glampyre

Thanks, Everyone, for answering here. I was pretty sure that my questions had been asked and answered many times before, and really appreciate your patience and kindnes in answering them yet again.

Hi Alice! Thank you for clearing those up for me. I was waaaaaay off on the 'tarted.' I'm glad to know that both you and Paperdoll take such care when decanting!

I posted this in general idle BPAL chatter, because I don't think it's only about swapping...more of a general BPAL education-type question... When I'm looking at the swap posts, I can't help but notice that there's a lot of BPAL terminology that I'm not familiar with. I hope that some of you more experienced BPALers can clear some of them up for me. For example, what does it mean when an imp has been "tarted up?" At first I thought it might mean that someone had decorated the little vial. Then someone told me that it meant that the person had added something to the fragrance itself...or possibly poured some more of the same scent in from a big bottle. Another word I'm not exactly sure of is "decanted." In my mind, this means to fill an imp from a big bottle...but are they using a new imp bottle or an original one that contained the same scent? And, if someone decants me an imp, or if should do the same for someone else, how would one go about making sure the imp vial was clean before doing so? Or does everyone own a little supply of new vials for this purpose? What are some other terms that I sould know when venturing into the swapping game? Thanks for your help and suggestions!

Tisiphone makes me feel like a beautiful princess. It's musky, floral, sweet, deep, dark, warm...beautiful and edgy and perfect.

verrrry lemony. I don't smell any of the woody notes, but my skin somehow dissipates any and all wood-smells. It *is* very energizing, and I will finish this imp in my oil burner. ETA: After about 30 minutes, the verbena has calmed down and I *do* smell the wood and herb. I also smell something like cocoa butter, and definitely understand the candlewax scent referred to in an earlier review. This is quite nice, but not on my "Must have big bottle" list. There are other woodsy BPAL perfumes that suit me better.

Alecto is gorgeous! I love the cedar, but on my skin it fades really quickly. There's a fresh green smell, like cut grass (must be the olive leaf), and a sweet fruit (raspberry leaf?) I put on a drop, then a smear, then a little pour...and I'm really having to stop myself from overdosing. It's so clean and beautiful. I wish the cedar would remain as prominent as it is on first application. My skin absorbs all wood-smells. This is now on my "Must have big bottle" list.

ULTRA sexy. cinnamon. Leather. hot. hot. hotness. rubber. And something that tingles my brain. Like really aware sex. fabulous. (edited for bad typing.)

I think my imp is a bit old. The cap is totally yellow from leakage of the deep brown liquid. I love BPAL and have really enjoyed every single one I've tried... But my imp smells like Avon Topaz perfume. I'm sure it's because it's just past its prime, but that's what I get out of this one. There are no grapes here. There is no orange. There is only my Avon Topaz. I put a LOT on, to try to make sure I'm not missing anything. This imp is hereby decomissioned and will not be recirculated as representative of this scent.

Very delicate and yellow-white. Uplifting and good for mental clarity. I usually lean toward amber, musk, frankinsence, the darker ones. Hymn is the BPAL oil that convinced me that I *can* and *should* wear florals.

When I wear Envy, flowers envy me. It surrounds me in a Power Cloud....not that the scent is overpowering, but it really gives me a mental boost. This cloud is sometimes lavender and sometimes light green..It's irridescent and color-shify. It definitely glitters with energy. I'm enthralled with this light, fresh, empowering scent.

Dragon's Blood Is like a gentle, warm, sensuous cloud around me. I love every ingredient separately, and together they are almost too delicious to bear, they're so good. Nothng's too strong, none of the notes are arguing, they're just hanging out on a warm veranda drinking rum as the sun goes down. Added to "Must Have Big Bottle List"

I find this to be a very clean and energizing scent. I smell the 'Bounce' that LadyLatemar refers to, but it's on a higher plane than just fabric softerner on me. I really really like it. It's so refreshing and makes me feel really awake. This is a bad pun, but whenever I see the name "Lightening," I say, "...yes it is...lightening my mood, that is." (warned you!) I've been wearing this a lot the last few days. It's just so fresh when it's so hot outside.

Old mellow wood and a ghostly faint trail of yellow tea roses. (Stunningly beautiful.)

This is the last imp to be tried from my recent swap. Somehow, I found the name and the ingredients a bit intimidating. Waited, put it off... But man, this is the GOODS. I'm telling you. The woody notes are impeccable. And the lilly on top is fascinating. The combination of such a white-smelling floral and those slightly brown greens...is really intense. I have to come out in the open and say that I'm a geologist and I hike and camp alot. And I love this. It captures so muh of the goodnes of the way outside can smell. Like waking up, crawilng out of the tent, it's autumn, there's dew on everything and someone already thought to start the fire and get some eggs and coffee going. (You can't smell eggs and coffee in this, but it's that early morning camping, everything is so fresh and pure and awesome feeling.) This is going on my "Must own big bottle of this" list.

Cathode is so joyous. Mint juleps and delicate blossoms...like Churchill Downs on the day of the derby. All expectation and sunlight.

I just placed my first order on the 24th July. After reading this thread, I've decided to try to forget about it and just let myself be pleasantly surprised when it arrives. I'm an international orderer, so I had the package shipped to my parents in the states and then they'll send it to me. In the meantime, though, I'm *absolutely* making up my list for the next order. (If it's mid-September and I'm still BPAL-less, though, I'll be back here with Qs looking for some As.)

Katharina is energy in a bottle. I love that it's musky and deep and at the same time fruity. It really gets things clicking in my head.

Now. I'm no pro at picking out the individual notes, so I won't even try to play. The previous posts all have delicious conjectures on that subject. Old Morocco is the most unbelievably sultry scent I've ever had the pleasure of nose-ifying. On days when I feel uglish or fattingly, I slather some of this dream serum on my forearms and am instantly transported to some lovely, warm place where beautiful young people are fanning me with palm fronds while I recieve a massage infused with fragrant oils native to their sultry land.

Mercury is beautiful. Right out of the bottle, it's total cinnamon. As it settles down, subtle ylang ylang notes pop up, and musk, and Mercury becomes a sultry cloud of warmth surrounding me as I go through my day. Both Olfactorily and Emotionally, I love this one. It has a nice warming glow on the skin. I'm a redhead and have very sensitive skin. I've broken out in hives from certain Body Shop oils, and this cinnamon problem people are having didn't affect me in the least. When I wear this, I feel energized and (at the same time) calm...empowered with a "Hit me with your best shot" kind of confidence. I'm gettin' me some mo'.