dorothy humbird

Tested this one on the boy -- he proclaimed it "too girly." My guess is the floral notes are at fault for that declamation... I noticed something I thought was pretty citrusy-sharp, but I don't know what it was. Carnation??? The search for madness-inspiring boy-scent continues.

Alice is pure pink little-girl pubescence. On first application I get a lot of spicy carnation sweetened by the rose and honey (presumably also mellowed slightly by the milk). Over a short time this blends together into something quite powdery-rose, light and pleasant, though floral and innocent enough that I wonder when I'll wear it. It's almost impossible to smell this after only an hour or so... not sure whether I'll be keeping Alice around.

Dee is unexpectedly sour-smelling to my nose when applied to my boy's skin. Neither of us liked it much; in particular I was expecting something much, much softer. That's what I get for getting my hopes up...

Mmm... I was interested in La Petite Mort to start with because of BBW's "Sensuality" aromatherapy lotion, featuring ylang-ylang and myrrh. I got a set of BBW lotions a few years ago, and of the 4, Sensuality is the one I used up first. Something about it appealed to me greatly, and I was hoping LPM would take me back there. ...and it does. This scent is quite lovely, albeit having that piercing-floral quality which can threaten a headache with me - at least in the first couple of minutes. By now it's settled down to something that reminds me a little of a floral-honey smell. Overall, La Petite Mort is more "perfumey" than I'm typically drawn to, but I'll definitely keep it around for variety... and sensuality. ETA: How did I miss this??! This is everything that was good about O, without any of its bad points (weird animal-y sawdust smell). Finally, honey-sex for meeeeee!

This is certainly a strong floral, with the potential to give me a headache... but if I avoid sniffing heavily I can make it. I'm intrigued by the smell of violet -- that's the most prominent smell here. Although I detect something leafy green that settles the almost fruity periwinkle quality of the violet, it doesn't define itself as any of the other notes listed (I worked in a flower shop for 5 years, and I never noticed delphinium having a smell... o_O). Someone else mentioned water, and I can see that, too -- this is a cool, fresh scent. It's pleasant, but I see myself wearing it layered with other blends to temper the floral quality.

Man... I wish what I smelled from Obatala was what I imagined. Instead, directly out of the imp and onto my skin I am strongly reminded of buttered popcorn or, worse yet, Auntie Anne's pretzels, dripping butter sauce and salt. Actually, now that I've made the connection, Obatala smells almost exactly like walking past an Auntie Anne's stand in the mall. I've never liked that smell, and it's really disappointing to get it from Obatala - I was looking forward to a much lighter, sweeter, fresher scent.

I feel very similarly to Girl Android about Maiden. It's spicy tea with rose on me, and so lovely that I'm not as sad as I could be that it leaked all over itself and the other things in my order. I was smelling my fingers all through Germanic Myths, Legends, and Sagas (Yggdrasil, Fenris-Wolf and the Norns have already been mentioned in this class and it's only the 2nd week... this can only mean good things are coming). Anyway, Maiden: Without the notes to hand, I was puzzled by what was making this light, fresh, beautiful scent so tangy -- I hypothesized ginger, but now I see it must've been the carnation. This blend is very sweet and almost has a fruity quality to the florals. A lot of florals give me headaches, but this blend is much kinder to me... it puts me at ease with a smile on my face. Mm... thanks for the frimp, lab!

The Dark Side of Water: clean and purifying, yet menacing -- lotus and juniper with a hint of mint. A scent dragged up from the depths to the Stygian shore. This was quite a sinister scent when I tested it out today. Very, VERY minty and with something akin to a grassy smell underneath. I didn't get much of a sense of water out of it, oddly - mint and water don't seem too closely related to me, and it was mostly mint. Spearmint, too--sharp, overpowering. And a dark core that I can't identify. It's like a wicked child ripping up handfuls of grass and mint in a garden patch, and smashing them all together into my arm. Blech.

Sweet, sweet purple candy. Like the kind of candy that isn't really assigned to a fruit, but is called something like "punch" or "tropical berry." I know I've smelled this before, but I don't know where. I get none of the amaretto or wine out of Bordello, just candy. Sort of disappointing for me, but I'm glad we all have such different taste! Edit: whoops, "glad" was missing.

Hollywood Babylon smells unrelentingly candy-sweet out of the imp, and that doesn't change when it hits my skin. I applied it in the crook of my elbow, which may have affected the particular reaction to my skin. Nevertheless I think it also heavily scented my fingers that held the imp cap, which I was smelling all through my graduate Syntax class. The notes blended together nicely, to where I could smell a light, sweet strawberry tempered by the amber; I wasn't struck by the cherry as much as by what must have been the heliotrope, because there was a bit of a floral edge in the background. Now, after several hours, the patch where I applied smells much more of amber with a bit of strawberry sweetness. I like it, but not enough to seek an imp of my own.

I really wasn't expecting to like Dublin, but I am so, so glad I tried my friend's imp on for size. As with most things I like, I had to warm up to it. But oh, my God... I am in love. There is something very soothing about this smell... to my nose there are aquatic elements, though my friend gave me a weird look when I suggested it. (Does the "mist" in misty forest count?) In any case, it smells very natural and fresh, in a clean, green sort of way. This is also one of the first BPAL scents that I see as truly androgynous. I can't decide if I want an imp for myself, or to slather on the boy. I just know I want to smell it whenever I want! My only qualm is that Dublin is fairly ephemeral... I have to press my nose to my wrist to smell the remains of it after application a few hours ago.

A friend and I had a two-person Meet 'n Sniff earlier today after a class we both take. I came away with it one imp of Vixen richer (while she relieved me of my imp of Dragon's Milk). What fun! Opening the imp of Vixen for me is like getting a facefull of orangecicle. The orange blossom has a sweetness and a softness very different from straight up orange, and while it's nice, I'm glad it changes. Applied to my skin, Vixen amps up the patchouli and I get a sharp tang that I realize now must be the ginger. This stage lasts for a bit, and then the whole mix mellows out. I was sniffing my wrist while trying to have a class discussion on the reading, and then I finally realized it reminded me of... Snake Oil! I see that I'm not alone in making this comparison. After a few hours it was hard for me to smell the blend any more on my wrist, although I was wearing something like 5 other blends at the time... it might have been too much competition. Final impression: Vixen is a little like Snake Oil Lite + Orange Creamcicle. I like it well enough to wear occasionally, and it certainly works better on me than straight up Snake Oil... mostly, though I'm just curious if it'll live up to its reputation as a head-turner.

When I first applied Xiuhtecuhtli I was strongly reminded of cleaning supplies - the citrusy orange smell only increasing the association in my head. Something about the floral notes smelled chemical-y, and I wasn't too happy about it. Now, about 2 hours later, it's settled into something much more pleasing - creamier, more like the "angel" that someone above described. It's a pretty scent, and I could see myself possibly wearing it in the future. ETA (two years later!): Bright, beautiful sweet orange is the shining note when wet on my skin, but the copal and plumeria work a glamour on it to make it glimmer with a deeper, more luxurious glow. Altoghether this blend is gorgeous; much moreso than I remember when I tried it back in my BPAL infancy. I think my tastes have widened. And, I should note, this does smell a bit like some more standard acceptable "perfume" fragrance, but in the best possible way. The whole is far more than the sum of its parts. I think revisiting this one was an excellent idea on my part.

The first time I wore I Died for Beauty, it was a dead ringer for "powder" scented deodorant I used to wear. But the longer I wear it, the more it's evident to me that it's far more complex and beautiful than that. It's soft, definitely floral, and notably powdery. I'm not sure I can see myself wearing it, but I would be pleased to find out someone I was hugging had applied this as part of their beauty regimen.

Voodoo blends aren't supposed to smell amazing, right? But, if something is supposed to inspire feelings of love and sensuality... maybe it shouldn't smell of creepy dank basement. All I picture when I smell this is a dark chamber where dark rituals have been worked... pain and suffering soaked into the floor. Not such a great image for lovin', eh? I don't think the boy had the same visuals as I did but he had a similar negative reaction. This is one frimp that will stay in rotation.

Through some bizarre mix-up, my boyfriend's gift bottle of Blood Kiss (for my birthday!) arrived as a bottle of Blood... which I had never tested. Thankfully the power of email and the incredible customer service provided by Sara have resolved the problem (thank you Sara!!) Thankfully again, I really like Blood. It goes on pretty strongly cherry-clove smelling (odd because dragon's blood resin in Draon's Milk just smells like horrible hyacinths on me). Underneath the fruit and spice is what I assume is the myrrh, smelling slightly smoky and resiny. It mellows down to something deep and rich on my skin, and the longer I wore it the happier I was when I got wafts of it. My mother claimed that this smelled too "heavy and spicy" for me... but I like it. It's like Blood Kiss's more full-bodied, ruby-red cousin. The one with the smear of cherry syrup on her lips.

Lurid was a frimp from the lab for me, and I'm glad, since I liked it better than most of what I'd actually ordered. Without really remembering what notes were supposedly in Lurid, blackcurrant and lavender really solidified in my mind as the primary notes. Reading over the description I realize that there is some musk anchoring those notes, and a bit of ozone on the side, but for me Lurid is very much a berry scent. Yet, this is one of those BPAL blends that just melds together into a fine aura of delight, with all the notes complementing each other in harmony. I'll keep and love my imp.

Oh, White Rabbit... how have I neglected to review you for so long? White Rabbit is what fresh laundry in Tea Lovers' Heaven would smell like. (Possibly that is the worst analogy I have ever made.) In the vial: I smell a faint light floral accenting the milky sweet tea that is the base of this blend... and yes, clean linen. On skin: Everything blends together, and if you know what notes are in it you can pick it apart... but why, when it's so gorgeous? The feel ofWhite Rabbit is somehow both translucent and milky at once. It never ceases to amaze me how White Rabbit can be both slightly foody and yet clean. I mean... aren't you usually laundering things to get food out of your clothes? It just doesn't compute.... and yet it works. This is the majesty of Beth's genius, I suppose. Definitely in my top 5; when I'm able I'll get a bottle.

Dorian... mm. In the vial: I can smell the vanilla, and it is a rich, creamy vanilla. There is a hint of lemon, as well, which gives the overall effect to me of lemony sugar cookies... but creamier. Wet on skin: The lemon pops up a little bit directly after application on my skin, and stays a little more prominent for a while... Dry down: Overall this blends down into the sweetest, softest, most moist lemon cookie ever, dunked in a cup of afternoon tea. I thought initially that this was too sweet for me to enjoy, but it just needs the right day. A day when I'm not hungry, 'cause Dorian definately makes my stomach gurgle. Edited 'cause I can't type for crap.

I neglected reviewing Eden while I had it, and now I've misplaced my imp and am reviewing out of nostalgia and yearning. O Eden, return to me! Eden smelled very, very coconut-almond on me for the first coulple of minutes from wet to starting drydown. Originally I was sort of influenced by my roommate who claimed it smelled "country craft storeish," but a few days later while testing it again, I decided it quite suited me. Eden is very comforting, and after the initial almond-coconut craze settles, it's mostly warm, and a little toasted. Pretty food-smelling for me, I didn't detect anything overly green. But I'm okay with that. I wish I hadn't lost my imp... ETA: I FOUND IT!! What an excellent birthday gift. (It had somehow rolled beneath my bed... oh happy day night!)

... Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus. Originally, I wrote Bastet off as "not my thing" out of paranoia regarding amber, and missed expectations. I was hoping for almondy, cardamom-y goodness, but... well here's what I get: In the vial: the almond is clearly apparent, and sweet. I can smell a little of something pale-floral, but it's not threatening, like florals can be for me (they like to threaten headaches). Wet on the skin, the almond immediately vanishes as an identifiable presence, and I get a lot of amber and what I suspect is saffron and the lotus, plus musk below that. I didn't like that at all a week or so ago, because the amber reminded me of O-badness, and I was expecting almond but not getting it. This is much more floral than I was hoping for, but... Drying down, it melds into something soft and golden. It smells very sophisticated to me, in a comfortable sort of way. I can see myself wearing this when I need to be slightly dressed up, and proper, but glowing. (Only, I wish the almond stuck around... ) Overall, I probably won't order a bottle, but I'll keep the imp after all. Edited to add lab's note description.

Incredible. I didn't rank Sudha Segara in the first couple of weeks that I had it, but that was a mistake. It's warm and soothing, yet with enough of a sharp edge to awaken the senses rather than lull me into sleep. In the vial gingery ginger. Light and tangy and bright. Wet on the skin still bright, still ginger, a little sweeter and with some milk and honey softening the tang. Drying it all blends into soft, slightly creamy light on the skin. A very ephemeral scent, so it needs slathering/reapplication... but that's not a problem for me. I want a 5ml ASAP!!

In the vial, Port-au-Prince smells just like intense almond-cherry. But... as soon as I put it On my skin, the clove comes SCREAMING forward and overwhelms everything else. I'm not sure what bay smells like, but I think it might be what's sweetening the clove. However, I can't smell anything else. This is more a smell I would use as a room scent if I wanted my room to smell like... clove. On dry down, the clove mellows a little but is still noticeable. The resulting blend is super-sweet and not really what I want to smell like. I'm going to test this on the boy and see if he amps anything other than sweet clove/bay... it might smell yummy on him. (Alas, on me it is not so good.)

Dragon's Milk smells very floral in the vial to my nose, and I'm not sure why. My first experience with this oil was from my attempts to merely smell my new imps in their vials... and I ended up with Mouse's Long and Sad Tale and Dragon's Milk all over me. They may not have mixed well, because I remember being very displeased. Anyway, Dragon's Milk solo... In the vial: Sweet floral. If I inhale more than gently I feel a headache coming on in my sinuses. First applied: Holy floral overload! I'm trying to place what floral this actually smells like to me (it's been forever since I worked in a flower shop)... kind of like hyacinth (you know, at Easter? They come in purple, pink, and white.) Easter florals actually drive me nuts because their smells are so heady/sharp... I'll give Dragon's Milk a few more minutes to tone down, but if that doesn't happen this is coming off. 15 minutes later: It has certainly calmed down, but it's just a less-intense version of hyacinth with vanilla and honey. I like it much better now; however, it doesn't pose any sort of challenge to my favorites, so I won't hold on to it.

I'm starting to suspect that my skin and/or my nose really hate amber. This blend smells delicious in the vial... light and sweet, slightly floral and what I suspect is the amber. When I put it on, the sweetness seems to intensify and I'm in a cloud of vanilla-amber-sweetpea that I think is only slightly tempered by the sandalwood. For me, this is actually too sweet. I never expected I would be a person to find things too sweet... but there you have it. It's actually quite a pretty scent, but not something I want to be smelling on myself all day. I guess I'll have to make sure I take my amber well-disguised by other scents in the future.