shirasade

This came as a frimp with my last order. Imp: Very, very floral, with a fresh, almost lemon-y undertone. Wet: Reminds me a bit of incense (probably the frangipani), as it gets spicier as soon as it hits my skin. Dry: I can detect a hint of rose, but mostly powdery frangipani and jasmine. Overall: This is probably the most flowery scent I've tried to date. On me, it smells a bit like potpourri. Not my thing at all, I'm afraid. Also, it disappears very quickly.

My body chemistry seemed off because of medication I was taking, but now I think I can finally continue to test smell the imps still waiting to be evaluated... Imp: Very sweet. Strong anise, which doesn't suit me at all. Wet: I start to smell cherries. The anise gives it an underlying spiciness that's not unpleasant. Dry: Finally I begin to get a sense of the sandalwood, which tones down the cherry sweetness and makes it more woodsy. The anise is still present underneath, but not licorice-y, and it actually stays the longest. Overall: Very strong change in my sense of this. Once the sandalwood starts to emerge, it actually does remind me of Kyoto, of a temple garden. Turns out I like this quite a lot, despite the negative first impression. Sadly, it fades very quickly.

I got this one for one reason only: My online nick has been a varation of this most famous of storytellers since the beginning. Imp: Musk and spices, a hint of smoke. Wet: I start to smell the saffron. Quite an unusual musk scent, warm and definitely Middle Eastern. Dry: The strong musk recedes a bit, turns into a scent of Bedouin tents and Arabian Nights. Overall: Normally I'd never have tried this scent, because I'm not a fan of musk, but this is really lovely - definitely keeping it, although it's still very unusual for me.

The crisp, clean scent of green tea touched with lemon verbena and honeysuckle. Ordered because I like tea and need a summer scent. Imp: Tea and lemon. Hm. Wet: Strong lemon, without smelling like cleaner. Then the tea comes out again. I begin to smell a touch of sweet flowers. Dry: Remains a fresh tea scent, although the lemon recedes, making it less crisp, more sweet. Overall: Lovely, all I'd hoped for! Just a pity that lemon doesn't stick on my skin. Still - a keeper!

I ordered this looking for a fresh summer scent. Imp: Strong citrus - lemon and oranges with a hint of spice. Wet: Lavendar comes out, but the lemon remains strong. A hint of herbs in the background. Dry: Blend of jasmine and lemon, strong and fresh. But it disappears fast - 15 minutes and it's almost gone. Overall: My first reaction was rather negative, as it reminded me of cleaner. But then I surprised myself by how much I liked it - very refreshing and energizing. If only it lasted longer - like this, it's not really worth keeping.

This one was a frimp in my last order - since I love Venice (one of the most beautiful cities I've ever been to), I was curious. Imp: Lemon with a spicy tang. Like cleaner. Wet: Still lemon, but also something floral and a hint of spices. Fresh and lovely. Dry: Lemon retreats further but is still present as a base to jasmine and rose (mostly the latter). Overall: Doesn't remind me of Venice at all - starts out interesting, but ends pretty non-descript on my skin. Might be nice for clothes.

This was a frimp, and one that made me happy because it was on my wishlist (although the incense made me hesitate to order it). Imp: Oh dear, there's the incense. Not my kind of scent at all, it's too dark. There's also a hint of moss, however. Wet: The incense retreats, making the wet moss come out stronger. I can also begin to smell flowers. A forest at midnight, or maybe a graveyard at dusk, mist over headstones and flowers. Dry: Herbs almost replace the moss, the flowers turn sweeter. Still a cool, dark scent, exactly like the description (actually, it's never been this accurate for me before). Quite a staying power, too, but on me it turns into an old lady's potpurri after a while. Overall: Beautiful mysterious scent, but definitely not me, I'm afraid. It doesn't feel right on my skin (probably the incense). Pity!

I love food scents, so I had to try this. Imp: Buttery berry cake. Quite sweet. Wet: Vanilla comes out stronger. I smell a big fluffy white cake with lots of frosting. Dry: The currant gets stronger, the scent becomes drier but still very yummy. For some reason for a while I have this mental image of a fall fair full of twinkling lights and cotton candy. Overall: Definitely a very yummy scent. I kept wanting to lick me to see if it tastes how it smells. At first, however, it didn't sit quite right with me, maybe because I don't like frosting all that much. But as it dried, I was transported into a lovely country kitchen, with bowls of currants and stems of vanilla on the table. Also, it lasts quite a long time on me, which is nice. I think this'll be a fall scent for me.

This combination was just too interesting to resist. Imp: Strange first impression - very strong grapefruit, but then there's musk and lavendar at the same time. Wet: A more general fruitiness appears, but it's still very citrusy. Also, the flowers come out more. Dry: Dries into something more mellow. It's more difficult to distinguish single notes. Overall: Definitely a crazy scent - fruit and flowers and spicy musk. There even seems to be a minty undertone. To me it smells like dusk, seeing the sun set over dancing water near an orchard. A pick-me-up scent - I like it much more than I first expected.

I'd had my eye on this one from the start, and finally I got the chance to try it... Imp: Black tea, most definitely, but also spices and honey. Very strong. Wet: The tea recedes, the honey gets stronger, with something almost biting underneath (the pepper?). Dry: Still a mix of strong scents, but they merge together into a kind of creamy honey as it dries. The tea has pretty much disappeared. Overall: I'd expected something like Chai tea (something I love), but the tea just seemed to disappear on me, which has never happened with a tea scent before. It reminds me of an English kitchen, warm and spicy. Can't quite decide whether I truly like it.

It's cooled down a bit here, so I can finally start sniffing my latest huge BPAL order... Yay! Imp: Fresh roses, but they're underlying something wet - maybe moss? Wet: The grass starts to peek out, the roses turn sweeter. Dry: The grassy scent becomes stronger, the scent turns drier. There are lots and lots of roses all over my skin, but not too overpowering, sweet but clean. It's even a bit soapy for a while. Overall: I love roses, and this is just lovely. As with most flowery scents, it smells a bit like soap on my skin at first - but those sweet, many-colored roses growing in an English spring garden win out in the end. Love it!

This was on my wishlist and I got it in a swap. Having been to Scandinavia before, I was really curious about this one. Imp: Very sweet and flowery. Not what I expected from the reviews. Wet: Still very sweet but I seem to detect pine as well. Gets fresher as it dries. Dry: Sweet berries and moss. Comforting without being cloying, because of the foresty undertone. Reminds me of drinking mulled wine on a cold winter's night. Overall impression: Hm. A part of me really likes this, but something about the sweetness doesn't sit quite right with me. I've never cared much for mulled wine, I guess...

Got this in a swap (my very first one). Imp: Hard to describe. Something very sharp, biting, with an underlying spiciness. Wet: Applied carefully, but it's still very strong. I'm still unable to pick out ingredients, but on me it smells like a spicy bathroom cleaner. Dry: Dries a bit less pungent, more herbal, but still spicy. Finally I can smell the rose peeking out. Quite a throwing power. Overall impression: Definitely not for me, although it's an intriguing scent.

Swapped this with a friend who didn't like it at all - but for me, the promise of the description definitely came through! Imp: Lovely wild berry scent. Very fresh. Wet: Sweeter but still fresh. Berries and heather and moist grass. Dry: There's a lemony twist for a bit, but still berries and grass. After a while it gets sweeter again. Overall impression: Lovely fresh spring scent. Really makes me see Scotland's highlands on a sunny day with a cool breeze. Beautiful!

In the imp: Oh, lovely, although I miss the berries. Grass and sweet flowers, like a spring bouquet. Wet: Same as in the imp, a very fresh, clean scent. Slowly the berries peek out a bit. As other reviewers before me I picture a little girl in a pretty dress, running down a hill carrying flowers. Dry: Settles into a somewhat powdery flowery scent with a tang of herb grass mixed in. Every now and then I catch a whiff of berry. At first it had quite a throw, but it fades quite fast. Overall impression: I really wanted this to be a keeper, because it's so lovely at first. But it fades too fast and has too much flower and not enough berry for my taste. Reminds me of a potpurri.