Wench457

Jabberwocky: Eucalyptus and pine. The orange is nowhere to be sniffed. On: Ah, there's the orange, floating lightly above the still heavy pine. The eucalyptus has backed down a bit, though I can taste it on the tip of my tongue. Interesting. Dry: not really sure. It was intensely strong initially, then faded down to practically nothing within five minutes. I do like this scent, but more for aromatherapy uses than as a perfume. It would be great in my car diffuser to help keep me alert.

Masquerade: I confess, I was afraid to try this oil. In fact, I finally had to make myself pull imps from the box to test at random, because I found myself avoiding testing the "scary" ones - read: those containing patchouli. Today Masquerade got pulled out of the box, so here goes. ITB: patchouli, with a hint of citrus. On: the throw is orange blossom and carnation, but closer up, all I can smell is the patchouli. It's actually not bad as long as I don't sniff my wrists. Dry: Well, this oil really surprised me. The patchouli faded way down, and ended up giving the scent a roundness which was actually pleasant. While Masquerade was still not a scent for me, neither was it the "Eww, get if off!" I usually experience with scents containing patchouli. Maybe there's hope for me yet.

Juke Joint: I had high hopes for this one, as I adore Mint Juleps. In the bottle this was chocolate mints. On: Definitely chocolate mints. Is there even chocolate in this? My nose sure thinks so anyway! Dry: Still very clearly chocolate mint. It's nice, but I'm just not a big fan of smelling like chocolate, unfortunately.

La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente: Sweet and fruity. The pomegranate is the star here, with a backup from florals. On: The rose comes out strongly, but the pomegranate is still clear. Very nice indeed! Dry: Lovely. The hint of fruit sweetens the scent, and keeps it from being overly floral. There is also a hint of an herbal scent, perhaps the myrtle? Altogether a masterful scent, just slightly too heavy for day wear for me, but it will be perfect for evenings out. Love it!

Cathode: I can barely pick out a hint of mint. On: Ohh, lovely floral, with enough mint to give it an edge. Wonderful! Dry: Sadly, this dried down to a dusty "meh" scent on me. It did smell very mossy, but it turns out I don't want to smell like moss. It was so wonderful wet that the drydown was a disappointment.

Bewitched: Like bubble solution, oddly enough. On: Now I get berries, but berries covered in soapsuds. Dry: A nice light berry scent. But I think I prefer Kitsune-Tsuki for my "fruity" days, as it doesn't go through that awkward soapy stage. I'm not quite ready to give this up quite yet though.

Queen of Sheba: almonds and spice. On: Yum, the honey warms up. This smells delicious. But at the same time, not too foody, and very wearable. There's almost a cola smell to the throw. Dry: The spices amp way up out of control, which is not at all unusual on me. The honey and the almonds didn't stand a chance. Pity.

Lucy's Kiss: A creamy rose, almost herby. On: It takes on a metallic, chemically tang. Fairly unpleasant actually. The throw is still rose, though. Dry: Totally sour on me, alas. I played Lucy in a stage production of Dracula, so I really wanted this one to work on me.

Akuma: A bit sour, yet sweet at the same time. The raspberry is clear, with a hint of orange, but more the rind of the orange than the flesh. On: Orange blossoms and raspberries. The raspberries are a bit powdery though, like my raspberry flavored vitamin C tablets. Dry: The throw is all raspberry on me, and I can't get over the idea that I smell like vitamins. Close to my wrist, the orange blossom is more apparent, but overall this scent is just not my cup of tea.

Lavender makes her stand. Rose and Musk join her to add their warmth to the alliance. Alack! Here enters Violet, not like a shy, small flower, but like a warrior upon her steed, her sword brandishing defiance at those who would keep her from total victory. And the other florals and their ally the musk rise up and vanquish the evil violet usurper! Then they quit the field of honor to hit the local pub for a celebratory round or two. Leaving the faintest hint of forlorn frankincense to waft across the deserted battleground.

The World: Whoa - wintergreen! Very strong wintergreen, which is weird, since most reviewers seem to get cinnamon. It does smell terrific, just like a linament I used to make for my horse. My horse got a lot of rubdowns, because I adored the wintergreen smell so much! On: Ah, there's the cinnamon. But where did the wintergreen go? Dry: Sandalwood with just a hint of cinnamon. More of a working scent for me, which is just fine. If the wintergreen had lasted through my skin chemistry, I would have been elated.

Veil: I find it difficult to pick out specific notes in this - they all seem to blend together into a whole. Just a bit of lilac, perhaps. On: Very strongly orris for a moment, then the gardenia tries to take over. The sandalwood beats it back though. Dry: A medium weight floral with a sandalwood base. It's nice, but doesn't wow me.

ITB: Jasmine and vanilla. Very warm and soft. On: The jasmine amps way up, overpowering anything else. Dry: All jasmine, all the time. I can just barely detect the vanilla, if I sniff very closely. Sigh. I really wish jasmine didn't go so sour on me, because this was really quite lovely in the bottle.

London: A lovely soft rose. On: Oh dear. The rose has gone decidedly sour. But I am determined to wait it out. Dry: A pretty, soft rose on me. Whatever wickedness should be there has been completely vanquished by the rose. Lovely. I shall have to compare this side-by-side with Zombi to see which rose I prefer. ETA: This also lasted quite well on me, still going strong after six hours.

I was so happy to finally get a half imp of this in swaps. I'm afraid that the mystique gave me a heightened expectation, which was not met by the actuality. ITB: strawberries and perfume. I'm guessing something in the combination of notes, or in the age of my imp, mislead my nose into smelling strawberries instead of pear. On: Hmm. Sweet public restroom deodorizer. DH said the same thing. Dry: pretty much the same. After about four hours, it finally went to a lovely strawberry cream soda smell. Nice, but not worth the wait for me. I am glad I got to try it, but will be passing this imp along to someone else.

Eos: Honeysuckle, with a bit of a bitter edge to it. On: Lovely sweet honeysuckle, with the jasmine starting to amp up. Dry: The jasmine has gone bitter, as it often does on me, but the other sweet florals keep it under control somewhat. There's a bit of a baby-oil smell, which keeps it from being a true winner on me.

Chimera: Cinnamon, but a delicate cinnamon, not harsh at all. On: The same, but with an added warmth. Very nice! Dry: Bitterer, which I think it the copal, or maybe the myrrh, or maybe both. The honeysuckle seems to be buried, as it never made an appearance on me. Chimera is mostly a warm, spicy, resiny scent on me. I only got a very slight tingle on my wrist where I applied it, not the burn that some have reported, thankfully. About three hours later, it sweetened down and reminded me a lot of Bengal.

For a "postive, you-can-do-it!" BPAL scent, I highly recommend Moxie. Orange and ginger - very yummy and uplifting. Congratulations to you on your resolve to quit - I wish you all the best.

Sweet, but with a sharp edge to it. Heh - I almost always say that! I'm still not terribly adept at picking out notes in the bottle. On: the sweetness fades and it's now spicier, like ginger or peppers. I'm also getting a whiff of smokiness. It's intriguing, but makes my nose itch. 10min: I'm now getting a sour note. It's slightly acidic, almost vinegary. The throw is stll sweet though, like candied fruit. Dry: It has smoothed out quite a bit - no more itchy nose. The throw is quite nice. I get no grape at all from this, which is fine with me. I love sweet scents, but for some reason find grape just a bit too sweet on me. The drydown is a fresh, light incense - sandalwood and frankincense perhaps.

ITB: I can really smell the pear in this, but it’s a spiced pear - quite lovely and sweet. On: Both the pear and plumeria are apparent, and the champagne adds a lovely bitter kick to the blend. Dry: very nicely balanced. This scent is perfectly suited to my tastes, which is for crisp white florals. The pear and champagne keep the plumeria from being too sweet. A perfectly balanced scent. So happy I bought a bottle unsniffed!

ITB: Oooohh, so pretty! Sweet, rich florals. Quite beautiful. Mostly lilac. On: Harshens for just a moment, then the sweet lilac and tuberose come back to the top. Very nice indeed! Dry: This reminds me a lot of the Dormouse. I haven't sniffed them side-by-side, but they both have the same sweet floral feeling. This does seems more somber however, as compared to the Dormouse's frivolity. Love it! The violet comes out, but, for a wonder, it is playing nicely with the other notes. Finally - a violet scent I can wear! And it's dreamy indeed!

Energy, vigor, verve, strength, courage, balls. ITB: Orange and ginger - a lovely "pick-me-up" scent. On: The same, a fresh, zingy orange zest. Very nice. Dry: This was incredibly consistent on me from bottle, wet, and dry. It lasted a good long while, and even my hubby liked it - which is saying something! I was rather expecting this to be more of a room scent, but it's lovely to wear as well, whenever I need a bit of a lift. This is a definite big bottle scent for me!

ITB: Sweet berries. Yum! On: Here comes the thyme, but I can still smell the berries as well. Nice! Dry: Still sweet and berrylike, but now it's almost more of a rose scent on me. I don't get the wine of this scent at all, which is a pity, because I was looking forward to it.

ITB: Cherry-vanilla soda. On: It thought about turning into cherry cough drops, but then changed its mind and went for lovely amber with a cherry kick. Dry: Yummmmm. Grown-up lollypops, with just enough musky floral to keep it from being too sweet. Just the thing when I need a pick-me-up for my mood. This one is definitely cheering, and quite delicious!

ITB: Sweetened baby oil. On: Ew. This is the first bpal I've tried that went seriously nasty on me. There's a strong smell, almost like gasoline, but dirtier. Like gasoline spilled onto the ground, forming a mud puddle. Dry: Considerably better, but still not a winner on me. I'm beginning to think that lotus just doesn't work with my chemistry. I do start to pick out the florals, but still with a haze of gasoline, which pretty much kills it for me. Also had a possible allergic reaction, as I developed a red rash on my wrists and the backs of my hands shortly after applying this. Nothing else in my environment changed, so I am guessing it was the oil.