Laurel the Woodfairy

In the vial: mmm, crisp apple and floral, like a dreamy version of what apple-blossom should smell like. On me: a soft blend of myrrh, apple, and jasmine, all notes quite distinct but existing together calmly. The musk is nice and creamy, underpinning them all. The jasmine is not as horrid as it *can* be on me, but still not something I really like. I was right to get an imp, not a bottle. It's good to try this, but I shan't need much of it.

I doubt Brian will like this, as he likes foody scents rather than "masculine" scents. But I'll give it a whirl... ...a short whirl. This smells like an expensive version of Eau de Blue Steel for Dudes--you know, generic manly perfume. It's *better* than that, of course, because it's BPAL, but that's still the feeling of it. A good one for guys who fear oils, but mine is way past that stage. And considering how I feel about jasmine and ambergris...no thanks.

Hmmm, I feel happy today, so I hope this doesn't bring me down. Gotta review every blend with Beth's roses, though! Now this is one interesting blend right here. Citrus and salt in the topnote...ok, this is whack, but it reminds me of Big shampoo from LUSH, which has lime juice and salt. I can *taste* the salt, smelling this. There is a whiff of rose, but it blends in with the rest. So...basically this smells like my shower when I'm using Big along with a rose bodywash. Not exactly grief-inducing. It fades very quickly in a dusting of powder, and is gone...

Ah, courtly love... *swoon* Ah, Beth's roses... *swoon* I'll be astounded if I don't love this. Parlement of Foules is a warm and golden color in the vial; it glows softly and sweetly. OMFG! This is the rose from Havisham! AHHHHHH! *runs around screaming* I haven't found that white rose anywhere else but in my lovely signature scent. However, it behaves differently here. After the initial, "Hello, I am the rose from Havisham!" blast, a warm sweet note, almost honey and almost molasses, peeks out (myrrh? It's never been this sweet on me before. Must be the alchemy of rose). It's a pretty combination, but it's freaking me out a little because it both is and isn't similar to my darling. I'm glad I have it, but an imp is enough. I'll enjoy its warmth for the Valentine season, but nothing beats Miss Hav.

I'm wary of this one, but can I resist reviewing every imp that comes my way? No, I cannot! Plus it is a very cool concept, so evocative. Gaaaah, I've been attacked by a pine tree in the Black Forest! With cypress making it even sharper; they're both assaulting my nose now. I *do* catch a faint hint of juniper, but I'm too busy being mauled by pine to notice it much. This is thoroughly not my sort of thing, but I still admire Beth for capturing both a true forest scent and also a chill that makes it definitely a forest at night. I love that BPAL has unique blends like this that are miles away from commercial scents.

This is an all-around fun concept for a scent. Much more complex than I expected--I love Jolly Roger and Port-au-Prince on Brian, and I thought Grog might be the most single-note of the piratical scents. Nope! It's the foodiest, though. Very sweet, a butterscotch scent with boozy undertones. This reminds me more of Gluttony than anything, just for the heavy, sticky sweetness (but with coconut instead of hazelnut). I don't see Brian wearing this--it's just SO foody--but it's still fun. Why is all the rum gone? Beth took it and put it in Grog.

(Borrowed my sister's imp to give it a whirl) Confession: Roy Orbison is now singing "Blue Bayou" in my head. I am so suggestible. *facepalm* "the siiiiilllllver moon and the evening tide..." This is a warm, murky floral. I like it more than I expected, and it's very evocative--there's a mossy tang and just a hint of aquatics, like you're in a boat and the water is half-hidden by flowers, with Spanish moss floating on the tree-branches overhead. (random Skeleton Key moment) I don't think the floral is jasmine, because I don't want to go scrub my arm with bleach. It might be magnolia. It's very Southern, somehow. The drydown has a hint of powder--now it's a Southern old lady. Well, I'm glad I tried that, but I'll return it without too much regret.

This was a Yule gift for my sister's boyfriend. He wasn't mad for it, so I've put it on my Swaps page, but I want to have a small sniff since it's here now. Cute label! Looks like the tree ornament series I have of the Nutcracker characters. *sniffs bottle* Well, now, I think this is really nice! The linen note from White Rabbit dominates, mingling nicely with what smells like horehound candy but must be the pipe smoke. Warm, cozy, but not too sweet due to the balancing linen note. A bit masculine for me, sure, but I think Beth did a great job on this one.

Chanel 19 reminds me of La Belle Dame Sans Merci--they are both just so *green* on me. Lots of good suggestions already in this thread! I can definitely see Haunted appealing to a Coco lover; they both feel warm but so, so sophisticated. Velvet feels that way, too, even though the notes are so different--a dry cocoa with a rich cream.

Valentine's Day struck me as the perfect day to try out Venus; may She smile on my love-magick today! Have I mentioned in the last 5 minutes how much I love Beth's roses? This is a "green" rose, moreso even than Rose Red. Smells like rose blended with the herbal greenery from La Belle Dame Sans Merci. A faint touch of cool mint appears after a moment. Not really very sweet...more the scent of a calm Goddess, serene in her own beauty, with fresh mint and other herbs tucked into her leafy diadem. Perfect for ritual use.

"Give me Smut and nothing but" I have a bottle of Smut on order but am thrilled that my preview decant arrived today, so I can smut it up for Valentine's if I want to. The oil itself is super-dark, about the color of my Vamp nail polish. This is a good sign, since what could be vampier than smut?? On me: Ok, I slathered. I have been thoroughly...smat? (what is the verb form of smut?). The sweet booze notes emerge first but swiftly vanish, and Smut is all musky-musky musk-musk. Musk. Did I mention...musk? It's hard to describe, but if you've ever experienced the particular tangy quality of Beth's red musk, you know what I mean. It's dark and a bit dirty, but in a fun way. (I can't wait for DH to get home and smell it on me!). I think I would actually prefer to layer this with Snake Oil since the vanilla won't stay on me; it's steamrolled almost at once with the Power of Musk. Verdict: really fun, but I'll probably decant a few imps to swap, since I don't know if I need *that* much Smut. Definitely gender-neutral, and it lives up to its name!

I am chuffed that my decant of Snow Moon arrived the very day I used up the last of my decant of Snow Bunny. I like to use scents for the season and only keep bottles of my very-very favs (and even at that the stash keeps growing!). At first sniff I thought I had more Snow Bunny--crisp fir over somethin' sweet. But almost at once the "sweet" bloomed into a complex floral bouquet, much stronger than S'Bun's touch of candied perfume. There's something effervescent and nose-tickling in here--what *is* that? I don't recognize it. It really does smell like a carbonated bouqet, as odd as that sounds. This and the Inquisition imps should see me through the rest of the season nicely.

Huzzah! Now that I have an imp of Snowblind, I have tried all the Inquisition goodness ('cept the coal lump, which didn't interest me). Whoo, it's a strong one! Unmistakable buttercream frosting right out of the imp, with mint appearing right after. What a fabulous scent--a balance of warm/sweet and cool/frosty. This combo always drives me wild--I even have Vanilla Mint toothpaste, 'cuz I love how it's both clean and yummy. Which sums up Snowblind, actually: clean and yummy. Perfect for winter, but the mint would be fun for summer too. An instant BPAL classic.

[Thank you for the fascinating info, UltraViolet! That's really cool. Hermes is also one of the owls in Harry Potter; I am embarrassed that that's what I thought of right away. Appropriate, though, since they deliver letters.] My whole day is going to be communication (stuff for the online class I'm teaching) and I'm not feeling too creative or positive about it, so I'm trying out my new Hermes! In the bottle: fresh, sharp lavender and...cinnamon. How lovely! On me: Gaaaah, I spilled half of it! My first actual bottle spill. I used a dropper to suck some of it off the glass computer table and put it back in the bottle (creative thinking!). I am so pissed. But I guess this means all communications from this computer will be blessed. It does smell great over here--very spicy, with lavender underneath. A clean, bracing combination, very refreshing. A strong herbal-spicy scent. I will now *carefully* transport the remaining amount to my altar.

This is how my associative mind works--I've been thinking about Chinese New Year, so I suddenly want to try (and review) a scent with mandarin. I've been unlucky with figs lately, but this sounds like an unusual combo, so here goes! Sweet topnotes--I would not have said citrus, because what I'm really getting is a super-sweet fig. Venturing into figgy-pudding territory, even. Hm, Carnal for the holidays...really, this just seems *odd* to me. Not at all bad, but not really doing it for me.

I admit--what drew me to this was the autumn leaves. Violet tends to be "meh" on me, and white florals can go either way; can be great or not, depending on the blend. But I always want more scents to add to my ever-growing hoard of autumnal goodness--why is autumn the most evocative, mysterious season? Just thinking about it, I want to go jump in a big pile of freshly-raked leaves. Anyway, on with the review! Hm, Ephemera is very light on me--I detect chamomile, which I do find comforting. I have to *really* slather to smell much of anything at all, though. There is a touch of something fresh which may be the leaves. I can't believe how faint this is; it's a clean, neutral scent, moreso even than Dirty. A good one for those who dislike smelling too perfumed, but I have no problem with that! I'm glad I tried it, but I think I'll re-swap.

Yay, I get to try Hellion! Pretty color in the vial--dark red-orange, very rich. OMG, this is fabulous! This reminds me of Queen of Spades (which I'm low on and adore) crossed with Black Phoenix. I never knew how much I loved plum + incense 'til I tried QoS, and those notes dominate here as well. However, with QoS the plum lasts throughout, whereas with Hellion there is a bright burst of plum that quickly dries into a deep, mysterious patchouli/musk/sandalwood/incense base. Very complex and warm. QoS is more feminine, though, whereas this is gender neutral. I think they would layer well. I may play around with that later. This is a good one; I'll wear it for class tonight and see if I can think of some hell to raise.

Woo-hoo! I have two imps, one for me and one for my sister; we are both a bit crazed for Moulin Rouge--I half-expect Kylie Minogue to pop out of my imp going, "I'm the Green Fairy! hehehe!" I have to love this--they had me at "Bohemian perfume". I've explained my Bohemian allegiances elsewhere, so I'll get on with the review-- Oo, there's a lot going on in the topnotes--honey is dominant, along with anise and some spice. The mainly-warm topnotes quickly cool into a flash of citrus and a gorgeous touch of musk and vanilla. The honey/spice is still there, just moving slightly to the background. This is just marvelous--sexy in an "O" way, but refreshing, too, because of the citrus; lemon, I think it is. Complex and just magickal. I never would have thought these notes could stay in balance, but they do. This one defies categorization; it's equally fresh and musky. Innocence struggling with debauchery, maybe? I can't resist: This is a scent about Truth, Beauty, Freedom, but above all this is a scent about Love. *does can-can*

Of course, YCMV (your chemistry may vary) but it's not sweet on me. I detest sweet florals (especially jasmine and heliotrope, blech), even though I like sweet dessert scents (I'm weird), but I love rose and the narcissus compliments it here. It smells more like paperwhite narcissus on me, if you know that scent.

One of my favorite non-BPALs is "Fig & Cassis" from Thymes Limited, so--since I like to be loyal with my sniffies--I've been looking for a few good figs at the Lab. Eden just didn't do it for me, but Gomorrah sounds promising. Yep, this is pretty much all fig and date! That dark, slightly nutty or gritty quality I associate with both of those. Surprisingly dry, though. This is definitely NOT a sweet figgy-pudding fig. It's dark and stern. A good interpretation of the theme. The fig search is over! I'd say Gomorrah is a pretty definitive fig. I think, though, that I'm not actually a true fig fan, just a faux-fig with floral fan. Oops.

Alas, I've noticed lately that iris goes to powder on me, and that's the case here--an oddly sharp powder, if that makes any sense. There is a hint of berry and spice, but not enough to make this work on me. That's ok, though; my parents are going to Italy for their anniversary, so I'll save this and my imp of Venice as going-away presents for my mom; she wears iris with no problem.

So, if I am reading correctly, the bottom line is that the issue was resolved promptly and professionally, right? My concern, always, is for the newbies (*says, "Remember the Newbies!", doing best Abigail Adams impression*). I've never, ever had a problem in my 18 months here, so lord knows I'm totally biased; y'all can do no wrong in my eyes! You could send me government cheese in my order and I'd still love you (I would email CS, though) But I just wanted to clarify that if any concerned newbie is reading. Re: good deals on the Swaps forum. I personally think of it like the New Car Principle--as soon as you drive your new car off the lot it depreciates in value, even though it's still pristine. A lot of people feel this way about imps and thus give you a reduced rate when you buy from them instead of the Lab, even if they've treated their imps with care. I just think of it as a lovely convenience to have the option of a quick imp-fix, but I think Lab imps are a great deal and sometimes I do love to have imps with that pristine aura. So that's just my 2 cents.

I thought it would be cute to have this for Brian to wear when I'm wearing Wanda. But I get to try it first! A bright citrus topnote (that would be the Earl Grey bergamot) opens over black tea. It smells like White Rabbit with...less stuff in it. Ok, that's not a great review, but the leather doesn't want to come out and play with me. However, it's really nice on Brian. He does get a hint of leather and likes how the topnotes stays fresh on him. So, as expected, Severin is off to live in the Boy Imp Box.

Had to have an imp just for the name--as with when I'm wearing Wanda, DH will know what to expect when I get this one out. *nudge-nudge, wink-wink, say no more* Spanked smells like a naughty, naughty fruitcake. Seriously. I associate cardamom mostly with chai, but somehow with the bourbon it vividly brings to mind a Christmas pudding--bourbon sauce on a spicy cake. I don't really smell patchouli and leather until the drydown, where they add some depth. This is very fun and festive and yummy! Gender-neutral for all spankees to wear.

I admit, I wanted to try this because I want to know what Beth thinks I smell like (i.e, "laurel"). Presumably a green plant, because the flowers don't really have a scent. On first application--Cathedral! Sorry, all wood blends say "Cathedral!" to me; it was one of my first BPALs and made a big impression. This isn't high-pitched in the way that Szepasszony (sp?) is; woods are always so grounding to me. Waiting for the flowers. *taps foot* Still waiting for the flowers. The flowers are not coming. The drydown is softer, but I can't pick out the notes except for that dash of pepper. So, this is a spicy-woods scent; rich but rather masculine for me. This is not a tea-drinking, knitting Grandma. This is Ghost Grandma whacking your behind with a home-whittled switch!