melange

Beautiful! This is an independent, even polite scent, one that strikes me as being good to wear in air conditioning: dry, clear, anything but sticky, neither hot/spicy to fight with the air conditioning nor cold/fruity to freeze you further. The rose doesn't stand out on my skin, either. Thanatos feels like the lightest of sheets, just a careful fraction away from my skin rather than a true skin scent. It seems office-compatible (especially because there's just about an inch and a half of throw) while remaining individual; I imagine a bookkeeper complete with a green shade, working in a pool of light with darkness all around, matter-of-factly tallying some very crucial ledgers. Thanatos would tempt me into a bottle if it lasted longer on my skin and had a little more throw.

Wet on my skin, verbena pops out with sage, grass and rain to keep it complicated; as it dries, there's that hint of ginger, and I start missing the grass. The amber starts to thicken it up, but the rain's still there, the verbena is just a tiny hint of freshness, and the sage is mostly behaving. A little bit out from my skin, there's a faint nimbus of freshness including a little more ginger, and in general it's quite pleasant but muted. Rather than being wholly blended, I'm getting little wafts of different notes or different "chords" of notes, and although I wish Mag Mell were somewhat stronger (unless that's just my skin or nose acting up tonight), I'm enjoying it more and more as time goes on.

Bandersnatch musk, redolent of spicy carnations, wild plums and chrysanthemum. In the imp, FM has the most gorgeous fresh plum fragrance. Wet on my skin, the carnations make themselves known and add spice to the blend. However, in the drydown, those lovely notes disappear beneath the dried chrysanthemum, which I would say is amping except that even that is faded. I'm grateful for the frimp, and may try making this into a room scent to see if I can keep the plumminess.

CDXXVI (426) Bottle: lemon and orange zest with warm undertones I can't place. Wet: the same with... some sort of resin, maybe? Drydown: getting sweeter, with just a little creaminess... is that a hint of melon peeking out? It's not Dana O'Shee creaminess, because that's plastic on me. Worn: CDXXVI is layered on me. At about two inches out, there's a citrusy resiny liveliness, a relatively high note. With nose to skin, it's much softer, and there's a lower, subtle note that reminds me of the vanilla in Antique Lace. My right wrist, which usually is slightly sweeter than my left, brings out what just might be heliotrope if I have my notes right; on both wrists, any hint of melon seems to have disappeared. (It's nothing like Et Lux Fuit, by the way.) At first, the layers are relatively far apart, but over time they gradually approach each other and blend together. At about an hour to an hour and a half after first application, I smell blood oranges with the faintest whiff of vanilla and musk-and/or-resin. At about ten hours out (ten!), the high citrus-zest layer has all but disappeared, leaving a lovely barely-there skin scent reminiscent of Underpants' last stages; I love how long and how wonderfully it lasts. Thoughts: beautiful! Definitely a keeper. It didn't strike me as a "me" scent, especially in the beginning, but I kept finding myself sniffing it throughout the day and I really, really like it. CT3 had made me nervous (chaos! not knowing what I'm getting! eek!), but now I've got just-one-more-itis. CDXXVI and I are definitely going to have to spend quality time together. Thanks so much, Beth! ETA: I can still smell it ever so faintly at 16 hours out. Mmmm.

Bottle: mostly heated mid-level notes, but I can't single them out very well. Wet: still heated, and floral, something to bask in. Drydown: sweet and resiny and just enough wild greenery to balance it. Worn: much the same, and I like how the notes emerge and retreat within the blend. As for lemon, I only caught a brief whiff, no more. Litha is not-unexpectedly sweet-sweet-sweet when just sitting around; along with the honeyed notes, my skin seems to be amping the frankincense and other resins. It lasts about an hour to an hour and a half with some potency, then trails into an afterhaze. Thoughts: if I'd only been sitting around and typing while preparing to write this review, I might have made a note to wear Litha only when observing the solstice, due to the quality of its sweetness with my chemistry at rest... but luckily I found out, half by chance, that what it really wants is my getting sweaty. In one way or another. Which actually fits quite well with its theme. And which means that the next time I do some really intense gardening, let's say, Litha will be right up my alley. Try exercising with Litha this summer. You might find yourself getting even more into it.

Imp: tropical fruity yum. Wet: I want this on ice, please, with a little plastic sword stuck through a cherry. Drydown: the coconut is coming out to play, and the apples/pineapple/pomegranate are shaping the blend into a direction. Worn: it's amazing how this becomes very wearable even beyond the fruit; as others have mentioned, the chili pepper adds a richer warmth that's reminiscent of musk. It has good throw on me, and lasts perhaps two hours. Thoughts: Shango works great for warm weather, in a way that neither battles (minty) or amps (musky-spicy) the heat. I don't think I have another scent anywhere near like it, and the imp will definitely keep its home with me; if it lasted longer, I would be more likely to bottle it. Also, it really makes me want to make a drink with these ingredients in Shango's name and see just how they taste together.

Imp: vanilla, amber and... is that the sweet pea, being sweet? Please tell me it will behave! Wet: oh, there's my sandalwood. Drydown: it seems light, even though it isn't really, because the deep notes aren't very deep: light, but not airy. Worn: the Tale stays near my skin yet doesn't cling to it, much like long gauzy sleeves. I'm now smelling the sweet pea again, but it's manageable, and I'm trying hard not to associate it with plastic. In general, the whole blend smells good, soft and unassuming... and hard to pin down. Thoughts: Hurray! Sweet pea is officially a "questionable" note instead of an "avoid at all costs" note on my skin. I'd hoped it could be, which is why I risked the imp, but it's nice to have confirmation. As a whole, the Tale remains soft and fairly neutral on me, perhaps too neutral/muffling for me to want to wear often, but I'll have to give it a few more tries to find out.

Imp: almond. Wet: almond. Drydown: the scent almost disappears to my nose, although I know it's still there. Oh, and there's the honey! I refreshed once, just in case. Worn: all right, I get milk and honey now, and the almond is diminishing, which is a relief. But now it's all fading even further, so I'm not sure whether I'm actually smelling something or not, and then it goes away pretty much entirely. Conclusion: I'm hoping Sudha Segara will get along better with my skin, because I'm interested in the milk/honey combination for something soft and comforting. Grains were an issue in Blood Moon also, so maybe that has to do with why Dana O'Shee doesn't work on me.

Imp: soft/sweet. Wet: sweet and mild, blended. Drydown: a hint of lemon cleanser, which the honeysuckle doesn't help. Worn: it blends back up for the most part, though one note will emerge and then another. The honeysuckle clouds the clearer notes of the green tea and lemon verbena on my skin, making the scent soft and nondescriptly floral, good for guest soaps. Conclusion: right now it isn't something I would wear, but after reading the other reviews, I'll definitely save the frimp to try in summertime. In the meantime, I'll have to check out Embalming Fluid.

Bottle: those vanilla mints served at weddings... but with booze mixed in. Now I'm thinking naughty thoughts: forget spiking the punch! Wet: creamy vanilla minty goodness. Drydown: mint, mint, mint with vanilla. I'm not getting the powdered sugar smell at this point, which is good. Worn: the vanilla and mint balance each other nicely without blending, and I enjoy the periodic wafts rising up from my wrists. It's a reasonably settled scent, not one that shouts out, "I AM MINT! FEAR MY WRATH!" After a while, and after the mint fades further, I almost think I smell a hint of coconut. Conclusion: I'm hoping the person for whom I pled Naughty will like this, especially since the other two scents wouldn't have worked out (I know she'll adore the tee)... yet if it winds up too girlie for her, I'm sure it could find a loving home. By the way, I really like the bottle design, how the name and BPAL are easy to read (with the name being larger) while the imp-and-Naughty give subtler depth in that dark red.

Bottle: freshly cut honeydew at the peak of ripeness, with a little extra something wonderful. Wet: the same. Drydown: getting herbal, with just a hint of melon as background. Worn: sweet, juicy melon again, very fresh and cheerful without being too sweet, and I like it a lot. However, it fades almost instantly on my skin (we're talking maybe three minutes, here, at the most) and becomes dull and even a touch overripe. It might be a time of the month thing, but I'm not picking up the tea/vanilla notes that others are mentioning. Conclusion: the original Fée is perfect for the person for whom I pled Nice, and making it into a spritz would be an option for any chemistry issues.

Bottle: spicy; reminds me of incense, which I suspect is the fir, possibly less church incense per se than the kind a Catholic relative usually burns around Christmastime. Wet: that first hit of trees. Drydown: spicy again... but with a waft of trees. Worn: spice and trees soften into darkness and, yes, I can imagine snow, with a hint of sweetness that evokes flowers without itself being floral... I'm getting soft almost-floral close to my skin and still the waft of trees. Conclusion: I really like this, and sought out a second bottle from another forumite. It's a good scent for being alone but not lonely.

Imp: clean and, yes, electric. Wet: a little salty, a little exciting. Drydown: so this is what all those dryer sheets were reaching for and couldn't manage. This is great. Worn: I don't think it's just my description-influenced imagination that makes this lightning instead of a gentle rain. It's wakeful, it's charged. And for all that it doesn't feel neutral, it's definitely not gendered. After the first rush of ozone, it becomes more like rain-over-ocean on me... which fits. There might be a faint whiff of floral/citrus, but really, it's more that it's clean. Conclusion: I guess I do like ozone, at least when served up this way! Lightning is a scent I'd been interested in, but which had been a low priority on my to-buy list, since it's a big departure from my usual resins. Fortunately, the Lab gave it to me as an as-always-appreciated frimp. I don't know how often I'd wear Lightning, so I won't know whether I'll need a bottle or just another imp until this one runs low, but I really like this scent and it's my favorite of the aquatics so far.

Imp: neroli! Wet: It's not just neroli, though; the florals combine to thrust forward in a broader band. It's hard to distinguish individual notes, because they blend as though they are part of a continuum. Drydown: the vanilla appears to give it a little more depth, more apparent as the florals fade just a little, aided by the palmarosa. At one point I get a glimpse of what feels like almond, although it's not in the notes. Worn: I'm not sure whether the fragrance is actually receding this quickly, or whether my nose is tuning it out. A few minutes later, it's sharp, floral, and I can't divine much character from it. It has a few inches' worth of throw and smells about the same up close as it does nearby. Maybe it's the sweet pea or the apple blossom? The stephanotis worked well for me with Regan. Oddly, my right wrist has a little more carnation and a little more individual fragrance, and I can sense more gracefulness instead of just brightness. I'll try reapplying and seeing what happens.... looks to be the same. Then again, when my guy wandered over maybe half an hour to an hour later, he smelled it easily and hesitantly identified it as vanilla. Perhaps half an hour after that, I got the softer, sweeter, balanced fragrance myself, on both wrists this time, clinging closely to my skin. I'm not sure what to think! Conclusion: I was looking forward to this Muse (it's the one I picked to get first), and at first I wasn't sure about it in a more negative way, but now I just don't know. I could imagine a dancer who's practicing on well-worn wood, the sun streaming in from the floor-to-ceiling windows, her short sheer skirt flaring out from her leotard as she turns... and then after some time she's spinning so slowly, or perhaps it's so fast, it looks as though she's standing still. I'll have to try Terpsichore on something else to see how it does without my body chemistry around, because at the moment the beginning's too much and I'm inclined to stick with Regan which has less fade. She's tricky, this one!

Imp: tropical fruit + musk. Wet: one of the nicer kinds of "invigorating" bath gel. Drydown: I can see the resemblance to pineapple that others have mentioned; I get a clear, pale yellow top note that isn't quite lemon (lemon peel, perhaps, but not juice), hovering over the musk, plus a bit of a floral. Worn: more floral, with a perfume-y feel. Conclusion: fun to experiment with the frimp, and a nice enough scent, though right now it doesn't feel like "me." I think it would be better in the springtime when the sun's out and the air's warmer but still a little crisp, and the breeze is playing with your hair.

Imp: warm/unfamiliar. Wet: the same, but dry, a hint of wood even though it's not in the notes. Drydown: good throw, at first reminded of a particular "deep-fried with a sauce" Chinese dish that a group of us used to hang out and eat back in the day, though not hot-and-sour, the fig and currant give it just enough sweetness. Worn: I just had to refresh because I wanted more, and then I had to rub my wrists into my hair. It's sensual and I want to roll around with it. It's strengthening rather than overpowering, and for once I don't so much want to sniff my wrists directly as just... put it on. It lasts for a good long while, too. Conclusion: I never thought I liked musk, but with Beth's, they work out great. I'm guessing the dragon's blood is a big contributor here too, and I'm going to have to try a few more of the dragon's blood varieties (I've only had Eye and Heart before) before I decide which is my favorite and which needs a bottle. While I always really appreciate the frimps, this is one that I'm especially wowed by.

Imp: sweetness/freshness. Wet: hazy, soft, veiled, it's all there... along with a hint of lemon and melon. Drydown: it's still sweet and diffuse. "Mist" is also accurate in that it feels that way, a scent lingering, rather than a drift of fresher air. I wonder if there might be a bare hint of violet or lilac, or lychee? Even the lemon is diffusing away, and it reminds me a touch of dryer sheets. Worn: still sweet, still gentle, and quite possibly the sort of thing to make me nap whether I like it or not. Rather than an overt throw, it just wafts now and again, faintly salty perhaps, definitely soporific. Conclusion: this seems like a good scent to relax to; it doesn't make demands. I'm tempted to make the rimp into a spray for linens, except I wonder about losing its effect with diluting it. It also seems as though it would be good for wearing somewhere like work, where you want to wear a little something but not have too much throw or potency, as long as you aren't at risk of falling asleep. Mmm, sleep... with this and Baku as frimps, did the Lab know I needed a nap? I'm glad to have tried it and will try it again outside on a rainy day, though in this category, The Hesperides is once again the winner of the Celebrity Death Match.

Imp: sharp, strong, wooden rather than woodsy, a wand. Wet: even sharper. This is worked wood, its heart exposed. Drydown: calming down somewhat. I wish I knew what the high john essence smells like, so I could pick it out. I think the woods blend and the frankincense gives it some depth, with the other notes making it more complex and individual than the woods alone. Worn: It may be traditionally masculine, but I rather like it on me. I feel somewhat professorial, aloof, and as though it would be good to repel insects of the six-legged but also the human varieties. I could grade papers, I could use red ink and a dip pen, but let's not talk about waving magic wands. It lasts a couple of hours, and I'm happy to reapply. Conclusion: I'll have to test this out against some others, such as Kathmandu, to see whether I want a bottle. In the meantime, though, I'm definitely enjoying the frimp.

Imp: Perfume! Intense! Wet: one note? How? Drydown: this is in the family of the more traditional floral-musky perfumes that identify as "exotic," the heavy kind whose color is crimson or, why not, a dark plum. Unlike department store perfumes, this one doesn't give me a headache; I still don't know quite how Beth does it, beyond not using synthetics, but I certainly appreciate it. Bathsheba is intense, a bit heavy, worn to remind everyone you're a woman with a capital W. I don't know that I'd describe it as having "innocence"; I'd call it "operatic." Worn: On me, this doesn't change much from drydown; it still manages to be a unified blend, the notes balancing admirably so none really pokes out at me. It has some throw but fades fairly quickly on my skin. Conclusion: I love seeing what the Lab picks out for frimps; they can really have a knack for picking fragrances I'd had my eye on or whose themes fit things in my life, in this case, a book I'd been reading. It's very opulent, and I suspect I'd have to be all dressed up to wear it right.

Imp: sweet, instant bit of forehead pressure, strong. Wet: ditto, but with more depth and even more throw. Drydown: it's amazing sniffing these similar flowers and catching differences emerging here and there. It's morphing into something I can't quite place, though... maybe the scented markers I got to play with at a friend's house as a kid? The forehead pressure is still present, but fading. Worn: I can feel it in a cloud around me; I'm a little hesitant to leave it on, but I'll give it a shot. I halfway think I can taste it, metallic/perfumey, on the tip of my tongue. After a while I realize it's really like the plasticky scented, molded erasers that didn't do a good job erasing but looked cool. However, if I sniff further away from my wrists, the resemblance is less prominent. Either way, though, I can't smell the individual flowers the way I could earlier; this bouquet's been through a blender and poured into a plastic bag. Conclusions: I'd been hesitant about the description's lilies and unalloyed sweetness, but I appreciate the Lab's work and it's always great to get to sample new things, so I had to try the frimp. I wish I knew which were the notes that aren't agreeing with my skin (possibly the top notes?) and will have to try it again later on in the month. Juliet would probably be nice to wear for working outside in the springtime, or even as a room scent to minimize morphing.

Wet: chocolate?! but dry and dark. Drydown: the flowers seem to be confusing my poor nose, and the chocolate's gone away; I think of floral offerings laid at an altar, but I don't see any wood... wait, that must be the cassia with the resins. Worn: now the incense is coming out further, or perhaps it's the wind, and the flowers are tamping down. I'm hoping that the cassia doesn't amp up much. I'm getting a cassia-resin-y scent next to my skin, with the flowers sweetening it in wafts as I wave my wrists. The cassia doesn't seem to be getting any stronger after all, which is good, and on my skin this is more of a blended floral than the rose that some others are mentioning. Funny; I smell what might be the wind more on my right wrist than my left, and now I'm thinking of walking through woods where the leaves have fallen, luminaria lighting the path. It feels solitary to me, more so than worshiping in a crowd, and more outward-focused than intimate. It likes to linger, and perhaps because it blends not only with itself but with the room, it feels as though I need someone else to tell me how much throw it has. Conclusion: I'll certainly keep the bottle for particular occasions, at least if I can pry my wrist from my nose to put it away.

Imp: rose. Wet: violet and rose. Drydown: rose and violet, definitely heady. I like this tea rose. Worn: this violet and this rose are close enough that they blend together to my nose. I thought it might be headed towards soapiness, but it didn't, and seems good for when I'm feeling particularly femme. It has some throw but is less pushy than Libertine (which also has rose and violet in its components); it lasts a few hours on my skin before it's altogether faded. Conclusion: I was intrigued by the association with Marie Antoinette when I first saw the description (having read The Other Boleyn Girl in the past year couldn't have hurt) despite that the notes aren't "me" enough to be high on my order list, so I was especially delighted when the Lab sent this frimp. I think I might keep half the imp as is, and use the other half as a spritzer, or possibly to scent some bath salts for relatives; it's feminine in a pleasing and not-unconventional way, so is likely to go over well.

Imp: Sweet. Orange. Wet: more of the same. Drydown: Rakshasa slowly lets me detect the individual sandalwood/rose/patchouli notes, but keeps trying to convince me that it's orange. There's definite throw. Worn: Rakshasa settles in nicely (as opposed to settling down). For a little while I smell roses that are sour when I put my nose right up to my wrists, yet are attractive when my nose is a little further away. As time passes, one note swims over the others, only to be overtaken in its turn, but they're all always present. This has the feel of an after-hours scent rather than one to wear to work. Conclusion: I'd intended to pit this frimp against Anne Bonny, but on my skin, they're not enough alike to be real competition. It's more as though Rakshasa is Anne's little seductress of a cousin.

Imp: red, all right! Wet: sandalwood may be out in front, but the patchouli and frankincense are right behind. Drydown: definitely a forthright fragrance. No shyness here; the three notes have unified. Power to the Pirate! Worn: this fragrance develops depth on my skin, and again, it's unified depth; instead of having notes poking out at this level and that level and the other level, it's as though the fragrance meshes all three together. If anything pokes out, it's the sandalwood, the point of the blade if you will, with the other two backing it up. It has a little throw, lasts for a few hours, and I like that it's not expressly feminine but supports what innate femininity there is. Conclusion: This will make a good fragrance for focused action, as long as I don't get distracted by sniffing my own wrist. Or swaggering. Thanks to the Lab's largesse, I'm now looking forward to pitting frimps of Anne Bonny (red sandalwood/red patchouli/frankincense) against Rakshasa (sandalwood/patchouli/rose) in a Celebrity Death Match...

Imp: sharp, medicinal, reminding me a little of horehound drops. Wet: ahh, the barks are starting to come out. Drydown: I can smell the saffron now, and the layers of spices. I'm getting a little front-of-the-head ache, and yet, it's otherwise pleasant enough that I actively want to not wash it off. Worn: it feels very much like its inspiration, with good throw, and is exotic yet somehow even... pretty. The headache is fading, at least, as long as I don't put my nose right up to my wrists. It settles into a pleasantly clean, more unified blend, and really does feel like incense outside as opposed to incense left to smolder in a small, cramped room. It lasts about three hours on my skin. Conclusion: Kathmandu is definitely a different addition to my 'library' and, in addition to wearing it, I think it would be good to scent linens. I also want to try a Celebrity Deathmatch between it, All Saint's, Midnight Mass, and possibly Cathedral, although that might not be quite fair given that the others have more similar origins.