have throw. I could smell it immediately and POWERFULLY with only using about a fifth of what I would normally apply. So much for surreptitiousness. That being said, it’s a very nice scent. I can see where people have compared this to berry shampoo, but even though I do smell the soap, it doesn’t bother me and I actually kind of like that smell being in there. I do detect a bit of a “dangerous” feel to this berry—like the berry is saying, “Eat me, and I will kick you in the ass.” Definitely a poisonous berry—tart. Juicy. The part of the description that describes the nature of the fruit is absolutely accurate. 30 minutes later: More of a soapy smell comes out —and the initially heavy throw also tames down quite a bit. It’s still pleasant, but now the throw is more sweet and less dangerous. But still adult enough that I would expect this berry note to appear equally at home in a candy or a wine. She could still kick my ass if she wanted to, but it’s not her top priority. 1 hour later: I’m very surprised, and impressed. The original kick-ass tart berry has totally mellowed into a sweet, ripe, youthful berry that is just pluckable. The only caveats are that 1) it’s still a bit soapy and 2) it lacks is the smell of the plant to which the berry is attached. It would be perfect with some “green” in it. It actually smells a bit childlike, kind of like if my old Strawberry Shortcake doll’s strawberry breath had smelled like real, living berries fresh off the bushes. I like it, but I would definitely not slather this or I would feel like I was a gigantic berry, not a person (kind of like how Absinthe made me feel like a licorice drop.) I also sense that my true opinion of this will take a few applications to fully develop. This will either bore me or develop into something really interesting and bottle-worthy. On a scale of 1 to 5: 3.5.

In the bottle/ Initial application: apples, pears, and something a bit juicier: maybe some sort of berry? True that this is a delicate scent—light throw. This is something I would wear to feel delicate and girly, but not to overtly transmit to others. Before bed would be good because it’s relaxing and subtle. Fruity, fruity, fruity. Oh God, I want to eat my arm. I’m thinking that this would be a good before-sex scent because I smell so good that I literally want to lick my skin. Too bad that, at present, I do not have a way of testing this theory. :-( As it develops: Apple wine! Oh wow, this is incredible! I like it a lot better than I thought I would. Like Delphi, I think it smells exactly like things that don’t show up in the description at all—I don’t smell any herbs, woods or flowers—just fruits. Only complaint? Too little throw. I wish more people could tell that I am this yum. Will definitely buy a bottle, though. On a scale of 1 to 5: 4.

In the bottle: smells like it’s going to be some kind of fruity men’s cologne. (The cologne being fruity, not the guy—necessarily—although why not?) Initial application: a bit of citrus (lime, I think) and a bit of chlorophyll. There’s also some faint floral smell that I can’t quite identify in the background. Makes me think that this is what a leaf off a lime tree would smell like if it was cracked open to smell the green stuff inside (not that I have ever in my life been around citrus trees.) Drying: Gets powdery, with the citrus cutting through underneath. I can’t really identify the main note in this blend, but it’s interesting. Not entirely sure if I like it or not—it’s one of those that I think I might not like, but I’m not totally sure and maybe I like it. I don’t know. I will keep the imp, but I definitely don’t need a big bottle. I'm mainly going to keep the imp because this might be something that I grow to like more. On a scale of 1 to 5: 3 (extra point for being very original!)

Bottle, and initial application: apricot, and a little bit of a smell I can only describe as “foot”. Slightly pungent and makes me feel a little bit sick. (Myrrh, perhaps, is the thing I have been ID’ing as "foot tang"? B/c I smelled foot in Lilith as well and this seems the likeliest common element...incense of Apollo contains myrrh, maybe? I know for sure that I love wine smells so that can't be it.) As it dries down—still smells like apricot, and kind of also smells like stone. The foot smell dries off mostly, but there is still a tang there that is not entirely pleasant. Not offensive in the way that Villain was, but still something that I wanted to wash off of me because it has a heavy throw and I don’t, overall, like it very much. However, it wasn’t offensive and if I liked the smell of apricot, it might have been right up my alley. It’s funny how it smells so exactly like something that isn’t even in the description! On a scale of 1 to 5: 2.

WHOA! Patchouli oil. In the bottle, on initial application, and on drydown. This smells no different at any stage from the patchouli oil I get in the health food store. I have a feeling that the imp might just be straight patchouli oil—either Beth formulated this batch with a loooooo-ooooot of patchouli and (possibly) forgot to put in the other oils, or someone snowed me in a swap, because that’s how I got this imp. Didn't pick up any sandalwood or cinnamon at all, which is surprising given the other reviews--it's just not there in my imp at ALL. On a scale of 1 to 5: 2. ETA: I got a different imp of this from a trusted source, and it is totally different. So different, in fact, that I think I might have gotten a doctored imp the first time. The oil smells like a quality blend this time, it's completely different in color and consistency, and I can actually smell the cinnamon straight off like everyone else. I'm really, really glad that I got a different imp, because I absolutely love it this time, and straight off it has become a favorite. I have a hard time carrying off patchouli and sandalwood, but the cinnamon (and then the amber, as time elapses) make this a winner for me. I'm so glad that I have found a scent that my inner hippie can wear. It smells exactly like an old and very beloved brand of cinnamon incense that I used to buy all the time in high school, but has since become unavailable. I love it. And I'm kind of irked that there is a doctored one out there. On a scale of 1 to 5: 5!

In the bottle: Yummy! Honey and vanilla! Initial application: Honey and vanilla, then the initial scent fades within a couple of minutes to suntan oil. Oooh! I’m wearing Banana Boat. Luckily, I love the smell of suntan oil, although I never wear it because I detest tanning. As it dries down, it smells a little less suntan oily and a bit more just sweet (and powdery!) coconut. Light to medium throw, depending on application (if you hit a good spot, it can have a bit more impact.) Don’t wear it if you don’t like a powdery finish (I do!). All things considered, probably an extremely apt smell for an Egyptian goddess. I will like to have an imp of this on hand for those moments I am wishing I was on a faraway beach, but probably won’t wear it enough for a whole bottle purchase…but who knows? This one may grow on me. On a scale of 1 to 5: 3.5. (Because of the growth potential!) ETA: just goes to show how I continue to identify scents that aren't technically there...but I swear that this smells like suntan lotion on me.

In the bottle: Oooh! Intriguing. Smells a little bit minty, a little bit sweet, a little like new toys in a toy store. There is definitely something in here that reminds me either of toy shopping or some specific toy I had when I was a kid. After application: Immediately turns into the smell of licorice drops. Hours and hours afterwards: I smell like a huge licorice drop. Impossible to detect (or think) anything but “licorice drop”--- for miles. I happen to love licorice, but I really don’t want to smell like I big hunk of it. I just wish it smelled on me like it did in the bottle, because I LOVED it in the bottle. On a scale of 1 to 5: 2.

It’s a sad commentary on life that the “O” is disappointing. I had high hopes for it, especially since a few weeks before I tried this I got to try Snake Oil (one of my favorites) and I had heard that O was so similar. Anyway, O may be similar but it is no Snake Oil. Definitely not sexy—it reminds me a LOT of little girlhood, and there would be something seriously wrong if I connected that, in ANY way, with sexy. *shudder* In the bottle, Sweet. It’s so sweet I feel like my teeth might decay just by smelling it. Definitely smells like a particular sweet—what is it?... Applied, it’s still very sweet—much more so than Snake Oil, mainly because there is less complexity to the sweetness. I finally identified the very familiar smell: pink bubble gum. And while I love the taste of pink bubble gum, it’s not necessarily great as a perfume, at least not on me. I think it might be making me salivate a little, but increased drool is not something I need either. Upon time lapse, a very white vanilla develops—not the darker vanilla that is like vanilla bean—more like a vanilla candle. If I had a daughter, I would buy her a bottle of this as a “grown-up” treat—so she could have her own little BPAL on her own little dresser. That would be really cute. But I don't have a kid, and all of my friends have boys, so there you are. It smells good—salivatingly good (it is actually making my mouth water—years of Pavlovian conditioning with the Bubble Yum, I guess.) Definitely something where I will be happy to use up the imp, but I won’t feel a need for a big bottle. If I want sweet, I have Pink Moon and Snake Oil so I’m good. On a scale of 1 to 5: 3.

I was trying and trying to identify what this smelled like. I knew that it was a dead ringer for some past memory, and then it hit me: bubbles. You know, the bubbles you get in the little plastic jars with the wand when you are a kid. First off, this was not at all what I was expecting. If you are expecting an “icy” scent (like anything minty or eucalyptus-y or whatever), this is not it. It does have a faintly cold smell to it, but I can’t imagine this being a particularly cooling smell in really hot weather. It does, however, have a good kick of nostalgia to it. I wouldn’t want to smell it all the time, though, or even for extended periods. On a scale of 1 to 5: 1.

In the bottle: smells like a generic men's cologne at the department store counter. On me (a female): smells like a VERY STRONG generic men's cologne at the department store counter. I don't really detect any citrus (maybe a wee bit while in the bottle) and I can see how this is supposed to be lavender, but I honestly cannot smell anything but "Men's Cologne! Men's Cologne!" Kind of like the guys in middle school smelled who started to bathe in their dad's cologne the second they started sprouting a few buds of facial hair. Cannot wait hours to see how the scent morphs; I have to get this smell off of me right now. I feel nauseated. I definitely wouldn't be able to make out with a guy who smelled like this. A few washings later: Cannot get it totally off and the smell is still really strong. Eight hours later: I still have a cloud of cologne around me. I smell like a cheap hooker. On scale of 1 to 5: 1.

(Old) Dublin: The scent of misty forests, damp alder leaf, and the gentlest touch of white rose. This smells EXACTLY how it is described. It is absolutely phenomenal. If I close my eyes, I am in the middle of a wood after it has rained and I can smell the needles and leaves on the ground, all mossy, with the rainwater evaporating in the sunshine and the fragrant blossoms…OMG! A scent that I wouldn’t have sprung to buy a 5 mL of at first release, possibly because the description undersells it a bit, but one that I am very glad that I found a bottle of in a swap. Incredible. Doesn’t last quite as long as I would like, so I tend to put a few drops on at a time. On the body, it doesn’t smell as watery, but the “damp green leaves” smell deepens and blends with the rose, and has a fuller smell than it does in the bottle and on first application. Medium throw, unless I slather. For some reason, it’s more “rose”-y smelling in my cleavage than it is on my wrists and neck. Nice. On a scale of 1 to 5: 5! Will be a staple.

In the bottle: spices, definitely. Buttery spices, like I would want to find in a cookie. I think I detect a little nutmeg, for one thing. After application: Wow! Pure vanilla bean. Mmmmm. That is a truly underrated smell—real vanilla. As it develops, some of the spice comes back into the mix, mingling with the vanilla. Dries down to: vanilla, musk and can detect hints of the red sandalwood and carnation (aha! Finally I smell some of the notes that are supposed to be in there!) Somehow I always seem to strongly identify a note that isn’t supposed to be in there—I see no mention of vanilla bean but it’s unmistakable to my nose. Making me hungry. I smell like a quality vanilla custard. Which is weirdly appropriate, because "vanilla custard" is an apt description of the texture of much of my body. Hm. Light-to-medium throw. Pity it isn’t a little stronger. Overall: the first couple of times I applied it, I thought it was a generically foody perfume, and I appreciate it more after a couple trials. However, you kind of have to work at discovering the complexity and since I am single right now, that is kind of a lonely enterprise. NOTE: Fantastic layered with Arachne! This is how I will wear it in the future. On a scale of 1 to 5: 4 (almost 5 when layered with Arachne)

In the bottle: fruity deliciousness! Smells like…fruit wine. That’s all I can say—it smells like an extremely juicy fruit but I can’t quite identify which one. On application: I can definitely smell those juicy pears, and do I detect some peach as well? Fig is there too, definitely, and I can smell some foliage in the background. It develops into figgy pear, and then to luscious (but subtle) flowers and fruit juices, with the slightest hint of wood. I want to eat my hand. Similar effect to Arachne but with a stronger character—better throw. While Arachne is mainly just noticeable to me, this will be wafting behind me as I walk. Overall: this wins on three points. First, it is just a great smell. Second, it is elegant enough (for a fruit smell) to wear to anything from a weekend outing to a black-tie event, and third, it is extremely evocative of the scene it is supposed to evoke. I can close my eyes and definitely relocate to the Hanging Gardens. I could definitely use this as a perfume, or in a burner, or for guided imagery—all very successfully. I wouldn’t wear it every day but I could if I wanted to. This is, at least, a definite bottle order. On a scale of 1 to 5: 4, but darn close to 5 when layered with Morocco.