storme

In the imp: lavender! and patchouli! the cleanest dirty hippy *ever*. On me, wet: mmmm lavender and wood, and not too much patchouli. it's a little bit herby-sharp, but it's quite soothing. On me, dry: weirdly, this has morphed into something quite deep and musky and warm - with just the faintest whiff of lavender adding an air of hastily-assumed respectabilty to the blend. Verdict: Man, this is nice. I may have to try it on the SO, but even if he doesn't like it, I'll keep the imp around. Very subtle and sexy.

In the imp: green, unripe blackberries. On me, wet: ripe blackberries, with some crisp green herbs in the background and something faintly citric adding sharpness to the mix. On me, dry: this smells like a fruit-and-herbal shampoo on me - a nice one, but still a shampoo. Verdict: Not hideous, but not really worth keeping either.

In the imp: Butterscotch! And rum, too - it smells like a very dangerous cocktail, really. On me, wet: now the rum is stronger than it was, and there's something buttery behind it. Still a lot of butterscotch, though. On me, dry: still butterscotchy rum. It gets a bit more buttery and less butterscotchy over time. Verdict: well, it's okay - it gets a bit too greasy-feeling for my taste, but it's certainly not horrible. Don't think I'll wear it, though.

In the imp: whoa, so much cherry. it's a candied cherry, though, not a fresh one. On me, wet: a Cherry Bakewell Tart. This smells exactly like those taste. It's really disconcerting. On me, dry: the anise wakes up and takes over, and then slowly fades into the musk. The cherries have faded to barely a whisper. This reminds me a bit of Blood Moon - I guess that's the red musk, maybe - and is quite sexy once the anise calms down a little. Verdict: Hmm, I might try this in a scent locket - I love that sugared-cherry smell, even if I have doubts about whether I want to smell like that. I'll keep the imp around, anyway.

In the imp: mmm, green watery peony. Yay peonies. On me, wet: wow, that is very crisp and green, but very faint. On me, dry: man, if this wasn't incredibly faint I would like it a lot. Soft gentle pink peonies and crisp greenness. Verdict: Lovely, but my skin chemistry devours it. Off to the swap pile.

In the imp: lots of spiced pumpkin, and freshly-sliced apples. On me, wet: lots of fresh, juicy, apple with a hint of spicy cinnamon. The SO says it smells a bit sour to him. On me, dry: ech, the pumpkin came through, but in a watery, pulpy, rotten way. What's left of the apple is all brown and nasty too. Where did all the freshness go? Sigh. Verdict: I could smell it withering and becoming a rotten mess on my skin, all sour and icky. Not one I'll be keeping around.

In the imp: a green, almost aquatic, peony scent. On me, wet: this is a manly aftershave sort of smell, aquatic and sharp with very very light floral hints. On me, dry: the peony smell has returned! The manliness fades a little, and this becomes a more balanced, slighty melon-ish floral with a dusky base - but there's still something that reminds me of men's aftershave in this. On the SO it smells more floral and more like I was hoping it to smell. Sigh. Verdict: Pleasant enough in its own way, but probably not worth keeping around - it clearly smells better on others than on me.

In the imp: whoa, musk and sandalwood and sharp herbs. This is *sultry*. On me, wet: musk and cinnamon and sort of an creamy oatmealy tang - ah, grains, okay - that's holding the cinnamon back from being crazy. This is the sexiest porridge smell ever. It's also the only time I've ever had a BPAL scent *sting* on my wrist. On me, dry: I am sticking with the 'sexy porridge' description here. In a big sandalwood bowl. Comforting and sexy and warm and spicy and yum. It's still stinging my wrist a bit, but no rash. Verdict: Man. This smells *good*. If it works on the SO then I will sneak it onto him - but even if it doesn't I am keeping the imp and using it on, uh, some thick-skinned and nerve-free part of my body. Maybe my knees.

Stephanotis, cyclamen, heliotrope, white rose and gardenia. In the imp: wow, soft white florals. very pretty. On me, wet: this is a very juicy, soft floral - I keep thinking there's a pear scent to this, but I think it's the gardenia, since it's the same note as from Ace of Hearts. On me, dry: yup, this is almost identical to Ace of Hearts. Slightly fruity, bright white, sweet, girly, and clean-feeling. If anything it's slightly more velvety and soft as a scent. Verdict: Geee. As with Ace of Hearts, I'll keep around the imp - but I'm not certain I'll use it very often.

In the imp: sweet fruit and sweet rose - very delicate but very bright. On me, wet: The pomegranate and the rose are both still there, but this is a powdery rose and it's not blending with the sweet pomegranate. On me, dry: hmm, this has blended down a bit, but this is a murky smell, not a bright one. This doesn't seem like the usual BPAL rose, since that doesn't usually go so weird on me. Verdict: This seems like it could be awesome, but these scents just don't play together well on my skin. I wanted juicy, I got powdery floral over stickiness. Sigh.

In the imp: hmm, slightly rancid coconut. On me, wet: oh, the rancidity is the shea butter, I guess. Now it's on my skin, this smells a lot like cocoa butter moisturiser - creamy and thick and rich. On me, dry: this is a much softer coconut smell now - more like the coconut milk than a moisturiser, but still with a weird hint of a skincare product to it. Verdict: I think I was hoping for something a bit fresher. This is nice, but so much like a moisturiser that I might as well use one for this smell.

In the imp: sweet, slightly spicy woods and resin. On me, wet: whoa, patchouli and sandalwood and resin. I can't smell much else at all. Man, this makes my nose twitch. On me, dry: powdery honey and tobacco, and the faintest whiff of carnation. Meh. At least the patchouli has calmed down. Verdict: Those notes looked like they might just be awesome on me, but nope. At least it's fading swiftly.

In the imp: sharp, sweet tea and musk. On me, wet: lots of sweet vanilla honeyness, but not as cloying as in other BPAL scents. It's reminding me of Jack a fair amount. On me, dry: still lots of sweet, wet, sugary vanilla. The SO likes it. I'd like it better if I could smell the musk, or even the lemon others mention, but at least it's not overpoweringly sweet like I feared. Verdict: I have 3 imps of this, for various reasons. I guess I will use those up, but I probably won't be buying more after that.

In the imp: sweet pure wet white florals. Wow. On me, wet: oh, man, the gardenia is almost pear-like - white and damp and sweet. This is very pure and bright and clean-smelling, with a lot of wateriness, and a lot of floral. On me, dry: this is such a delicate, sweet, girly scent. All those florals produce a slightly fruity, watery, clean rose-fronted blend. It's very faint, unfortunately. Verdict: Lovely - but I suspect (after some comparison) Peony Moon will fill the same spot in my scent-wardrobe. Still, I'll hang onto my half-imp.

In the imp: mm, caramel. slightly burnt, creamy caramel. On me, wet: hmm, this is now a slightly alcoholic caramel, but a lot fainter than it was in the imp. I wonder if my skin is going to overamp the sweetness? On me, dry: this is still burnt-caramel-smell to me - there's a lot of alcoholic and woodsy warmth behind the sweetness, but not much coffee. Not too cloying, though. Verdict: Interesting. I don't get much of a university feel to this at all - except in the sense of student drinking. I think I might keep the imp around to retest before making my mind up on this one.

In the imp: cinnamon! not quite as hot as in Three witches or Wrath, but still, very very cinnamony. On me, wet: dirty cinnamon. there's an earth base to this, I guess - and maybe some clove and a dark wood too. On me, dry: spicy clove-and-cinnamon woods. it smells like an empty spice box, in a good way. After a while it fades to a soft clove-and-wood smell. Verdict: Gee, this is a lot subtler than I feared it would be from the imp. Nice enough and it's made me stop fearing cinnamon in scents so much, but it's not a scent I think I'll ever wear.

In the imp: bitter, bitter neroli and soap. On me, wet: still a lot of neroli and soapiness to this, and not much rosemary at all. On me, dry: this is rather a muted, bitter-orange-blossom over softer florals. It's a softer neroli than I'm used to in BPAL, actually. There's only the faintest wiff of rose, but it's a pleasant, sweet rose. The rose and the neroli don't work together so well, though. Later: well, this does all blend together pretty nicely after a while - it's startling, since neroli Does Not Work On Me Ever. Verdict: This plays a lot nicer on my skin that I thought it would. I quite like this, in fact. I'm not sure it's a scent I'd ever reach for, but the imp can stay.

In the imp: sharp bitterness over very faint, musky florals. On me, wet: whoa, suddenly it's the smell of the ocean near a field of flowers, lots of sharp stinging saltiness and breezy florals. On me, dry: detergent. not a lot else - maybe a faintest tinge of the earlier aquatics, but mostly it's a lily-and-rose-ish laundry detergent. Verdict: fascinating concept, but wrecked by my skin chemistry. Alas.

In the imp: light, crisp airy fruitiness. A bit like Embalming Fluid but with a satsuma-ish tang to it rather than lemon. On me, wet: there's a hint of a lovely rose-ish floral in this I couldn't smell in the imp. The fruit has mellowed a little and blends wonderfully with the green tea I can smell, and the whole thing smells *awesome*. On me, dry: everything has softened and blended together The tea and the fruit and the florals and something sort of watery... sweet but airy. Smells like springtime. Verdict: I think I need a 5ml of this at some point - it's now very different from Embalming Fluid or Aizen-Myoo, the two I would have compared it to in the imp. And it's *lovely*.

In the imp: very light sweet white florals. On me, wet: hmm, is there something citrusy in this? There's something sharp under the sweet slight girly florals, and the whole scent is stronger than it was. On me, dry: hm, this now has a weird combination of florals and muskiness over faint.. aquatics? I can smell the fresh lightness, but there's something nasty beneath it that reminds me of rotting flowers. Verdict: This feels like it's trying to be innocent and light, while really there's something nasty underneath. It's making me consider unicorns in a whole new light, at least, but I don't think I'll keep the scent around.

Lysistrata generously let me snag her imp of this when she didn't like it, and I'm glad she did. In the imp: mint and coconut chocolate. wow. On me, wet: wow, it is hard to resist taking a bite out of my arm. I can't smell much buttery rum, but everything else is there and awesomely delicious. On me, dry: there's this brand of peppermint-cream filled chocolate I sometimes buy - it tastes like this smells. Maaaan. And it *wafts* when I move my wrist. Verdict: WANT MORE. At least I have an imp to treasure. Utterly edible.

In the imp: very light lily over soft roses. On me, wet: oh, I guess that's lotus, along with ivy and the other florals. Very strongly floral, a bit green and bitter and acrid. On me, dry: no, ick, that's sort of unpleasantly ivy-dominated now. It smells like evil flowers that want to suffocate the pure of heart. Verdict: nope, not a keeper. off to the swap pile.

In the imp: ooooh, delicious musky florals. On me, wet: the tea and the citrus come forward, really brightening the musk and softening the wisteria. Lovely! On me, dry: sigh, this fades so fast - and all that's left behind is a faint hint of cedar and a waft of musk. Verdict: argh. Time to get a scent locket for stuff like this, since this is gorgeous while it lasts.

In the imp: mmmm cherry. and a hint of metal and bamboo behind it. On me, wet: whoa, this is like Ultraviolet with cherry instead of violet. I swear I can smell *mint* in this. And the faintest trace of.. plum, maybe? On me, dry: ah, the metal madness has died down a little - it's become a rather nice cherry blossom over plum sort of scent, with a watery hint of bamboo keeping everything from becoming too sweet. Verdict: this fades pretty fast, but I think I'm going to need to keep the imp around anyway. Yum!

In the imp: lots and lots of light, airy florals. On me, wet: lilies and green, airy florals and a little bit of a dryish pear scent - it's very light and innocent, but not very *girly*, to my surprise. On me, dry: the musk comes forward a little, and deepends this scent to something quite lovely - it's a little more feminine that it was wet, but still very innocent and light. Later on, it just verges on the edge of being a bit soapy (presumably the lilies), but never falls over the edge. Verdict: Very pretty indeed - I'm not sure how often I'll wear this, but it's a lovely unobtrusive floral scent.