merebrillante

In the vial: Patchouli, and is that sandalwood? No, apparently not. On the wrist: New Age bookstore. So far, I'm not liking it, but then I never was one for schadenfreude. Later: Fades away to almost nothing after almost five hours. Not sad to see it go. It wasn't an unpleasant perfume, but compared to the glories of Ophelia, La Belle Au Bois, Casanova and Depraved, well, it doesn't really hold a candle.

In the vial: Pine. On the wrist: Immediate impression? Ew. Elementary school vomit mulch. Later: Settles down a bit as the evergreen and chemical notes move to the back, but there's so much in here that I never really sense that the perfume has a cohesive personality. That doesn't sound like it makes sense, does it? Alas, I suspect this is not for me. Right now I'm batting 0 for 2 in the Diabolus lines.

In the vial: Sweet on top, with an undernote of tang. On the wrist: Very citrus-y -- oranges, mangoes, melons, with green vegetation underneath. Later: Softens out to something generically pretty -- jungle blossoms and all that -- but nothing that really knocks my socks off.

In the vial: Green, like a vegetable patch in summer. On the wrist: Still green, but more of the roses are coming out, giving it almost a metallic feel. Later: Gone in sixty minutes.

In the vial: Spicy, like bay rum (or is it "rhum"?). On the wrist: Still spicy, but with a whiff of ozone and sea breeze. Very much a guy scent, like Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean. Later: Settles down into a slightly spicy soap scent, but very pleasant. Reminds me of my dad when he used to wear Old Spice. And it lasts surprisingly long -- I put it on before bed last night, and that was eleven hours ago. I can still smell it in the air around me, so it has good throw.

In the vial: Spicy. I thought it was cinnamon and cloves, but it's the nutmeg I was smelling. On the wrist: Still nutmeg-y, but something sharper and more acrid underneath. Later: It's settled down some, but it's still a little too much like gingerbread cookie for my taste. I don't like to go around smelling like I bake. It gives guys the wrong idea. Luckily, this one wears off fairly quickly for a Lab perfume -- at nine-plus hours, I can just barely get a whiff of it when I stick my wrist up to my nose. To the trade pile!

In the vial: Lots of florals, but mainly lily. On the wrist: Now I smell the rose, and I do catch the watery notes. How appropriate for Ophelia. This is a lovely scent, very delicate and innocent. Perfect for when I want to feel girly. Later: After two hours, it's lightened up considerably, which is par for the course with white florals, but I like it too much to pass it on. I sicced this on some friends at a little get-together last night. No one mentioned what a lovely scent I was wearing, but someone did make a remark about someone (else) wearing stinky cologne. Hmm. I don't care, I like it anyway!

In the vial: Evergreen, with something dark underneath it. On the wrist: Gah! Formaldehyde! Later: After a half hour, the formaldehyde scent fades, leaving in its place the deep evergreen scent I'd noticed before. Nearly four hours later, I can pick up the softer undertones others have noticed, but I'm not convinced it's rose. Feels more like a hint of lavender to me. At eleven hours, I can still smell it on my wrist, though it doesn't have a lot of throw. This scent is like discovering Remus Lupin's hideout in the Forbidden Forest, a little burrow deep underneath the boughs of an ancient Scotch pine, and when you curl up under the blanket there, you find it still smells faintly of his aftershave.

In the vial: Sweet and green. On the wrist: Oh, the pine. It reminds me of Christmas wreaths. So fresh and clean, I love it already. I don't get any cinnamon at all. After a half hour, the violet rises to the surface and blends nicely with the frankincense. Later: The frankincense has faded completely away, leaving only a powdery violet. What a shame. After three and a half hours, it's almost completely gone. Alas. I think this would make a lovely room scent, though.

SUGAR SKULL '05 Description: Vibrant with the joy and sweetness of life in death! A blend of five sugars, lightly dusted with candied fruits. In the vial: Sharp and bitter, with a liquory undertone. On my neck: Acrid. I'm definitely getting the burnt sugar notes that someone mentioned, but nothing sweet or syrupy at all. Later: Some sugar is rising to the surface, but there is something in here that's aggravating my allergies. Suddenly my nose is running. I do pick up the "hazelnut coffee" note that Couscous mentioned. Final thoughts: Four hours later, it's all just burnt sugar, hazelnut coffee and liquor. Sixteen hours later, what's left is the scent of black pepper and cat pee. Absolument pas supportable!

In the vial: Flowers and vanilla. On the wrist: Jasmine and vanilla, with a vaguely sour tone. Later: Goes through a synthetic rubber Barbie doll phase before drying down to just vanilla and tonka bean. Others complained of an overpowering coffee scent in the first half hour. I never smelled coffee at any point. This perfume doesn't have a great deal of throw, either. I think this one is a pass.

nul

I so wanted to love this scent. In the vial: Wow! This is the first BPAL oil that ever knocked me out just from the vial. Lush, wet, oriental florals. On the wrist: Oh, so lovely. Delicate yet tangy floral, with almost a hint of orange to it, and as it dries, the sandalwood rises to warm it up. Later: Fades to a powdery softness after an hour. Three hours and it's gone. Sadly, this goes in the trade bin.

In the vial: Another fruity cough syrup. On the wrist: Ooh, the sweetness is balanced out by a smoky, incense-type aroma. Smells like my favorite New Age bookstore. Must be the dragon's blood resin. Later: The New Age Store scent fades, leaving in its place a sweet, powdery aroma. I never caught any of the cinnamon or leather that others seem to notice, nor did bayberry stand out. Now, eight hours later, I have to put my wrist to my nose to smell it. If there's any cinnamon there, it's of the cinnamon toast variety, i.e., very sugary. While pleasant, this one doesn't knock my socks off, and will probably be traded or given away.

In the vial: Powdery and sweet. On the wrist: Dry and aldehydic, with an undernote of a floral I can't pin down. Later: Way too sugary and powdery. If I were 80 years old and had no desire to ever have sex again, this would be an appropriate scent to wear. On the other hand, and after a few days' reflection, I can see myself wearing this on PMS days when I don't want anyone getting near me. I think it would be calming on me, and off-putting to those inclined to hit on me. Edited to add: I woke up this morning -- the first day of that veddy, veddy special time in a woman's life -- and found myself craving this scent. Not just for the name associations, but the actual smell of it. It's very comforting. I think I did Numb a disservice with my original review.

Description: A salacious, lecherous, leering scent - dirty and dark, slapped with a wet sweetness. Earthy black patchouli swelling with apricot. In the vial: Fruity On the wrist: Ooh! Leather and woody. Sex-ay! Later: Stayed with me all day, as all the BPAL scents have. The jury's still out on whether I'm allergic to it or not. I'll give it a couple of days and try it again. So far, this is my favorite of all the imps. Update: Tried it again today, a week later, and no allergic reaction. Must've been a cold after all. This is one for my bottle wishlist!

This was a lovely and unexpected frimp. Description: A sultry and unruly blend that emulates the ambient scent of the markets in ancient Bengal: skin musk with honey, peppers, clove, cinnamon bark and ginger. In the vial: Mmm. On the wrist: Warm and delicious, very sweet without being floral. Me likey. Later: When it settles down, it settles way down, but does a thing on my skin similar to Chanel No. 5, one of my old stand-bys. I really like this scent. Tricksy and precious!

Description: An olfactory serenede. A somber, contemplative scent -- dreamy and subdued. Deepest violet touched with lilac and tuberose. In the vial: Warm and sensual, like sandalwood. On the wrist: Still warm, but more floral, and I thought it was jasmine. Later: Once it dries down, I get the synthetic rubber Barbie doll smell again, like I did with Harlot. It must be the tuberose. It just doesn't work on my skin.

In the vial: Gorgeous bouquet of warm spices and florals On the wrist, first ten minutes: LEMON! One hour later: Unsavory mix of lemon and sandalwood. Two hours later: Mild sandalwood with fading lemon Three hours later: Fading sandalwood and mild synthetic rubber Barbie doll Four to ten hours later: ROSE! Final verdict: The notes in this perfume never blended into an harmonious whole on my skin, but rather advanced one by one like individual squadrons of an approaching army. I'm sure this is nice on somebody, but I cannot stand single-note rose perfumes, which is what this one turned out to be on me. Chalk it up to bad chemistry.