storme

In the imp: whoa, powdery narcissus over feisty myrrh/opium smokiness. On me, wet: the narcissus flares up immediately, but is swiftly overrun by the opium and spicy myrrh. It's all a bit powdery and stale-smelling, though. On me, dry: urgh, soapy stale narcissus swamping the warm myrrh and opium - I can just about detect them at the edge of the throw, but they're losing this fight. Verdict: Alas, no - if the narcissus had been less powerful then this would have been delightful.

In the imp: spearmint and grapefruit, sweet and sharp sugary mintiness. On me, wet: mint and watery grapefruit and bubbliness. Hmm. This smells like eating a ultra-strong mint feels, when it fizzes on your tongue and floods your nose and mouth. On me, dry: slightly citrus-tinged extra-strong mints. With the fizzy powdery feel and everything. And the lotus is lurking menacingly beneath it. Verdict: Interesting, but enh, I think not really my style.

In the imp: spearmint? maybe pennyroyal. And something sweet, almost vanilla-ish behind it. On me, wet: sweet juicy-yet-powdery mint with that vanilla sweetness behind it. This is a very *cold* scent. On me, dry: a sllightly fainter and slightly more floral mintiness, and less sweet too. Still very cold and bright and with a powdery tinge that just softens it enough to stop it being too sharply cold. Verdict: I like this - if I'd discovered this before the heatwave of this summer, I'd have alternated it with Nuclear Winter to keep cool. As it is, I'll hang onto the imp and try it on again next time I get overheated.

In the imp: soapy ylang-ylang. Mrrrf. On me, wet: nail varnish remover and ylang ylang. Oh god, this wouldn't put anyone in the mood. Augh. On me, dry: nail varnish remover and maybe a hint of turpentine. Seriously, this isn't sexy. Verdict: No. Just, no.

In the imp: hmm. A weird mix of florals and herbs and spices, with a juicy-sweet-sharp tang to it. On me, wet: lot's of sweet tangy dragon's blood with powdery herbs and florals. There's also some myrrh or amber or something else resinous and warm that isn't the dragon's blood. Interesting. On me, dry: Urgh, something in this doesn't like me much - there's a rotten note underneath the sweet fruit-and-cinnamon blend. I'm not sure I'd be sold on the rest of this blend even without that, though - juicy cinnamon fruit-soda isn't my style. Verdict: glad I got to try it, but really not one I want to keep around any longer than necessary.

In the imp: ozone! lightning-bolt ozone and sea-slashed air. On me, wet: tangy light florals churned by sea-salt and whirling air. Man, I hate trying to describe ozones and aquatics, but this really does evoke waves crashing against a sea barrier and air filled with sea-spray and ozone. On me, dry: whoa, almost nothing but strong ozone - with maybe a hint of musk? - pure and airy and powerful. Verdict: I had to try this for the name alone - and man, this is nice. Another one to treasure the imp of, but when it runs out Sea of Glass is only a *little* less ideal as an ozone scent.

In the imp: oh, wow. This is light and airy and beautiful, with just a whisper of musk. On me, wet: a light, fresh, almost soapy pale musk - a warm, soft welcoming scent that is sweet but not stifling or at all *hot* like other musks can be. This smells like a warm spring night in dry woods, under the stars. Gorgeous. On me, dry: This isn't animalistic to me - it's a very clean skin scent, if anything. Man, this fades fast and is quite faint but it's still beautiful and sweet and light - if a little soapy. Verdict: I think I'll treasure my imp, but I'm not going to break my heart trying to get more.

In the imp: warm spices over a slightly sour floral. On me, wet: musky sour-and-sweet florals and warm gingery incense, much less strident than I was expecting somehow. This is an elusively faint blend. On me, dry: sweet smoky spicy slightly powdery florals. Mrrrrf. This isn't in any way offensive to me, but it's not making me fall in love either. It's too faint and too chrysanthemum-ish, I think. Verdict: Honestly, I think I'd rather wear Laudanum for sweet smoky spicy opiumness, since that doesn't go powdery and isn't so faint and floral. Ah well.

In the imp: lime and lemon, but sweet rather than sharp. On me, wet: lots of bright sweet lime with maybe a hint of lavender underneath. On me, dry: ah, the lavender's gotten a little stronger on me, and I get a trace of mint now too, but mostly I just get bright sweet limes, like a lime-flavoured soda. Verdict: Since this makes me want to drink fizzy sugary soda and eat candy, maybe not good for detoxing, but quite pretty. Probably a little too sweet for regular wearing, though.

Hooray for swaps, since it allowed me to try a few CT3s at once: Chaos Theory 3: DCXVIII (618) In the imp: hmm, cherry-lollipop candy. On me, wet: sharp orange-cherry lollipop, sweet and powdery and sorbet-ish. On me, dry: The cherry dries down and then something musky... ah, I think it may even be civet, since there's a tinge of urine to this now. Bleah. And then the civet takes over. Verdict: Glad I got to try it, but this isn't an imp I need to hold onto. Chaos Theory 3: DCLXXVII (677) In the imp: strawberries! On me, wet: strawberry candy, with a creamy soft undertone. Very faint, though. On me, dry: plasticky strawberry candy, very much like a strawberry-and-cream candy. Soft candy and maybe something a little floral beneath it. Verdict: My SO seems to like this, but I'm not so keen. Ah well, another experiment, but not one for me. Last reviewed by hologhost. Chaos Theory 3: DCCCIII (803) In the imp: soapy orange-blossom and ozone. On me, wet: orange blossom, citrus, rose and ozone, soapy but fresh and light also. On me, dry: hmm, the soapiness has largely dried down, leaving a rather pleasant light rose-and-orange-blossom-and-ozone blend. Verdict: this is nice - I'm not entirely sure it's my style, but it's nice. I think I'd prefer it if that hint of sharp citrus had stuck around. Previously reviewed by stonechiper. Chaos Theory 3: MXII (1012) In the imp: sandalwood, over an incensey sort of scent. On me, wet: lots of sandalwood - this is reminding me strongly of Shroud, actually, that same slightly resinous background to the woods. On me, dry: still almost entirely sandalwood over a hint of resin, but I guess I can smell some light white floral in here too - but the whole scent has faded pretty fast, alas. Verdict: well, I like sandalwood, so I think this is nice - but it's probably not going to replace The Empress as my go-to sandalwood blend, so.

In the imp: gingery pink grapefruit and tea, sweet and sharp and very pretty. On me, wet: gingery grapefruit, with an undertone of oversweet dark sugar. Weird and bittersweet. On me, dry: cleansing fluid and sugar. Actually slightly better than when wet, but still not something I want to smell like. Verdict: Meh. Swap pile!

In the imp: mrf, absinthe, lavender, and a mulchy leafy fern scent. On me, wet: fern and absinthe and sharp lavender. Sort of overpowering, in that after a couple of sniffs my nose gets deadened to the scent, but I don't think I can detect the rose or lilac at all when wet. On me, dry: hmm, a weird powdery rose-lilac-lavender-fern scent, kind of faint and somewhat unsettling. This smells like talcum powder, actually - no wetness or sharpness left at all. Verdict: I'm not sure what I was expecting this to be, but alas, no lilac goodness, just powdery faint florals. Maybe my skin chemistry is being weird. Not my style, anyway.

In the imp: citrusy tea and wet bamboo and something really plasticky to my nose. On me, wet: ah, tea, tea and bamboo, slightly powdery and citrusy and sweet and light. Very nice, and no hint of plastic now. On me, dry: hmm, the plastic has returned as a tinge, and the bamboo and tea together now are reminding me of soap - good soap, but soap. the sharp citrus tang has vanished, alas. Verdict: If it had stayed as it was when wet, yum, but as it turned out, enh. I'd rather wear a green tea scent with more bite.

In the imp: it's very much an aftershave-ish sort of scent, with woods and incense and leather and that sharp cologne tinge. On me, wet: oh wow, that's much creamier and softer on my skin - leather and rosewood and a papery scent, and the whole thing is sort of musky. Very nice indeed. On me, dry: man, this still smells somewhat like an aftershave, but a leathery creamy papery rosewood incensey one. Very very nice indeed. Verdict: I'm not sure how many sexy boy scents I *need*, and I seem to have hit a whole bunch of them recently. I'll almost certainly keep the imp around and try it on the SO to see how it works on him, but after slathering him in Theodosius I'm not sure he'll let me slather him in *another* scent soon...

In the imp: a big complicated glutch of indistinguishable notes, smoky and woody and heady and slightly acrid. On me, wet: wood! lavender! tobacco! coriander! orange blossom! Man, this is weird - my brain can't seem to pick out more than a couple of notes with each sniff, but they're different notes each time. On me, dry: At the base of the scent is these dark woods with caramel, then sharp herbs and floral heaped on top of that, and then the musky ambergris over it all. It's slightly masculine to my nose, and totally weird, and damned near impossible to describe pithily. My brain keeps throwing phrases like 'peppery dryer sheets' into the mix, for a start. Verdict: Very complex, very interesting, and not at all what I expected it to be from the smell of the bit that had leaked in the box on the way here, somehow. But I don't think I will ever wear this, no matter how headspinningly weird it is to wear.

Ghostly, glowing, sweet and dark: black cherry, patchouli, cassis, cardamom and verbena. In the imp: cherry-almond like crazy, and not much else. On me, wet: oh, verbena, you make this into lemon-flavoured marzipan. This is sugary and sweet and dark and over-rich on me. On me, dry: I can smell the cardamom being delicious and wonderful with the soft spicy blend, but the verbena is going mad over it all on my skin. Everything is overshadowed by over-sweetened cheap lemonade. Verdict: Yeah, this I don't even need an imp of - but grr, one of these days, cardamom is going to turn up in a blend I will be able to wear, I really hope.

In the imp: pale tea and musk and vanilla and more musk. Wow. On me, wet: sweet citrus tea and musk and vanilla. It's not quite all blended yet, and it may be a bit over-sweet, but it's sexy nonetheless. Mmmm. On me, dry: Everything finally meshes and ohhh. I do see the resemblance to Dorian - the sweet citrus tea - but this is *much* sexier than Dorian was, and not as sugary. Want to lick my wrist. Verdict: Dorian's far handsomer, older, wiser and sexier brother, without Usher's hint of vulnerability and madness. Another one to sneak onto my SO when he's not looking, but even if this doesn't work on him it totally works on me...

In the imp: green tea, mostly and musk. Sharp, but not startlingly so. On me, wet: verbena and lime and green tea and musk, soft and soothing citruses. This is not a wake-you-up refreshing, it's a keep-you-calm refreshing. On me, dry: the aloe makes this feel like all those citruses are staying wet and fresh. Everything meshes here very well, but it's still more soft and less crisp than I expected, somehow. Verdict: as a whole this is maybe a bit more soapy and a bit more boyish than I might otherwise wear. I may sneak this onto my SO when he's not looking, see how it works on him.

The tale of Cupid and Psyche is both a perfect love story and an allegory for the soul's search to reunite with Deity. This is the scent of true love, your heart's deepest, purest desires. Bulgar rose, Chinese white musk, lavender, orchid and frankincense. In the imp: lavender and rose, very sweet light floral. On me, wet: sharp and slightly soapy rose-and-lavender. Very dark and menacing, somehow, and quite different from in the imp. On me, dry: ugh, frankincense has started to swamp everything else, and this has become really fusty and dry. What floral there is left is soapy and cloying beaneath that now. Verdict: Smelled nice in the imp, but just not one that works at all on my skin. Alas.

In the imp: peppermint, sweet sweet peppermint over vanilla, warmer and less vividly sweet than Lick It, but very delicious. On me, wet: creamy vanilla mint, less candy-cane than buttermint. Ooohh so good. On me, dry: Oh god the loveliness. I may weep. Something about peppermint makes me so deliriously happy, and even more so in combination with soft buttery creamy vanillas. This is less sugary and more creamy than Lick It, and at extreme drydown it goes a little bit plasticky. Hm. Verdict: I don't have much of this, but it's joining my imp of Lick It and my imps of Spooky in a special 'oh the peppermint guh' section of my BPAL box. I think on the whole I prefer Lick It and Spooky since they don't have that plastic tinge, but mwah the peppermint makes me happy anyway.

In the imp: oh, wow, soft beautiful cherries and other berries, sweet (but not sugary and spicy. On me, wet: cherries and cloves and warm soft silky spices and general bakery goodness. On me, dry: Man, this is like being surrounded by the scent of newly-baked fruit pies. Spicy and soft and creamy and very autumn-fruit-y. The apple in this is doing the manky rotting thing behind all the other pretty smells, though. Verdict: I only had the tiniest smearing of this to test, and I think it's nice - but not so nice I need to weep and wail for more. Glad I got the chance to try it.

In the imp: this reminds me of Nihil. A slightly sweeter commercial perfume, but still a commercial perfume. Sophisticated and elegant but fresh. On me, wet: lemon peel becomes really prominent at first, but then calms down and becomes a generally citrus scent, very sharp. It lacks the edge of warmth it had in the imp, alas. On me, dry: ah, there's the warmer amber/leather/wood, but it's fighting a losing battle with all the citrus. It never quite manages to balance out again. Verdict: if it smelled as good on my skin as in the imp, I'd be buying a big bottle in my next order. As it is, it's just another citrus scent, and it's not as nice as some others of those.

Thanks to the lovely reedsong for throwing in a teensy bit of this scent when we swapped! In the imp: very perfumey floral scent - like, commercial expensive perfume. On me, wet: oho, gardenia flaring up, and then... the barest whisper of floral, like an aftertrace of something very expensive. And slightly soapy. On me, dry: faint, but very clear airy light white florals over ozone and sweet.. brightness. Man, that's unhelpful as a description. Still like an expensive commercial scent, but a *good* one. Verdict: I think the word that comes to mind when sniffing this is 'clarity'. This is pretty much exactly the kind of scent I would have worn before swapping a bunch of BPAL. Now, I'm not sure it's really my style any more, or that it's nihilistic, come to that, but it's very pretty.

In the imp: mints! like, a happy, humbuggy sweet sort of mint over damp cucumber. On me, wet: mm, humbugs. and cucumber. sweet caramel-minty-wateriness. On me, dry: ah, the sweetness has faded, and I am left with a plpeasantly minty watery scent. No pepper, no real fire, but very nice all the same. Verdict: Not all that dissimilar to Nuclear Winter on me, so I think I'll be sticking to that one instead.

In the imp: cherry-almond, but not marzipanish - very very strongly cherry. On me, wet: cherry cherry bakewell cherry sweet cake cherry cherry RAR. And some more cherry. On me, dry: a slightly creamier cherry, over a powdery floral. After a while, soapy cherry-tinged florals, so I assume there's lily or jasmine in here. Verdict: mrm, I don't forsee myself returning to this scent - I don't think cherry soap is my thing. Off it goes.