Mokiefraggle

I struggled to choose which of the Phoenixes I wanted this year, though I'm glad I chose the one that wasn't just another blend of all my favorite notes. This is beautiful, lush, and very bright, and it stands out quite nicely amid my usual musks, vanillas, and spices. I'm happily in love. Oddly, when I first opened the package, it had a strange hint of something like camphor or menthol in the background as I opened the bottle to take a sniff. It lingered for a bit on my skin the first test application, but never potent enough to put me off. Second day I tried it, the menthol-camphor scent was gone completely, so I can only assume it was an artifact of being cold and not shaken enough? Go figure. Now, it's a very lovely scent of warm, red fruits, the currants bright and slightly more in front of the plum, which is warmer and thicker. The amber is warm as well, spicy and very pleasant in tandem with the plum, and there's definitely a hint of a metallic note that makes the whole thing shine. It's a bit low on the throw, but the overall combination is a very sensual smell that I'd rather have cling close to my skin than be out there for everyone to notice. I've always liked deep, rich fruity scents, and it's nice to know they'll play well with me, too.

Frimped this one with my Phoenix order. Oh, I so need a bottle of this~! Wet, it's a lot of chewy coconut scent. Like one of those Girl Scout cookies with the coconut and caramel, or like my mum's German chocolate pie when it's warm. Sweet and thick, with a little spike of rum in the background. Can't distinguish the tobacco, as I think its sweetness is getting mingled with the coconut to produce that delicious sweetness, and I'm amazed that this doesn't smell like suntan lotion or like a bad candle. And wowie, does it pack a wallop; I can smell this one on my wrists even with my hands well away from my nose, though it doesn't seem to bother anyone around me. Dry, it's a little more tobacco, still with the marvelous sweet coconut; they're more distinct now. The rum lends a little more sweet and a little bit of its own kick, and makes it a well-rounded scent that I can see as an all-year thing, even though the heavy (though not cloying) sweetness should lend itself to something I'd wear in the winter or fall. This, however, seems like something equally at home around the pool in summer as it does curled under blankets in the winter. Big bottle. Need it. And my wallet weeps.

Frimped this one from the Lab a while back, but I'm terribly behind on reviewing most of my scents, so I figured I'd jump on this one while I'm thinking on it. Wet and in the imp, I get a lot of berries and a bit of the poppy, right down to the green of the stems. Very little honey comes out to my nose in this blend, though I can definitely tell it's there. It's tart, lightly sweet, and surprisingly strong. I love honey notes, and I wear berries quite well, so it was bound to be a match made in heaven. On my skin, it's berries and a little honey, with a light green note that I actually don't mind. It's crisp and perky, and livens up the sweetness of the berries and honey. And it doesn't go rotting-greenery or otherwise foul as I wear it, so I'm quite happy; far too often, green plant smells go weird on me, and end up smelling like I've been cutting flower stems all day or something. It ends up being mostly berries and honey--very tart berries, as opposed to a sweet blackberry scent like Bewitched--and a faint background note of the poppies to cut the fruity sweet mix at the front. Very nice, not too sticky-fruity-sweet, not too green, just right. Has a fair bit of oomph, so it sticks around for a while and has a decent little throw. Like it, might consider a big bottle one of these days, when LEs quit monopolizing my time.

In the imp and on my skin, Seven Herbs Charm is definitely lemony. I agree with izile, though; lemon balm is definitely a part of it, though I also recognize the particular citronella scent of lemongrass. It's the most prominent note, and makes it rather hard to find the other herbs underneath it, though I think I get some rosemary and possibly a little sage? Really can't tell, what with the lemony zestiness all up in my face. It's good, just very lemony at the start. It does calm down after a bit, and there's more sense of herbal blend going on, but it's still very much a citrus-forward scent to me. I can't make out any specific herbal notes, just a crisp, herbaceous note that's not heavily green (which tends to disagree with me), and goes nicely with the citrus. That said, it's pleasant, perky, and a nice little eye-opener when I'm in the mood for it. Citrus is one of those things I wear infrequently, but it's still a favorite. Seven Herbs Charm might be a little too citrus for everyday, but it's pleasant and very different from the last two Black Friday scents I've gotten, which made me very happy. I was hoping that it would be, since there were a lot of similarities between Progressus of 2013 and Economic Recovery of 2012, and I'm always more interested in getting new and different things in my frimps. This is an interesting addition to the collection, and I think I'll keep it.

Unfortunately, this scent doesn't seem to stick around very long for me, but I can say that it's...interesting. It was a frimp, and I'd never really thought about it before as something I'd want--I've never been particularly fond of apricot, so why would I want to smell of it?--but it's not too bad. Wet, I mostly get boozy apricot smell; lots of sweet, fruity liquor that kicks you in the face and says "Here I am!" at first sniff. It's strong, very distinct, and isn't afraid to make itself known. Not a lot of throw, mind, but definitely a presence. It's...well, I like boozy scents quite a lot, so that part makes me go , but the apricot kinda makes me go , so I'm not sure what I think of this one. Not bad enough to wash off, certainly; I'm interested enough to see where it goes, but it's definitely making me a little leery. I never really get to notice the dry-down, though. By the time I sniff my wrists again, it's worn away and gone, nor does it seem to cling to anything; you'd think something that potent at first go would cling to clothes or something, but I've yet to notice it. I think I might have to just put it on and sit still, waiting, and see what happens then. I'd like to see what happens when I actually get a whiff of it when dry, since that might actually make me give a final yea or nay to it. Right now, I'm still undecided. Boozy is good, apricots are...uncertain...and the whole affair is just a bit hazy. Think I'll try again later.

Had this imp for about a year, and I really like it. It's simple but pleasant, and just understated enough that I can wear it without feeling like it might bother those around me. In the imp and wet on my skin, I get a lot of frankincense, with the sandalwood and patchouli playing back-up. It's soft on me, but it's not delicate or dainty. There's a sort of...sturdiness, I suppose?...to Anne Bonny, which seems appropriate. The scent isn't potent, but it is very decently noticeable as not just being a skin scent, and it has a presence despite being so soft. As it dries, I get a bit more of the sandalwood and patchouli, making it a bit more strongly all three notes in one, rather than the frankincense playing frontman. It's a nice, pleasant sort of incense scent overall, and it clings close enough to my skin that I have to think about it to smell it, but it's also the sort that clings pleasantly to clothing, giving me a nice little hint of something pleasant through the day. Definitely on the bottle list.

Not terribly fond of aquatics, but I'll wear them when the mood strikes and if the scent is good overall, so I'm giving this particular frimp a go. I've had decent luck with the few that I've gotten, so I'm never above giving them a go. In the imp and wet on my skin, it's straight-up Irish Spring soap. It's green, very much aquatic, and a bit on the soapy side. Not sure I dislike it, but it's potent and way more green than I personally go in for. It's a very strong, in-your-face sort of green, and while it's not bad on my skin, it's definitely not my usual tastes. Dry, it's still a very potent green scent. I don't dislike it, but I don't really think it's for me. It's still more than a bit Irish Spring, and I've never been terribly fond of that particular soap in more than the smallest quantities. That said, it doesn't seem to last too long after it dries, so I didn't have to deal with it for terribly long after I applied it. I might see if I can get it on Darling, as it's more his sort of scent; he's the one who wears aquatics nicely, not me. I'm glad to have tried it, but I don't think this particular Lovecraftian horror suits me.

Ooh, I like this. Wet, I get the cedar, oudh, and amber, with a brisk touch of pepper and bay leaf that tickles my nose very pleasantly. The cedar gives it a slightly green, woodsy note not unlike the juniper notes from Golden Priapus, though a bit more woodsy and a bit less green. It's definitely a unisex scent, which makes me want to try and get my fiance to wear a bit; he smells very good in green woodsy things, and spicy notes are also delicious on him. As it dries, it pretty much remains what it starts as, though the woodsy notes and amber get a little deeper, and the pepper and bay get a bit less nose-tickling, though still spicy and perky. It's delightful, and I enjoy it, though it doesn't last as long as some scents do. I was a bit surprised at how close to the skin it is, not to mention how soon it goes away--perhaps a couple of hours after application--but I enjoy it. I'll gladly slather if I get this kind of woodsy spicy scent for a little while longer. Now, I just have to pounce on Darling and slather a bit on him, too...

Why do I keep forgetting to review things? D: I've had this almost a year, now! Wet, Paladin is a very white scent. Light, almost invisible musk, light frankincense duskiness, light leather, and a very light, airy vanilla sweetness. Possibly a bit sweeter than I'd expect something called "Paladin" to smell, but very delightful (also extremely nice when layered with Elf!). Now, once Paladin starts to dry, it's still a very white, very light scent. But it also gets a bit deeper, the vanilla and frankincense becoming a richer base for the soft leather and the very delicate, slightly more powdery white musk. Not sure if I'm actually getting the metallic note, but it might be there. It's all just such a light, airy scent that it's hard to be certain. It's a very light scent, very delicate, and very pleasantly wearable for a woman, though I imagine it could be pleasant on a man as well. Nice, decently unisex scent, not at all dainty for its lightness. I like this a lot.

I...really don't get much licorice at all out of this. At least, not anything immediately identifiable as licorice, or even as licorice root, which I know smells slightly different from the scent of the candy. In the bottle and wet, I get a lot of freesia, some elemi (I think; smells a lot like part of the floral in Lyonesse), and possibly some of the jasmine. No rose or orchid--at least, not strongly enough to notice it--which lays to rest my belief I amp rose, apparently. There's a sort of sweet note behind the flowers that might be the licorice root, but I can barely notice it. It's mostly lush, sweet, slightly tart floral on me, not too light, but lacking in heavy throw. Dry, it gets a little less tart, with perhaps a tiny bit more licorice root behind the floral, as it does become steadily more grounded and rounded as it dries, but it's still mainly a lush floral that clings close to the skin. I like it, and I'm glad there's nothing that smells like a rope of licorice to it, though I would've liked to be able to smell more than a trace of licorice root. Unlike the candy, I actually like the scent of licorice root, and was hoping to get a bit of it in here. I like it more than enough to wear it, and be glad I have a bottle, but it's not really quite what I was expecting.

I go more for my foody scents--or at least, for sweeter, often spicier scents--when it gets cold. Favorites include Shub-Niggurath, Samhain (2012 vintage for me), Snake Oil, and even sometimes a bit of Hell's Belle or Dorian, if only because they're sweet and a little creamy, and nicely comforting in the chill. I'm planning on adding The (Not-So) Penitent (Mini) Magdalene to that rotation this year, as I get a wonderfully sweet, spicy, foody-but-not scent from it that fits nicely into my preferences for cold weather.

I love this. It's yet another totally different vanilla to my collection, because I've never had a single BPAL with a vanilla note smell alike yet. In the bottle and wet on skin, it's sandalwood and a light beeswax-y sort of smell, faintly honeyed, with a little smoke, and a thick, creamy, spicy vanilla that's just delicious. It doesn't smell like vanilla ice-cream that's just been scooped, but rather the sort of scent I associate with it after it's gotten melty and even has sat for a little while, getting sticky. I think it's perfect for the intent of this particular scent. Dry, it gets a bit more sandalwood, and the spices and vanilla become a sort of heavy, mellow background. It's warm, luscious, and it lasts me for quite a long while. Not quite up to Snake Oil's all-day-all-night standards, but a single application holds up for most of the day, with a soft, subtle throw that doesn't grow cloying. I think my first Lilith purchase is a success!

I somehow only noticed today that Tavern of Hell has ambergris. It somehow completely bypassed my notice that it was one of the notes, and I only recently noticed it when applying it from my approximately 3-year-old imp. It's subtle and blends nicely with the flowers and boozy notes, and I can only guess I mistook it for a woodsy note on first sniff. Apparently, I should've known it was a good scent on me before I tried it in Lyonesse! It's very different with the layered flowers, absinthe, and whiskey notes than it is in Lyonesse's very warm vanilla and amber, which might be why my brain didn't make the connection, but apparently it's love on my skin. While Lyonesse gives it a salty, ocean breeze sort of note that I liken to the way salt enhances the sweetness of a caramel in how it emphasizes certain aspects of the vanilla and amber, it turns into an almost woodsy note in Tavern of Hell, earthy and grounding to the flowery notes while enhancing the whiskey and the herbal assertiveness of the absinthe.

I am shocked that I have yet to review this. I've been forgetting to review scents for quite some time, apparently, since I've had this since some time around at least Christmas-time 2013. You'd think I would remember to review the ones I really love... I always love tobacco and tonka notes, and boozy scents are also wonderful on me, so I was sure I'd love this as soon as I found the notes. I was not disappointed in the least, though I was surprised to find that the combination of notes in this turned the normally spiced-vanilla scent I'm used to thinking of tonka as into a cocoa-ish note. Not at all problematic, because I like chocolate notes as well, but definitely interesting. Perversion is a rich scent on me, like a spicy dark rum chocolate with a smooth blend of vanilla-laced tobacco grounding it. Not sure if I'm getting the chardonnay, but there's a dry note that might be it, and the leather is sort of there as a warm, sort of suede note behind everything else. Delicious, sexy, warm, and yet very snuggly and mellow. It's a little bit on the heavy side for wearing in warm weather, but this is totally one of my fall/winter scents.

Okay, I didn't actually buy this for me, but I've worn it enough that I feel I ought to review, especially since my fiance doesn't wear it often enough (in my opinion, at least! :3) and probably wouldn't do so purely to review it for me. It absolutely fits both his and my scent profiles to a 'T', but it hits totally different niches for us. On me, it shows more vanilla and amber, grounded by the pine and juniper, and only a little bit of rosewood. It's warm, sweet, and woodsy in that order, and has a light throw that doesn't overpower. I love it on me almost as much as I love it on him. On him, it's woodsy with a light hint of vanilla, the juniper coming out much more to give it a slightly more herbaceous note that turns it slightly crisp, with the sweetness of the vanilla and the warmer aspects of the amber much more in the background to the woodsy end. Almost completely opposite how it turns out on me, but perfect on him in the way that all the herbal, woodsy scents I've convinced him to try are. It goes beautifully with his preferences in shower gel and shaving cream, all of which are woodsy and herbal, and rounds out the eucalyptus notes of them nicely with the vanilla. It really just makes me want to get Darling to try and wear more BPAL. He just doesn't quite yet understand how amazing he smells in the ones I've bought or gifted him, though I'm steadily turning him on to using the things like scented shower gels, that he once dubbed nothing but the "smelly stuff." Getting him to wear BPAL of his own accord someday will just be the icing on the cake.

I keep forgetting to review this, but I promised myself I would when I put it on earlier today, so here we go. Wet, I get a light, citrusy-fruity scent with musk and champa. It's sweet and delicate; I can definitely make out the lemon, currant, some orange blossom, and what might be poppy, and a very soft, gently warm musk, plus the champa, which is sweet and airy, and not at all cloying. As it dries down, the dry scent of mugwort and a warm, slightly woodsy scent I presume is the agarwood comes out, making it a more well-rounded scent rather than just a sweet, fruity, flowery thing. Very nice, balanced; neither too sweet nor too woodsy or incensey, though it's also very, very light. It has a very small throw, and it's not very lasting, but it's a nice blend that I don't mind having to reapply every so often.

Definitely second the suggestion to try everything, especially the freebies. Some of my favorites have been frimps that I'd never have thought to order, while some of the things I thought I'd love ended up getting shuffled off to my fiance or even to my mum, because they just didn't work right on me. Sometimes, you just have to go outside of your comfort zone. And as I believe was also suggested, make sure you test a scent more than once! They'll smell differently right out of the shipping box than they will a few days down the road, and your current state of health or hormones or a whole host of other factors might make a scent turn terrible that would normally be wonderful on you. I also personally say not to try too many scents at once, particularly not putting light scents next to heavier ones, but your mileage may vary on this one. If you like rose scents, you might also consider Phantom. It's one of my personal favorite rose scents, with a lightly smoky, incense-y backdrop. If you like your rose sweeter, you might try looking for the LE Ossa Arida, which is a soft, gentle rose with amber, vanilla, and frankincense giving it a sort of warm, lightly sweet undertone.

I'll add a vote for Snake Oil and for Al-Shairan (that one was the most glorious spicy orange-peach thing on me!), and for Laughter of Loki if you're willing to hunt for an LE. LoL is a green, spicy, only lightly earthy scent, and I love it; it's not at all what most expect patchouli to smell like! Lots of good choices in that imp selection of yours (I love Hell's Belle, Lyonesse, and Titania, and Highwayman turned out great on my fiance, even if the vetiver hated me), and I would suggest that if you like rose, you may want to try Phantom (Myrrh, dark musk, attar of rose and ylang ylang), as it was one of the scents that totally sold me on the Lab's rose note. It's sweet, a little dark but not overpoweringly "dark, spicy, sensual incensy type", and definitely not too old-lady-ish. Again, if you're willing to hunt down old LEs, then I'd suggest possibly finding Ossa Arida for your rosy needs (Frankincense, golden amber, bourbon vanilla, gurjum balsam, and Bulgarian rose), as it's another very nice, smooth rose scent.

Sweet, foody, warm, and spicy? I'd recommend Samhain, if you don't mind waiting until the Halloweenies. I smelled of pumpkin pies and applesauce, with a side of cool autumn woods whenever I wore it. Favorite scent for all of the season.

I seem to keep forgetting to review things lately, and I can't believe I'm forgetting this one! It's a big favorite--no surprise; love the red musk!--and yet another addition to the bottle list. Wet, I get a lot of red musk and spice, and a nice honey sweetness. It's thick and deep, and definitely a bit of an evening scent, though I've worn it on days when I just want something that'll hang around. Dry, it's all thick sweetness and musk, with a grounding spice and a hint of what I can only assume is the benzoin, given that it's a slightly incense-y, slightly vanilla-ish. Very nice, and with a slight burnt-sugar caramel quality and lighter spice profile that sets it enough apart from Snake Oil, besides the lack of an earthy note that's present in SO that's not here, that I'd definitely consider them two completely separate scents. This one is rich and sexy in a much more subdued way, while SO is just sex, full stop. Also, this has yet to attract as much attention as me wearing SO, so it's clearly the more subtle of the two.

So many scents from my Christmas binge that I have yet to review...can't believe I forgot this one! I love this so very much, being that I'm a bit of a musk-loony. It's the perfect addition to my collection. It's so much dark, deep, lush musk, with just the right amount of tonka sweet-spicy, and a sharp twist of pepper, a tiny bit of bitter crispness from the neroli...oh, so delightful. It doesn't change much once it's on my skin, and I wouldn't want it to. it's perfect, and it suits its name wonderfully. (Also, I admit to being firmly of the mind that this is precisely what my Tiefling Paladin in the D&D game I'm currently in must smell like. I'm an epic nerd. )

I've been frimped this particular scent from the Lab twice now (are they trying to tell me something? ), and it's definitely a delightful scent. I love light, sweet scents like sweet pea and pear, so this was on my "order it some time" list already, and I'm glad I got it. In the imp and wet on my skin, I get a lot of very light, crisp fruit--it almost smells like it's chilled, that way that grapes and pears have a distinct smell to them when they've been in the fridge, that's different from room-temperature. Mostly smelling grape and pear, with nothing that says "peach" to me at this point. There's also a definite floral, with sweet pea and...I think the moonflower? It's light, sweet, and pleasant; very dainty and airy. As it dries, I get a little more of the sweet pea, and a bit of peach to go with the other fruits, which makes it a bit sweeter than most of my summery scents. I like it, and I'll possibly-probably end up using it all this summer, if my tendency to slather myself with light, flowery/fruity scents in the summer holds. That said, I might love it, but I'm not above sharing the BPAL goodness; I gave the second imp to my mum, like a good little enabler. (It marks her second BPAL, as I gave her an imp of Ave Maria Gratia Plena for Christmas.)

In the bottle and on my skin wet, this is a musky, patchouli-laced green scent with a spicy ginger undertone; on the whole, it comes off as smoky green with a lurking quality of gingery heat. Definitely not the sharpness of basil I was expecting, much more mistletoe and what I can only assume is the alder than the distinct pungency of a fresh basil leaf. It seems to pretty much stay there, in this balance of musky, slightly woody green, with an earthy, gingery note in the back as it dries. Very nice, especially since well-and-truly green scents and I are a bit hit-or-miss at times. Some go very odd on my skin, not necessarily bad, but strange and unexpected and just incredibly GREEN. The Laughter of Loki, on the other hand, is a nice, earthy, slightly spicy green that seems to hit just the right notes to agree with me. Like it, definitely. It's a keeper, though I'm still not sure what specifically I'll wear it for. Not a date-night perfume, not an evening one, not really a springtime or a summer...oh well. Until I get a feel for it, it'll just have to settle for being a scent in my general roster, I suppose.

Smelling this in the bottle and on my skin when wet, my brain immediately chimed in with "KAHLUA!" It really did just smell a lot like the bottle of homemade Kahlua my mum gave me, of a boozy-edged coffee scent. It was a little shocking, since I was expecting a warm coffee note, but it wasn't bad, so I didn't immediately want to be rid of it. I like boozy scents just fine! Then, as it starts to warm up and dry down, I get the amber and the champaca, and the oudh starts to come out to play. Coffee and incense, just like so many others have said. Very nice! Not at all boozy coffee at that point, but I'm not complaining. I love my incense-y perfumes just as much as the boozy ones. In short, very glad I have a bottle.

In the imp, I get a lot of berry, a little tea, and something herbal...mostly berry sweetness. Little bit candy-like, but also just a lot like some flavored teas I've had. On my skin, I get strong blackberry tea and sage, though the sage could just as easily be confused for something like spearmint...it's mostly just a crisp, slightly biting herbal note that cuts down on the berry sweetness. Not really noticing the musk, surprisingly; I usually notice musks, as they're one of my favorite scent notes. Not getting anything noteworthy here, though it might just be the very bottom of the scent. The berry and sage, in particular, seem to be very strong at the top, and might just be drowning it out a bit. I'll keep the imp, might consider this for a bottle somewhere down the line. I really do like BPAL berry scents thus far; purple scents seem to agree with me, in general. Pretty, delicate, and light; it's a good spring scent, might work for summer as well.