girl_android

A bottle of Caliph's beloved arrived a few days ago, it's joined my small collection of bottles. In the bottle it reminds me of ... a liquid version of spices you might use in cinnamon-heavy gingerbread? I can see where cinnamon rolls might come into it ... mmm... (: Wet on skin, it's lovely and warm and sweet and spicy. Dry, it's all that with a smooth creaminess mixed in too ... DH got a waft of this, to him it's a cooler weather night time kind of thing - it might get a little cloying (warm sweet honey?) in warmer weather? I do like the mood this evokes, and it's passed a few tests here (: Very glad I have a bottle of this!

The decant I have has such a cute label, thanks to the handiwork of ETDQ (: In the imp I get sweet fruity milky lollies, kind of like boiled lollies if they were made with a milky base iknstead of just a fruit base. Wet on skin, it's much the same still, all sweet and fruity and milky. Not creamy, but milky. Weird, but OK. Once dry, there's definitely a grape note in it, not at all purpley, or artificially grape, lots of sweet white grape-ness. The milk still underlines the scent, making me think fruity milk, rather than creamy fruitiness which was what I was hoping for ... It doesn't go weird or anything, it's just not something I'd choose to be scented with, I guess? Lucky for this cute lil decant, it's already found a new home!

I received my rather highly anticipated bottle of Monster Bait: biggerCritter today - it does kind of feel like I'm ordering packages so I turn up to work to collect them, lately! This is the normal label MB:bC, not the one that went with the last nest-full of fluffy critters. In the bottle, I get the scary buttery vanilla note, along with something that makes me think pink grapefruit, and ... that's about it for the moment. It appears that the jasmine and gardenia have gone into hiding for the moment. Wet on skin, the other vanillas attempt to beat up the scary buttery vanilla into submission, the pink grapefruit cowers away, and I get the first hit of gardenia. Once dry, the scary buttery vanilla has pretty much scampered off, and it did *not* turn into burnt plastic! Hooray! My skin though, has decided that it would very much like to amp the gardenia, to the point where I can barely detect the jasmine. A long time later (say ... 10 hours), the gardenia has pretty much settled down, and I'm left with a lovely vanilla scent sticking close to the skin. From reading the above reviews, it does appear that there's a little bit of difference between the first batch of MB:bC and the lot with the normal label - I kind of wish this bottle were more like the bottles people are getting with their critters. I'm not going to give up hope yet - I'm going to sit this bottle in a cool dark place for a little while and see what I get. Here's hoping the buttery thing, and the gardenia behaves with what's left.

I've had an imp of this for a fair while, and I hadn't got to actually reviewing even though I've only got a little bit of the imp left. Ahh well, no time like the present? I've been ridiculously distractable, getting my mind to settle has sometimes been a bit of a problem. Brings your mind into sharper focus, banishes distractions and silences restless thoughts. In the imp, it smells like mint and citrus. It's kind of head-clearing in a way. Wet on skin, it's still a blast of mint and citrus. Dry, it's lost the sharp edge of minty citrus. In my uses of Clarity from this imp, I've had it both on my skin, and in an oil burner, in conjunction with Concentration, Energy, and/or Determination, and on its own. It definitely had a different effect on me compared to Concentration - it seems to do better with keeping me focussed, I still meet with distractions, but it's like I'm telling those distractions that I'm busy right now with something else, I don't want to have to deal with you right now. Concentration makes me work on whatever's in front of me, distractions will happen and my focus will move to the distraction full steam ahead until I'm distracted again. I haven't yet put a bottle of this in a TAL order - I very nearly did in my last one. I'm thinking now, it'll definitely have to make it into my next order, it was very silly of me to leave it out of this most recent one!

I gave this a test run not long after I received the decant, and then put it aside for a little while, partly cos life stuff got in the way, I guess? In the imp, it's a musky floral to my nose. I'm a sucker for things with white musk in them ... there's another bunch of things I'm not sure I know the scent of... if I concentrate I can work out that there's violet (rather than just ... flowers!), and ... other things? Yep, my nose needs a vocabulary. Wet on skin, there's a moment of sharp corners, florals and things settling down, but much like how it is in the imp. Once dry, it's a soft and rounded thing, helped by the white musk. It seems more appropriate for after winter, rather than before, seeing as we're about to head into winter in the next month. I quite like this, it feels lovely and rounded, it's just not a right now in this season where I am kind of scent ... we'll see how this goes when it is actually the end of winter in this half of the globe.

I think I came to have this decant because I don't like having things feel lonely. It doesn't make sense to anyone really, not even me! In the imp, it's dark green and earthy, and kind of salty as well. It's got that thing that ... rasps at the back of my nose, that I was trying to describe in another of my reviews, but probably confused the masses in attempting it. There's a lot in the description I have no idea what they'd be like, but some quick research tells me that sandarac could be frankincense-ish, and ravensara could be camphory, woody, earthy, maybe slightly licoricey. The first impression I get is ... dark pine. Unsophisticated nose for the win! Wet on skin, it's got a watery scent-feel first up, but the green things and moist earthy things are still there... I'm not sure that it's something I'd choose to wear at this stage, but I reckon it would be swoonworthy on the right guy. Once dry, it's woodsier, still green, and back again with the salty back of nose feeling. It's rather pleasant, but I feel I'm girlier than oborot smells like it should be... if I could enable the DH, perhaps he'd like to give it a go, but I might let this find a more appreciated home for now.

I got this as a frimp in ... something I got recently-ish? I'm feeling kind of behind in the reviewing stakes ... In the imp, I get ... sweet pea, something kind of powdery (the orris?), and ... smushed rose petals. I'm not sure what stephanotis is meant to be like, but if I think white floral things, yeah, they're in the background also. It is rather sweet ... but the powdery kind of soapiness thing I get is scaring me a little. Wet on skin, it's now roses, with sweet pea and powdery things. Hmm... That's kind of got me a little more worried. Once dry, it's powdery roses, with sweet pea. Maybe it's decided that since I've just had a shower, it would be good to match the occasion by smelling of powdery rose soap? No, I think this might have to find another home ... [ETA - darn cat! I wasn't done yet!]

Ok, a couple of hours of domestic pottering has had my hands and wrists in water enough to give me more testing space! This completes the set of monsterbait decants in my most recent package - I'd picked out the other two, and thought that this one would be lonely if I didn't also have it take the trip to me too ... my mind, it doesn't make sense at the best of times! In the imp, I get... very strong pencil shavings and patchouli ... ! But, it's as if the pencil shavings have been dipped in butterscotch. I got a bigger brown sugar scent from MB:BM than I do with MB:VD ... Wet on skin, I get a teeny bit of apricot, not much, mixed up with the pencil shavings dipped in butterscotch. It's not fresh apricots, more like semi-dried apricots, with that kind of leathery fruit kind of feeling. Dry, and I get burning woods, tobbaco, something that reminds me of chinese herbal poultices that might be used to treat joint injuries, but with a sweet edge. Well, at least I gave it a chance?

I was craving a red scent as the decant circles for the Milk Moon update went up, so I gave this a go ... In the imp, I get brown sugar over glistening berries - strawberries, cherries, raspberries, yum! There's a teeny hint of that medicinal kind of cherry, maybe like ... glaceed maraschino cherry? Not sure. Wet on skin, it blooms into the lovely red scent I was hoping for, topped with dark brown sugar, which I *love*. Once dry though, the lovely red thing stops being so, and I get this thing that reminds me of berry scented erasers, kind of rubbery as well as slightly headache-inducing That's the third strike of the day, and I think I've run out of arm-space to test, seeing as it's too cold for short-sleeves now!

I love the smell of minty things, but haven't yet found much (ultraviolet being an exception I can name off the top of my head) that's worked nicely on my skin ... but I figured I'd get a decant of this and try my luck anyways, seeing as I quite enjoyed the sniffie of snowblind I received (: In the imp, it's a wonderful chewy minty fudge concoction. It's positively edible! Wet on skin, the minty crispness is still there, with the vanilla peeking out a little more. As it dries though, I discover that this contains the vanilla of doom, because I get plastic! I love vanilla in my scents, but I realise not all BPAL vanillas like my skin ): *sigh* ... I'd give this a go in the oil burner, but sadly I think this lil decant might have to find another home ...

Seeing as I've got a large backlog of imps to test (*and* I've got things on order, *and* I've got another order waiting patiently to be placed), I figure I might get through some testing ... In the imp, I get sharp white blossoms and something green ... Wet on skin, it's kind of alternately weirdly green and powdery ... I realise that I don't know what all the listed notes smell like by themselves (except perhaps lily), so I'm not sure what's making it smell green, and what's making the powdery thing happen. At the moment, it doesn't smell like anything I'd choose to wear for myself, as it feels a little mature for me. Once dry, there's a kind of soapy thing going on, but with kind of green and watery things going on at the same time. Sadly, it's not for me ): I hope the imp finds a better home! Edit: for spelling!

Well, reviewing spree it is! In the imp, it's all buttery caramel and hazelnut ... rather yummy, but I'm scared of buttery things because they've gone plastic on me too many times ... Wet on skin, smells like buttery caramel plastic and hazelnut. Nothing in the way of dark chocolate ... Once dry, there's a hint of pralines with the hazelnut toffee caramel plastic thing, and if that plastic would just go away, I could enjoy this a whole heap more. The plastic has decided it wants to be a little burnt too. Gah! Seriously, I should just give up on anything that says buttercream, or caramel. I *love* the idea of smelling like caramel and vanilla and buttercream and other yummy things in that vein, but they don't like my skin so much. If I wait long enough, I get toasted hazelnuts - a big improvement on burnt plastic and hazelnuts, but that's not really what I wanted either ... hopefully I'll find a better home for this poor imp!

Jailbait's description kind of scares me ... In the imp, it's definitely pink bubblegum, not the purple or orange or green stuff. There is a hint of floral something in there too, I guess representative of the heady womanly perfume mentioned in the description? Wet on skin ... eeeep ... hmm ... there's something vaguely medicinal (like the smell of clean bandages and things when you open up a first aid kit), lurking beneath the lollipops. Funnily enough, it doesn't smell at all like pink bubblegum on my skin. Once dry, it's definitely pink but no longer bubblegum. It's headed over to the lollipop direction, although not necessarily orange or cherry, nothing in the way of florals anymore either. The clean bandages/first aid kit thing is still there though. Weird but true. Despite the scary description, I actually don't hate this! It's not necessarily something I'd choose to wear though, because the first aid kit scent is kind of ... not what I'd choose to smell like, but I'm not wanting to scrub it off either...

I got this as an extra in a recent decant circle, it's one that I've had on my list to try for a long time. In the imp, it does indeed smell like a bag full of lollies - the kind that comes with powdered sugar all over them, red and pink things, and cotton candy. Wet on skin, it's all pink and red and powdered sugar ! Once dry, unfortunately this morphs on my skin into car deodoriser ... eep! I don't want to smell like car deodoriser, it's not my preferred choice of scent... Maybe I'll try this in an oil burner, or in melted wax ... I would so like for this scent to work, the things in it do make me think it has potential to be happiness in a bottle (or imp in my case), if only it wouldn't turn so!

I've had this decant for a little while, and I must like something of it, because I've tested it enough times to drop the level in the vial! In the imp, I get something warmly spicy, tea leaves mixed with cinnamon and cardamom, with what I guess would be the tangerine, with a hint of something floral floating over the top. Wet on skin, it's like a warm spicy tea, with the peel of the tangerine steeping in the tea. Once dry, the musk just rounds everything out. The floral thing isn't all sharp and in your face; I like how most things I've tried with musk so far have worked to just round things out in a scent, no sharp edges! My own evil kitty (grep! the black and white cat in my avatar) has decided he wants to sit on my lap while I have the laptop on my lap also. I'm glad I have my decant, I'm not likely to need bottles of much - I have so many things to wear now! Not that this stops me from wanting to pick more things, mind you *grin*

I've been testing this out at work, while chaos swirls around me *grin* In the imp, this is a blast of citrus and fruit (I can pick out lychee!) and yes, it also smells a little like Peony Moon. Wet on skin, it's bright and happy ! Mandarins! Lychee! Once dry, It's still quite sparkly, and happy-making (: The dragon's blood is very well blended in, it's not something that's sticking out and telling me it's there. I quite like this, especially for days where I need some happy sunshine to kickstart the day *grin*

Not sure what possessed me to get a decant of EGM, but it seemed like a good idea at the time? In the imp it smells like slightly spicy, really browned butter cookies dipped in chocolate. No sign of the black cherries though ? The buttery aspect (probably a combination of french vanilla + caramel) is kind of scaring me here ... Wet on skin, I get ... muesli ? It's probably like what has previously been described as graham crackers, but we don't have graham crackers here (: It's good that the buttery aspect has kind of gone away though - that always seems to turn into plastic on me. Once dry, it's kind of sweet and cereal-y on me. Nothing has turned horrible on me, but I can't say it something I'd like to be smelling like very oftten? It might do well in an oil burner though, sweet kitchen baking smells without the work of baking! Although, I do like having the end product of baking about...

I decided that my brain needed a break from studying for just a little bit, so I'll exercise my nose instead *grin* In the imp, I get something that makes me think of how salty ocean breezes make my nose feel like, if that makes any sense at all. I'd have no hope without the notes listed of working out what was in this though, but with the notes, I can smell something that makes me think citrus rind. There is a distinctly ... white feel to the scent. Wet on skin, the crunchy salty feel is less prevalent - it's as if the salty crunchy crystals have been dissolved into something, and they're just adding a touch of saltiness. I get sandalwood and amber, along with something kind of ... lemony? Maybe not specifically lemon, but definitely not orange or mandarin or lime. Once dry, it's kind of an ambery lemony/pineappley (!?) slightly sweet and salty/tangy scent. I kind of like it, there's something that makes me want to keep having a sniffle of the little patch of skin that has Hunger Moon daubed on. There's something there that's making my nose not want to breathe in too deeply for fear of ripping up the inside of my nose. I'm not sure that's going to make sense to anyone though! It does remind me a little of Hungry Ghost Moon (my first bottle purchase, off the forums, as I'd missed out on the actual release, which was then gifted to an enablee), except HGM doesn't have the sharp salty/tangy thing, it was much more round in feel. I do like the scent, except for the feeling it provokes in my nose - that sharp/tangy shreddy feeling is a little unsettling. Once it's been on for long enough (about 30 min or so), the sharp spiky feeling fades away and I'm left with a round feel, not so much white anymore, maybe . I think my brain's wired for scent = feel today.

My little decant of Faith is reminding me every day that I should really go and make good on giving bottles of Faith and Hope a home with me (: In the imp, it's all sweetness and slightly musky-powdery, and I guess that's what violets smell like! Yep, still a newbie nose *grin* It only knows that it likes something, and usually doesn't know what it is that it likes! Wet on skin, it's lovely and creamy and sweet and a little floral, definitely snuggley sort of scent. Once dry, there's nothing sharp about this scent, it smells so comforting to me. A few hours after application, its faded to a lovely skin scent on me. I am going to have to save to bring these sisters home to me before CD goes away!

Hope and Faith came to me as decants, they might have to come live with me as bottles before they disappear for good! In the imp, Hope is all sugar and roses, or maybe crystallised rose petals. Wet on skin, it's also a little creamy amongst all that rose and sweetness. I'm such a sucker for sweet scents lately! Once dry, there's a hint of powderiness mingling about, but it's still all roses and sweetness. Not one that I could really slather on as it does have a bit of throw on me, and I don't want to be drowning anyone else in a giant cloud of pink! and roses! (I think the unicorn skin is getting to me ... help, it's April 2 here, and has been for more than 15 hours!), but definitely one I've appreciated having an imp around.

I figured, after a week of trying to deny that I've been sleeping funny (maybe I haven't been sleeping funny?) and waking up with a sore neck, it might be time to give Ugh a go ... In the imp, it's lemony eucalyptus cough drops. Wet on skin, it's cooling, and it's not just lemony eucalyptus. Citrussy (oranges and lemons?), but warm smelling, except cooling on the skin. Once dry, the eucalyptus fades off, and what's left is a kind of muted lemony-orange scent. Not the juice of either of these, or the rind straight away, but more an impression that lemons and oranges had been in the vicinity recently. My neck's not feeling quite as bad (it's still not great, but that's probably because of some non-muscle things going on there too), so I guess that's definitely something!

I've given my imp of Grr a bit of a workout in the last few weeks since I received it as part of The Relief imp pack - I was nearly tempted to order this one outright as a bottle straight away! I woke up with a headache this morning, which isn't the best way to start a day. A couple of panadeine took the edge off it for the hours I was at work, but the niggling headache was back once I got home. Not sure what was making me feel a little light-headed while I was washing up the dishes, but that was weird. A dab of Grr at my temples and on my wrists, and the tension starts to dissipate. It's definitely minty, but it's not just mint. There's some things that make me think soft things in the mix, but nothing that my nose feels like telling me about right now. It kind of reminds me of what Peppermint (Pep-O-Mint!) lifesavers smell like when they're wet. I think this is going to end up on my list of bottles to order ... I may just get the relief trilogy, before the cold and flu season hits with a vengeance in the southern hemisphere!

After all that has been said about the legendary miskatonic university, it would be remiss of me to leave it off my first lab-direct order! In the imp, it's definitely caramelly, a kind of buttery caramel, with a shot of coffee. The buttery thing kind of worries me as those have a tendency of going all burnt plastic on me ... but as an ... appreciator of coffee (mostly for its caffeinated properties, although the taste and smell are good too!), I was kind of compelled to give this a try anyway... Wet on skin, its as if someone's put a shot of hazelnut into my caramelatte ... the butteriness has gone away, but it does appear that it has been replaced by a stiff shot of something strong ... Once dry, there's an element of dustiness wafting about with the coffee... the lab description is spot on - how on earth! A little definitely goes a long way with this one. I'm not sure that I actually want to smell like coffee and dusty books, but I think it might be good for my oil burner (; Maybe it'll help me make the house smell like baking and things, without the mess and clean-up required of actual baking ... I'm glad I got to try this, and I'm glad I have an imp (actually, I have two!), but I'm pretty certain I don't need a bottle right now.

I got a decant of Smut (2007) on a whim - so much has been said about previous years' releases, I was curious as to what all the fuss was about. Wet on skin, it's sweet, and spicy, and in some way reminds me of Snake Oil, but both less heady and more ... wafty? Dry, I'm kind of glad there's nothing that's making me think particularly boozy, but I'm failing to find the right words to describe the loveliness that is Smut. Definitely not a daytime scent though! I'm content with my decant, if only because there is already SO MUCH that I have kicking about to wear! But I wouldn't be complaining if by chance a bottle of Smut landed in my lap or anything ... !

Based on description, this infamous scent had my name written all over it. I was just getting my feet wet in the world of BPAL when the original shub-niggurath was fetching some rather scary prices on ebay. I picked up an imp in my first BPAL order, because ... how could I resist!? The review that follows then, is of the resurrected and in the GC version of the scent, rather than the original. I'm tempted to say something about launching 1000 ships, but that's a different sort of legend, right? *grin* In the imp, I'm a little worried, I get something that reminds me of ... burnt butter? Slightly wet dog? It's a burnished red oil in the imp, kind of what slightly diluted rust water might look like if it were in an imp. Wet on skin, the thing that makes me think burnt butter/wet dog goes away (*sigh of relief!*), and I get something that reminds me of what the smell of freshly baked gingerbread feels like when I inhale it, except without the hot steaming part. It's kind of weird, actually. Once it's not so wet, I get something lemony, but not lemon. Lemon verbena? Lemongrass? I am not willing to give up on something that contains ginger so quickly! This imp is going to have to serve some time in a cool dark place for me to revisit, because at the moment, while there's nothing that makes me hate it with the passion of 1000 burning suns, it's also not quite winning me over yet ... gah, I'm none for two at the moment, and I can't have that! (Although, from first sniffs of a few of the imps in the rest of the group order, I forsee some straight to bottle purchases in my future ...!)