Trish

This was a frimp from the lab. In the imp: Nearly all lavender which I don't like. Reminds me of soap actually. Wet: Violet mixed with lavender. Drydown: As above except the lavender is a little more subdued. There's also a bit of vetivert creeping in. Gah, I think I'd like this if it wasn't for the lavender. Dry: The lavender has really died down now, but it still smells like lavender and violet room deoderiser to me. An angry, cold room deoderiser mind you. Straight to swaps. I like musk, vetivert and violet (although the latter doesn't always like me), but more than the merest hint of lavender nearly always wrecks a scent for me. This is no exception.

This was a frimp from the lab. In the Imp: The only note I can pick out is the red wine. It's light and softly fruity, maybe a little floral. Very pleasant. Wet: The wine backs off a bit, and there's a slightly resin/spicy note. Drydown: This isnt nearly as sweet as other red wine blends I've tried. It's quite a hard scent to describe actually - a bit fruity, a bit floral, a bit incensy. As it dries a little more I can detect the leather, but only just and it's soft and worn. The sandalwood is warming up too, which always makes me happy. Dry: This gets more masculine, but not overbearingly so. The leather is more pronounced but it's still soft and worn and I really like it in this whereas I didn't in Wanda. This is very hard to decribe but I'll try. It's warm, smoky woody leather but with a bit of sweetness due to the wine. It's a bit perfumey too, the ambergis I guess.There's just the slightest hint of green if I go sniffing for it, but not enough for me to dislike it (which is saying something!!). There's also a slight spiciness. I have no idea what ozone or galbanum smell like at all so I don't know if they're there or not. Later: This is now quite smokey and burnt. Smokey burnt wood, with soft worn leather and a tiny tinge of red wine dancing around the edges. It's a little incensy too. Definitely masculine now, but not so much that I can't wear it. Later Still: And now it's going back to that initial dry phase, but with more smokiness and none of the green. This is quite the morpher! I quite like this one and find it warm and comforting and not desolate at all! Maybe that says more about me than the oil though. I don't know how often I'll actually wear it, but for now the imp is a keeper. I think it might be worth getting my partner to try this one too. Another success for the Labbies - this makes 5 from 7 frimps that I'm keeping!

This was a frimp from the lab. From start to finish this was an extremely sweet fizzy strawberry. The sweetness did lessen a little after a while, but it remained very sweet all the same. As I suspected this was way too sweet and girly for me. However it wasn't horrible, far from. It's 100 times better than that awful artificial "strawberry' scent. It's just not me, and I felt about 20 years too old for it.

Usually soap and water works fine for me, but Blood Kiss is another matter! For some reason it loves me a whole lot more than I love it. It is 7 hours since I put it on and I have: - used Wet Ones (like baby wipes but they smell better) - washed several times with soap - had a shower and scrubbed with shower gel - scrubbed with concentrated dishwashing liquid - rubbed in olive oil and then washed with dishwashing liquid - used those "refresher towels" from KFC (knew I kept them for a reason) And I can still smell it!! Not only that, but it's still strong! All I seem to be doing is forcing it further into my skin. Just as well I don't hate it, I just want it off and I am stubborn. I have no rubbing alcohol (metho yes, but I don't want to use that) or lemon juice. Lush's Ocean Salt is the next try... ... oh yay, salty limey cherry vanilla. I give up. It's got to wear off eventually, right? Actually the salty lime is an improvement, takes away some of that sweetness.

In the Imp: Mmm sweet warm dragon's blood along with definite florals. Wet: Dragon's blood, with a spicy undertone. Cloves maybe. The dragon's blood is softer than the other ones I've tried, more subdued. Drydown: Oooh that has to be narcissus! Three months ago I didn't know what it smelt like, now I recognise it as a good floral. And now there's a jasmine note creeping in. I love jasmine. But it's a soft jasmine and I'm not getting the brief stabbing headache that I usually get from it. In any case this has the potential to be a floral I like - and despite the dragon's blood it is most definitely a floral. I'm not so sure that spicy note is clove now though, it's something dryer almost peppery to me. This is intriguing. Dry: Ok that's definitely jasmine and I have now got the headache. The dragon's blood is lending a resiny almost fruity layer to it underneath which is quite a strange mixture to me. I love both, yet together they're just kinda weird. Not unpleasant though. The narcissus has faded dramatically, as has the spiciness. In fact the later has disappeared completely. A little later: The jasmine and dragon's blood have settled together now and the scent isn't quite so weird. On me this is dragon's blood with the lightness and sweetness of jasmine. It's warm, medium strength and has very little throw. Usually I like a fair bit of throw but in this case I'm glad it hasn't. Not sure why though! Later Still: This is nearly all dragon's blood now - soft subdued dragon's blood with just a breath of florals and musk. It's very comforting and I wish it was like this from the start. It starts fading away quite rapidly once it gets to this stage too, about 2-3 hours after applying. This is quite nice especially after a couple of hours, although I'm not sure I'd wear it often purely as a perfume oil. However I'm yet to test it as a voodoo oil, so I'll be keeping the imp for a while at least.

In the Imp: Sweet cherry, very almondy. Wet: Very strong sweet cherry/almond. Drydown: Vetivert, but it's not overly strong. Just enough for me to be able to detect it at the edges immediately and to tone down what otherwise would be overwhelmingly sweet. Mind you I'm one of the people who likes a little vetivert. The vanilla is appearing also, and yes, a hint of cloves. I love cloves. Sweet cherry vanilla with a touch of cloves and a woody base. Cherry is still dominant though, and it still smells a lot like almond on me. If it would die down a bit more I'm pretty sure I'd like this more. At the moment it's just too sweet for me, vetivert or not! Dry: Cherry vanilla with a tiny hint of honey. This is very sweet and creamy. The vetivert and cloves have completely disappeared. Two hours: The cherry has finally faded a tiny bit, so it's now a sweet, creamy cherry, vanilla, and honey scent. The cloves have also reappeared, just a hint lending a little spiciness. It has quite a bit of throw and is pretty strong and shows no sign of fading. This lasts for hours and hours. And hours. Through several washings and a shower where I scrubbed my wrist. Then I attacked it with the dishwashing detergent and it's still there and still quite strong! This is seriously long lasting stuff which sticks to my skin and refuses to budge. It obviously likes me more than I like it! This is too sweet for me, although it's not offensive especially after about 3 hours. I won't be keeping the imp though. If the vetivert or cloves were stronger - or the cherry less strong - I'd probably like it a lot more.

This is the second test - I hated it the first time I tried it and have ignored it since. In the imp: Sweet red wine with something darker lurking underneath. Wet: Red wine with leather. Then the rose and violet comes out to play. You know, this isn't nearly as bad as I remembered. Drydown: Wow the merlot has really come out on me, it's quite berry like. The leather is just laying quietly underneath, and the violet is present around the edges. The rose seems to have disappeared thankfully. This is very strong with excellent throw, and I only put a tiny bit on one wrist. Dry: Red wine and leather, with just a hint of florals and musk. It's warm, and I can definitely see how it's sexy even though it's not working that way for me. This could be really good on a guy (pity mine still hates this). Later: The wine fades away leaving leather with wine stains. I do like the merlot in this a lot and violets are also a floral I like. But I'm not too sure about the leather. This is the first blend with leather that I've tried and I'm not sure it agrees with my nose. There's something about it that just puts me off. Or maybe it's the myrtle. There's something I don't quite like in any case. And yet it's intriguing as well. Although this isn't a keeper, I am very glad I gave it another go because I certainly don't hate it now. And it has confirmed that for me red wine is delicious (funnily enough I hate drinking the stuff and it gives me migraines as well).

This was a frimp from the lab. In the Imp: Musks with something sharper. Wet: Dark musks, definitely red musk which loves me, and a very strong sharp note. There's also a slight dirt scent that I'm guessing is the vetivert. Drydown: That green note is getting stronger and stronger. Smells a bit like eucalyptus. The musks are very dark, far darker than what I'm used to. Very strong and has good throw - I like the throw because it's nearly all red musk! Dry: That eucalyptus like note is just way too strong for me. I have to wash it off. Needless to say this is not a keeper. It's a pity, because the red musk was so alluring, but the rest... not so much. I like the more masculine blends, but this one was too masculine for me.

I'm yet another person who ordered this purely because of Andrabell's review. In the Imp: Musky vanilla with a hint of lemon. Yum! Wet: Sweet creamy lemon with vanilla and a hint of musk Drydown: This gets quite a bit stronger, and I can detect a definite herbal note briefly before it gets swamped by sugared vanilla and another note I'm unfamiliar with which I assume is the tea. The lemon is still present but much fainter. Dry: The musks have really made an appearance now, lending a warmth and depth to the lighter vanilla and tea. There's a decent amount of throw even though I only applied it to one wrist. It's very androgynous which suits me as I generally prefer the more neutral or masculine scents. And yes, it is rather sexy indeed. Not so much in an overt, brash way, but in.. well, yes, in that Victorian gentleman way! And that gentleman looks a lot like Colin Firth as Mr Darcy in my head (and yes I know that's not Victorian, but this is my fantasy! ). Musky sugared vanilla tea with the odd whiff of creamy lemon - I only wish tea tasted as good as this smells because I hate the stuff! I also wish it lasted a little longer, after two hours it's starting to noticeably fade. This is the second time I've tested Dorian. The first time I thought it was nice but soon forgot it as I indulged in a orgy of testing my first order. Now I'm revisiting the ones I tested in the first few days and Dorian has definitely moved into my favourites list. Maybe not the top 10 but very close, and I have a suspicion that the more I wear it the more I'll fall for it, in fact even as I'm typing this it's already happening. This is going to be perfect in the warmer months when I want to wear a lighter musk than my other heavier blends. ETA: I've now worn it a couple of days, and forget top 10, this is top 5! I LOVE this!

This makes it official - I love dragon's blood and it loves me. This makes me so very very happy. On me this is very similiar to Dragon's Heart, just a little less sweet and fruity. It's wonderful rich smooth dragon's blood mixed with the equally wonderful warm musk. I agree that one of those musks is red musk, which positively sings on me. It's deep, warm, intoxicating and very sexy indeed. It lasts for hours and has very good throw - but Dragon's Heart lasts even longer and has even better throw so I'll probably get a bottle of it instead. But I do so love this too. I think I need to try all the Ars Draconis blends now, I've tried three and absolutely love all of them.

In The Imp: Sweet floral with a bit of sharpness. Wet: Very soft floral that's almost non-existant. Drydown (10 minutes): Oh my skin hasn't eaten it after all! It just needs a little time to warm up. On me this is all floral, and while I'm not a floral girl at all this is quite lovely. Subtle and warm. Being far from an expert on florals I can't pick anything out. I'm not getting any green either, which is a good thing for me. As it dries a little more though I'm detecting a slight sharpness that reminds me a little of lavender. But it doesn't smell like lavender - guess that's the herbs. (15 minutes): Oh hang on, that's rose in there. Uh oh. Although at this stage it's a very pleasant light rose, maybe tea rose? It has a bit of throw, not strong, but enough to waft gently around me. Dry: A light soft rose that I actually like *faints away dead*. There's more to it than rose though, maybe some lilac, but I can't really say what. But definitely no herbs at all now. It's very pretty, soft, feminine and romantic. Everything I'm not! I surprisingly like this a lot. It's a sunny early spring day here and this suits it perfectly. I doubt I'll get a 5ml since I just wouldn't wear it much, but it is lovely and the imp is a keeper. As for it's voodoo properties? Well my partner said it wasn't bad for a floral but didn't seem overly fussed. But then he did start to be a little more attentive. Maybe this one needs further investigation...

In the imp: Cedar, but with a touch of sweetness. Wet: Very woody, pine and maybe cedar. A lot like Cathedral actually. Drydown: Yep, definitely reminds me of Cathedral, but a little less sharp. Dry: The woods have softened a lot, and now they're smooth and not sharp. There's also a lot of green herbs so it's quite green and woodsy. Which means I really like half of it (the woods) and hate the other half (the green). Too green for me, although the wood nearly saved it. But not enough. I never got any florals at all, which is actually a good thing if there's rose in this.

I got this as a frimp in a swap. In the imp: Sweet, thin lavender Wet: Lavender, quite sweet. Drydown: Lavender, with something else behind it. It's almost citrus to my nose, maybe sweet orange? Has quite a lot of throw which is even more citrusy than on my skin. Where the heck is that coming from!? Maybe it's the lotus? I've only tried lotus in Muse and it already has citrus in it so I have no idea if this my skin chemistry being weird. I've tested Paris a few times and it's always the same so it doesn't seem to be a hormonal thing. Absolutely no spice at all. Dry: The lavender has faded a lot, but it's still there along with that sweet orange/citrus note. In fact it's almost orange bubblegum now And still no spice. I don't like lavender. However for lavender this is pretty non offensive and not as astringent as many are. However... it's still lavender. Not to mention that weird orange bubblegum thing. Going to go to someone who might appreciate it far more.

This was a frimp from the lab. I never would have ordered this as although I like black fruit I do NOT like green herbal scents at all. In fact I despise them. I don't have very high hopes for this one. In the imp: Berries with a touch of green. Wet: Wow fruit! Lots of sweet juicy berries. The green has disappeared. Drydown: I swear there's plum in this, which would explain why it sweetened so much as soon as it hit my skin. My skin loves plum and tends to amp it a bit, I don't mind as it's a note that really works for me. If it's not plum I need to find out what this is! As it dries some more I can detect the herbs, but they're lush green ones, not the sharp green ones that I hate so much. It's sweet but not nearly as sweet as Bordello (the only other berry Bpal I've tried as yet), and the fruit is much darker than it too. They're definitely black fruits and not red or purple. Quite a bit of throw. Dry: Plum is still dominant, which is not surprising. This means that on me this is still far more fruit than herbs - suits me! A dark plum and berry with a tiny dash of lush green herbs, just enough to stop it being as sweet as most berry or plum scents. Mind you it's still pretty sweet on me. Has a little bit of throw but not a lot, and lasts a few hours. Well I'll be buggered! For something I had no expectations of, this was quite the surprise! I really like this a lot. Not as much as Bordello, which shot to the top of the need a bottle ASAP list as soon as I sniffed the imp, but this really is lovely. The imp is a keeper, and may become a bottle in the future after my (as yet non-existent) bottle of Bordello runs out. As for the Labbies, they're 3/3 on my frimps so far!

I got this as a frimp from the ever generous Lab. In the Imp: Lush's Snowcake with a twist. Wet: Snowcake, with a touch of honey and something else I can't pick. Quite sweet. Drydown: I still get lot of Snowcake in this, but it's softer and doesn't have the playdoh note that it can sometimes have. As it dries I get more of the honey and grains, but it doesn't really smell like a bakery to me. A little bit of throw, which seems to be more honey. Dry: The sweetness backs off a little, but it's still sweet. Soft, sweet almond and honey with a little cream drizzled over the top. The throw has almost completely gone. Well! Even though I like Snowcake quite a bit this still had the potential to be horribly wrong for me. I don't usually like to wear (as opposed to washing/bathing with) sweet foody scents, I'm not overfond of honey, and I'm wary of almond ever since the almond in Bastet completely smothered everything else. This is why I never ordered it despite it's reputed similarity. But I really like this a lot and the imp is a definite keeper. This will be a great scent in the summer when my usual ones are too heavy and I don't want to wear florals (which is most of the time). It's also a good one for visiting the in-laws, soft and innocent. I don't normally like scents that I associate the word innocent with! I've got a feeling this could end up being on my bottle list. I guess it proves the Labbies know best!

I got this as a frimp in my first order. Lovely mind reading labbies, this was on my wishlist! In the imp: sweet frankincense. Wet: Strong sharp wood which reminds me of Cathedral. But unlike it within a minute it dies down and the frankincense comes out, as well as a little myrrh. Drydown: The myrrh is becoming a lot stronger, which makes me a little nervous. I like myrrh as a supporting note, but not so much as a main one. The thow on this is simply stunningly beautiful though. Dry: Oh wow. The myrrh hasn't taken over at all, it's just combined with the frankincense to form a lovely dry yet a bit sweet slightly spicy incense. And the longer it's on the better it gets, although the throw is almost non-existent now. I'm not Catholic so I don't get the church associations with it, but my partner is and he says it does smell a bit like church incense. This is comforting and soothing. In fact it reminds me a little of Lush's discontinued Absolution massage bar, even though they don't share any ingredients. Maybe it's the name association. In any case I think they'd compliment each other beautifully. I like this a lot more than Cathedral, which was nearly all cedar on me (and with a good helping of myrrh as well). This is softer and not nearly as sharp. In fact this is almost exactly what I'd hoped Cathedral would be. While I was testing this I was patting the dog and some must have got on the back of his head because a couple of minutes later my partner asked me what was on the dog. I smelt it and damn! Penitence smells even better on the dog!!!

It would appear I'm another who's skin chemistry turns amber into powder, at least some of the time. The Lion turned to spiced powder after an hour, and Juke Joint was pure baby powder within 20 (and I'm still sulking about that one). Juke Joint doesn't have amber listed, but reading the reviews a lot of people detected it in there. However other ones that do have amber listed are fine - Sin, Fenris Wolf, Baghdad and Bastet (mind you the almond smothered everything else and refused to fade). In fact Sin is one of my faves! So I don't know whether it's different types of amber, the amount in the blend, or the combination of notes. I haven't found anything else that goes powdery on me thankfully. Sandalwood and musk (especially red) love me, and rose just amps a bit. Sassafras immediately turns into burnt plastic though - yuck!

In the imp:Violet Wet: Violet Drydown: Violet. And after about 20 minutes a little tonka. Has a reasonable amount of throw. Dry: Violet and a little tonka, and the tiniest hint of spices. But no cloves which makes me sad. Later: Violet Later still: Now the tonka is starting to really make it's presence felt! It's still mainly violet, but a lighter creamier one. I wish it was like this from the beginning, not some 3-4 hours later! I like violet, and this a particularly lovely, if strong, violet scent. However as with most other florals I need something else in the blend to make me want to wear it. This just doesn't have enough of that "something else" for me. But it might layer well with something else that's woody or spicy. Not sure if the imp is a keeper or not yet.

In the imp: sweet floral and a hint of citrus Wet: The sandalwood immediately comes out. I can also recognise the ylang ylang which I rather like, and there's the almost fruitiness of neroli. It's very light and airy. Drydown: Exactly the same. Dry: The ylang ylang fades away, leaving sandalwood and neroli. Neither is dominating the other, they're perfectly balanced. It has no throw at all. Any oil where sandalwood is the first thing I recognise is going to get some sort of positive response from me, and this is no exception. It's a lovely soft, airy, floral and sandalwood scent, very feminine without being girly. It's a bit too subtle and airy for my tastes, but I'm definitely keeping the imp.

In the imp: Malibu! (The drink, not the place). But it's creamier than Malibu too. *sniffs again* Almost like it's been mixed with a little Bailey's or something. *sniffs again* Maybe butterscotch schnaaps? *goes to sniff the bottle in the cupboard*. Oh yeah, butterscotch schnaaps for sure!! Wet: I want to lick my wrist, even though I don't like the taste of coconut at all. It's not at all like suncream lotion though, it's a much softer, rounder, creamier coconut. And rum with a hefty dose of brown sugar. Lots of rum. It's very sweet. Drydown: The coconut becomes stronger than the rum, and just the faintest hint of tobacco comes through. This is my first tobacco scent and it probably won't be my last judging by this! I just wish it was a little stronger and would cut through the sweetness of the coconut a bit. This is extremely almost cloyingly sweet. Dry: Oh thank goodness, the sweetness has backed off a bit (although it's still very sweet) and the tobacco leaf has come into it's own. It's not very strong, but it's definitely there with it's somewhat spicy almost tangy scent. This really works with the much sweeter notes. This doesn't last long on me though. Two hours later and it's just about all gone. This could have been so wrong for me. Thanks to my sister and her coconut obsession I have gone from liking it a lot to becoming nauseous at the scent of it. Then there's the rum that since a drunken night many many years ago has often had the same effect. Plus I'm not a foody person. And yet the two combine with the tobacco here to make a wonderfully decadent scent. In fact it's the tobacco that saved this from becoming just too sweet and foody for me. I won't get a bottle of it since I doubt I'll actually wear it much (this is SO not a work scent ), but it will make a lovely addition to a hot summer evening. It could also be the scent to enable my sister with.

In the imp: Smells like linament! Wet: Still the linament but it fades rapidly to a sharp green scent that reminds me a lot of the green note I didn't like in Dublin. Drydown: That green note is softening quickly thankfully, and other herbs and woods are coming through. Dry: Wow this has changed! It's now a soft, rather pretty scent. The herbs and greens are still uppermost, but they're softened by the woods underneath. Pretty, but not my thing.

Even though bourbon is my drink I wasn't sure about wearing it. And although I love the smell of mint it comes under the category "green" to me, and we rarely get on. But in the interests of broadening my horizons I gave it a whirl. In the imp: Sugared mint. Wet: Mint, but with definite warm sugary alcohol underneath. Drydown (10 minutes): Sugared alcohol and vanilla with wafting mint. I like this a lot! 20 minutes: Still the same, but.. is that a bit of powder I detect? 30 minutes: Pure bloody baby powder! I see other people suspect there's amber in this. I will join that list since The Lion also went to powder on me. *sigh* I just wish it did it consistently since a few others I've tried that contain amber didn't! Well at least I'm not so wary of mint now I guess, since this was delightful before it turned on me.

In the imp: Soft sweet cinnamon with other stuff I can't pick out. Wet: Yep, definitely cinnamon. But soft non foody cinnamon. There's also some herbs and I'm pretty sure I can smell cloves. After about 5 minutes I get saffron too. Oh yay! I've discovered I really like saffron. It's a little incensy but it's light and not at all nose wrinkling (and I like incense). This is extremely well blended. Drydown: Woods! I think it's sandalwood but it could be a rather soft and subtle cedar. This is really reminding me of a softer less cinnamon sweet Hamadryad. The cinnamon is dying down rather rapidly too. Dry: Oh this is lovely! Soft spices, herbs and wood, gently warmed by the sun and beautifully blended and swirled together. There's some soft florals too, but they're just rounding it out, not overtaking it. It's light and doesn't have much throw, but it has definite presence. Unfortunately within 90 minutes it was all but gone . However I did only put a little on plus my skin chemistry has been a little funky the past few days. I got several oils with cinnamon in them in this order, this was the last one I tried and it is probably my favourite (lthough Sin comes very close). I don't know if I'll get a 5ml though as I already have 5mls of Morroco and Scherezade which I adore, plus it doesn't last long (subject to further testing). Then again... I do love me some spices and this is different from both of them to me. Plus I think I could wear this in summer.

As a lover of old churches, wood and incense I was really looking forward to this one! In the imp: Incense and woods, sweet, fairly light and a bit sweet. Wet: Not very strong for about 20 seconds and then it REALLY takes off. Very strong frankincense is my first impression, followed closely by cedar which takes over completely. And oh boy, is it cedar! Freshly cut sharp cedar. Now I like me some woody scents, but this is a little too much (however if it were sandalwood instead I would be in heaven). Drydown: Cedar cedar cedar frankincense cedar myrrh. And a wisp of smoke from the incense. Hey come back! I like that wisp! Smells a bit like furniture polish. It's very dry. 1 hour: Still the same, although the cedar isn't quite as sharp. 2 hours: Cedar and myrrh. I like myrrh as a support act, but not when it's taking (or sharing in this case) centre stage. It's still pretty strong too. 3 hours: And still the same. This just ain't going to get any better on me. This is the first woody/incensy blend that I haven't really liked (except those containing too much patchouli). However I don't exactly dislike it, and I do want to like it. I might try layering it with some sandalwood oil, or maybe a soft floral. I just feel it needs a little sweetness and softness for me.

In the imp: Spicy Wet: Cinnamon and stacks of it! It's very sweet too, almost candy sweet. Drydown: While it's still quite sweet, it has stepped back a bit. I can detect all the notes clearly now which is good because I love them all, even the pepper which is a new one for me. Despite all the cinnamon and pepper I'd say this isn't an exactly wrathful scent. Then again, maybe it's like me - flare up in a temper suddenly but calm down just as quickly. Dry (1 hour): Warm, smooth, spicy dragon's blood. The cinnamon dies down a lot, but it's still there. Has quite a bit of throw and is sexy as well as comforting to me Dry (1 1/2 hrs): The cinnamon has all but disappeared, leaving me with a lovely warm, smooth dragon's blood with just the tiniest hint of spice. There also seem to be a floral note, I guess this is the lilac that many get from dragon's blood but I haven't before. Later: Ok this is weird now. it's still dragon's blood and that floral note, but there's an almost sour note as well. Or rotting flowers. It could be funky skin chemistry I guess, so I'll need to retest it again. I'd tried four dragon's blood blends before this one and I really like or completely love them all. This is no exception, at least not until that weirdness appears.