mazikeen

I went through a whole bottle of Masabakes... I can't remember how long it took, maybe a few months to a year? I was surprised when I found that it was gone! Now I order so many scents that using up a bottle seems inconcievable... there's so many to choose from! Imps last a shockingly long time. At first I was iffy about it... they're the same size that's often given out as free samples in department stores (or at least they used to). It seemed so expensive for such a tiny amount. But never fear! Those little imps go a long way! I'm a cheap bastard, and those imps are worth every penny. (Bottles too, of course!) By the way, I fully believe in slathering. BPAL is a luxury item, and it's meant for enjoyment. So enjoy it! Slather away! Swim in it! Reek of it!

I don't know if this is the kind of thing that you were looking for, but reading this, Regan immediately sprang to mind. It smells womanly to me. Very grown up and sophisticated. And frankly, the line between "adult woman" and "old lady" is very fine indeed. (It's all in the eye of the beholder, eh?)

They've been mentioned, but I'll give another thumbs up to Odin, Yggdrasil, as well as Niflheim. I got all three of these at once and they coverted me to an herbal-lover.

In the bottle, this smells divine... exactly what I'd hoped for. It smells cold, then the pine & eucalyptus creeps in. It does evoke a cold night outdoors, in a gentle and quiet way, when everything is silent and still. It smells about the same on... but only for awhile. It dried into an odd scent... I can't put my finger on it. It's sharp, and almost sour. Something in this doesn't agree with me. I'm still holding out hope for it, and will try it again later on. Added later-- Tried it again. This time... lemon. Usually this has been a bad thing in the past, but this is a nice lemon. Tart and sweet at once. How odd... now this smell is evoking bright crisp clean sunshine. Makes me want to do some spring cleaning. Strange! Who knows what I'll get next time... is this the mood ring of scents?

I wanted to like it, but smelled the imp and thought, "meh" and then prepared for the worst. What was I thinking?! This is good stuff. Brighter than I expected, and almost sweet and fruity, without being either sweet or fruity. If that makes sense. Very outdoorsy-- green and herbal and clean. It's a happy scent. This has a lot of potential! I'm going to save it for when spring comes and retry it then. Added later, at the start of spring-- Husband: "Hey, did you know that you have a perfume called Ochosi over here?" Me: "Um, yes." Husband: "Did you know I used to have a WoW character named Ochosi?" Me: "Yup, that's why I bought it. It was a good name for a troll." Husband: *sniffs* "Hawaiian Punch!" ...And you know, he's right. This is as fruity as I'm prepared to go, scent-wise. I'm enjoying this for spring. When I first pulled it out, I'd forgotten that I'd already written this review, and my reactions were exactly the same: "meh" in the imp, "mmm" on my wrist.

Oooh, interesting. At first, it's earthy and spicey-- must be the leather & incense. (Not sure what oakmoss would smell like.) Wait wait... floral? Is that you, all dressed up in leather? Wow-- I didn't know you had it in you! It's just the tiniest whiff of florals to round out the leather and soften it a little. That leather is still the predominant scent. Thank goodness nothing orangey has shown up yet. I can't stop smelling my wrist! After a few minutes, it's turning a bit smokey. Must be that incense again. Smoke is now dominant, with leather still solidly in the background. This scent could be nicely masculine, too. In sum: leather and smoke. Very nice! Whether or not this is bottle material remains to be seen-- it depends on how fast I go through this imp.

To my nose, this is a straight-up rose, rose-and-nothing-but-rose. Very girly, feminine, and delicate. It's not my thing, but I've tried it a few times before bed. It's fine in that context, and the strong rosiness mostly fades away just when I'm ready for it to. Nice enough, but not really my cup of tea. Someone above suggested that this may be good in hot summer weather to help you feel a little fresher and cleaner, so I'll save my imp for situations like that, and as an occasional bedtime scent.

After hearing so many people wax rapsodically about Snake Oil, I figured it was about time I tried an imp. It was thick and yellow on my skin-- I was afraid it'd stain my clothes, so I rubbed it in (usually I just let BPALs sink in wet), and then I feared it'd stain my skin an orangey-yellow. Whew-- it didn't. So far, this stuff seems dangerously messy. Ok, this smells like syrup. Oh god, I smell like waffles. I smell like one of the Waffle People! Anyone who spends time dealing with the public has met a Waffle Person-- they are often overweight, a bit dirty around the edges, poorly dressed, and for some reason, they reek of waffles... it's as if they eat so much sugary garbage that their skin excretes pure syrup. So far, Snake Oil is thoroughly unappealing. Later on, the overwhelming sugariness settled down to a tolerable level. Still, it's very foody. I don't smell vanilla, really... just sugar. A warm candied sugar. As it is now, I'd put Snake Oil into a little category of imps I've collected which are ones that I only wear when I'm alone. When I'm in front of the computer, instead of snacking I can just smell my wrists. I would definitely not want to smell like this around anyone-- I think I'd gross them out. Snake Oil is thick, sugary, gooey syrup. I don't see how this can be "sensual" or "sexy" at all. However, this many BPALers can't be wrong-- there's gotta be something more to this when aged. I'm not ready to write off Snake Oil yet. I'll let it age and try it again in 6 months to a year.

Despite a string of negative & lukewarm reviews for Crossroads, I had to try it for the name alone. (Ok, to be honest... for the World of Warcraft reference alone, since there's a town in that game named Crossroads.) Based on the notes, I didn't expect to like it much, but alas, I like it even less than expected. I hoped for incense, but instead I get a very strong lady-perfume. It's floral in the worst possible way (for me). This stuff is strong. Now it's turning powdery, but not a soft gentle powder like other florals end up on me. Nope-- strong powder, the kind of powder scent that's used to mask nasty scents. This is a no-go on me. Sorry, Crossroads. Now I have to decide if the geek-reference makes it worth keeping or not... Fixed typo and edited for clarity.

I need all the confidence and "go-get-'em" attitude that I can get right now, as the work and money situation has reached a critical point... if something doesn't change soon, there will be serious ramifications, and my confidence is shot. I ordered an imp of High John hoping and praying for it's miraculous voodoo properties. So far, no luck on that front. Sigh. I'll give it one more try, though. I'm guessing that it has not had its desired effect because wearing it does not help my confidence in the slightest. It smelled of lemony cleaning products on me-- a weird burnt lemon scent, and then faded away entirely. I keep reading that it is better aged. On one hand I'm curious to try that, but on the other, I'm not convinced that it would work on me aged, either. I get a lemony/popcorn/powder effect from several BPALs, but I haven't pinpointed the culprit ingredient yet. While I don't get the popcorn/powder aspect from High John, I suspect that I would if aged, since I think that mystery ingredient is lurking in here. I'll update if I get any different effect when I try it a second time.

Wet: Ooooh, nice. Cinnamony and a kitcheny type of spice, without being foody. It's warm, comforting, and enveloping. So far, I love it! Drying: Uh-oh. It feels like it's irritating my skin a little. That can be forgiven-- it feels like it makes my skin red, but nope, it isn't actually red. Hopefully this itchiness will go away soon. Later: Oh good, that didn't last long at all. The leather has emerged-- yum. It's also vaguely herbal? I think? The cinnamon is still there, but has really toned down. This would be a good scent for a guy. No, scratch that, this smells like a yummy guy. This has a good throw-- I get a whiff of myself occasionally. I like that. I love this scent. I'll enjoy the imp, and there may be a bottle in future.

That is so true. After typing the sentence "I hate florals" twice in one day, I test this out in the evening. Lo and behold, a floral that I like. This was sent as a freebie, and I swear, the timing was so perfect. It's as if the Lab knew better and wanted to prove me wrong. So I guess this is what orchid smells like? It is a sophisticated scent-- intelligent and graceful. Cultured. Regan does go just a bit powdery, but it's very slight and forgiveable. I don't need a bottle of it, but I will certainly cherish the imp. It may be good for job interviews or any formal occasion that would require me to fool people into thinking that I'm a lady.

This was sent as a freebie, but sadly the top of the imp shattered in shipping. Not one to waste a drop of BPAL, I wore it even though it required picking the miniscule shards of glass from my wrist. Don't try this at home, kids. Since I want to use it up before it inevitably spills, I've been slathering it on. Even so, it seems to disappear upon contact! It is very faint, but yes, it is there. I can't for the life of me pick out what this smells like. Others have mentioned a creaminess, and I can see that. Not a sticky, foody cream, though-- more like the color cream. There's also the slightest undercurrent of earthiness. Not gritty dirt; but a deep, quiet earth. I keep expecting this to turn to powder, but it doesn't. It is so faint, but it is absolutely lovely. I'm the kind of person who tends to favor big bold scents, and I still love it. I think that this has definite "signature scent" potential, as it is so hard to pinpoint that it doesn't seem like you're wearing a scent at all-- people would think that this is just what you smell like naturally. I dream of scenting all my laundry and fabric in the house with this (if only I knew how). This has big bottle potential (once I can afford it). This would also be a good scent to give as a gift to someone else, as I can see it appealing to many different tastes. Recommended.

This didn't work on me... I can't remember why exactly, but I believe it went a little sour. But, I didn't buy it for myself, so that's ok. This smells divine on my husband-- very piney and clean. Not a cold pine, but a fresh and homey pine. Christmas tree-ish, but not so much so that he couldn't wear it year-round. It smells wonderfully fresh on him. The only downside is that the pine fades very fast. It's really really strong at first, and disappears within the hour. I'm not sure what scent (if any) lingers on him, or if it morphs, etc. It's too bad that it fades so fast, but while it lasts, I adore sniffing him. Added-- Ok, so he complained that it didn't last through a day of work. He's wrong-- I can still catch whiffs on it on him when he gets home. It's just that he doesn't reek of it all day the way he'd like to. One odd thing I love about this scent is the way it lingers in the house long after he's left for work... it still smells like he's standing there. Sweetly spooky. He also specifically mentioned that he liked the tobacco in this. (I'm going to research more tobacco scents for him now.)

This is has a particular quality that I've found in a few other BPAL scents. I'm trying to pinpoint what ingredient it is that goes all wrong on me... my guess is the tea, but I'm not sure. Whatever note that is, my skin totally amps it up. I've also encountered it in Vampire Tears. (It also showed up in another blend, but I can't remember which one right now.) Whatever it is, it's very baby powdery, with whiffs of lemon and an undercurrent of popcorn. Definitely not for me.

The first time I tried it, it was floral, but dried down into a nice earthy scent that lingered. It was very very dry and a bit dusty... the name fit perfectly. I wanted to test it properly in case I needed a bottle before it became DC'd. This time I wore a normal amount, rather than just a little dab. It's very floral (I hate florals) and has a decent throw. Hours later, it's still going strong, which would be great... if I liked the scent. This time I'm not getting that dry dusty earthiness at all... just floral. Old lady floral, at that. On me, it's 100% white floral, and nothing else. I'll pass on that bottle, for sure. I'm not sure that I even need the imp. Sorry, Shroud, I won't really miss you.

I must say that I love the review above. Don't be scared off by the "meat" comment in it. As a lifelong vegetarian, I didn't feel like I'd just smeared a slab of meat all over me or anything. Troll is cold and dark, but with an earthy spiciness. It has an airy pine-iness to it, like being outdoor around pine trees on a bitterly cold day, when the wind is like a blast of ice on your skin. Dead leaves and dirty ground. Smoky spices coming from someone's chimney. Not comforting food spices though-- more like Hansel and Gretyl have just pushed the witch into the oven. And then a troll pops out from under a bridge, demanding you answer his riddle before he'll let you pass. It has a very nice throw and lasts quite a while. It tries to lurk, but is unsuccessful-- it's just too big to hide. It doesn't change much over the course of wearing it, which is really nice. Apparently, with a troll, what you see (or in this case, initially smell) is what you get. I can't believe that there are so few reviews for Troll, because it is FANTASTIC. I will be buying a bottle of this at my earliest opportunity. I want to slather this on by the bucketful. This is such an unusual scent, and frankly, it is exactly the sort of odd-but-compelling scent that I come to BPAL to find. Troll is a new all-time favorite for me. I cannot recommend it enough.

Immediately, it smelled like basic perfume. Feminine and light. Not bad, mind you, but boring. Then it faded away into... nothing. I sat at work with my wrist to my nose sniffing furiously (and probably looking like a crazy person) and found only the tiniest trace. Or was that just wishful thinking? How sad. I'll wait a week or so and give it another shot, in case my skin chemistry is just wonky right now. If I get a better result, I'll update this review. If not, it looks like I'll have a bottle available. Sigh. Aziraphale, sorry buddy, you're just too much of a sissy for my skin.

I bought a decant of this, and after trying it once or twice, I almost passed up my chance to buy a bottle of this before it was discontinued. At the last minute I panicked and bought a bottle (because nothing makes me want something like telling me that I can't have it) and I'm SO glad I did. Krampus likes to be slathered on. I put it on thickly around my neck, and on the front and back of my wrists. Lots of Krampus lasts all day-- my initial problem was that I was putting it on so daintily that it wore away too soon. I really can detect all the notes listed in here, right down to the dust. Krampus is fabulous. I suspect it's the red musk that lasts so long on me, but that wood-and-dust element really sticks around, too. It can linger for hours and hours. Not too much throw-- you have to get a bit close, but that's okay... that makes it extra naughty. It took me a few tries to really appreciate this, but it was worth the wait. Highly recommended.

I'm pretty unknowledgable when it comes to flowers. I think most flowers just smell like... flowers. And unsurprisingly, I'm not into flowers. I had no idea that this is what jasmine smelled like? I read that there was lily in here too, which even though I can't detect it, that alone makes me want to never wear it again. Lilies=funerals. Or more accurately, a particular funeral springs to my mind, one that I do not care to conjure up in my mind's eye too often. Smelling this reminded me of my childhood backyard, and my grandmother's lilac bush. But she was an unpleasant, unhappy woman, so again, it's not a memory that I care to dwell on. So, I smelled lilac, lots of lilac, with a smokier/earthier base grounding it. Must be the musk or sandalwood showing up? Sadly, they are no match for the overpowering floral scent-- they accent the floral, not blend with it. This scent is too much for me: death-by-flowers. I only have an imp, so perhaps I'll try it again-- maybe in the springtime, or when I'm not burdened by the mental associations these scents trigger. Until then, this is way too flowery for me. ADDED 4 YRS LATER-- After all that aging, now it's more or less just baby powder.

As everyone else has been saying... Major rum, with a shot of butterscotch. Very strong stuff. It is way too foody for me, and there's no way that I could wear this in public without fearing that I'd get picked up for public intoxication. Yo ho ho and a bottle of Grog? Nah, not for me, but I'll have fun with the imp.

I can't for the life of me remember if I ordered an imp on this, based on some last minute whim because of the name, or if it was a freebie. The funny thing is, I never went back and read the description until after trying it a few times. After smelling this, my mind thought "Jack" as in Pirates of the Caribbean. Hence, I think of it as being really rummy, mixed with cooking spices that make it a very foody scent. What a surprise to find out that it's a really a Jack-o-lantern scent! So... I guess this is what pumpkin smells like? I had no idea! I'm not big on foody scents and won't need a bottle. However, I've found myself reaching for this imp more than I'd have expected. For me, it's a "computer scent"-- when I'm on the computer, I'll put dabs on the top of my wrists so that I can luxuriate in scent while I'm typing. Jack is a fun scent for that. However, I'd be afraid to wear this out in public-- it's so strong and foody that I fear I'd be one of those weird people who smell like waffles. Added-- This is a really strong scent at first. Fortunately (at least for my purposes) the bulk of it wears off rather quickly, just before it starts to overstay its welcome.

The first time I tried it, it was a big "no." But to give it a second try... This is rather nice when newly applied, and I can actually pick out some of the ingredients. I was starting to think that I had dismissed this too soon. It's definitely more feminine than I usually like, though. But, lo! 20 minutes or so later, the lilac reigns supreme. I'm not a fan of lilac, or most florals in general. When I go in closer to sniff my wrists, I do get a whiff of cigarette ashes! (My husband was {keyword: was! } a very heavy smoker for almost 15 years, so it's a scent I remember well, and am not keen to revisit. This doesn't smell like the thick sludge of a full ashtray, though... it smells like clean ashes. If such a thing were possible. It must be that lilac. Sometimes I get a very slight whiff of something soapy, but not a good soapy-- almost stale. I did think that a tobacco scent would be interesting, so I won't rule out all tobaccos based on this. Nonetheless, lilac and ashes. Thank goodness I bought a decant from someone instead of a whole bottle. Definitely not for me. I may try it in an oil burner sometime, though. ... Oh wow, as I go back and read my review and see the words I used to describe this... is this the scent of an eating disorder? I picture some overly done-up model who lives on nothing but cigarettes, who smells stale, as if her insides are rotting away, but tries to cover it up with perfume. That captures the spirit of the character Famine pretty well, I'd say! So, in that regard, bravo, BPAL! Even though I won't be wearing it, I can appreciate it.

I recieved this imp free from a swap (thank you thank you! Very considerate of you.) I like the name and the idea of this scent, but alas... At first, it is overly floral for my tastes. Then it settles into baby powder. There's also a slight lemon-iness and whiff of popcorn similar to Vampire Tears, although here it's slight, whereas with VT it is turned up to 11. It's not really for me. I might give it another chance. If it still doesn't work on me, I'll try it in an oil burner. It seems like an appropriate scent for the house when doing some spring cleaning. Added-- After settling in, that lemony/popcorny scent disappeared entirely (thankfully) and it lingers on hours later as a floral that seems grounded with something spicy or earthy. I still don't need a bottle by any means, but the imp may come in handy when I want something feminine-but-not-girly.

The first time I tried it, it was too sweet for me, with a weird unpleasant tang. It must have been a bad time for me, skin-chemistry-wise. I tried it again last night and I got a different effect... I'm not getting the "dry" and "smoky" as much as other people, and that's a shame. Instead, it reminded me of dragon's blood... is that what that stuff is called? It was something, which I know now comes from the herb shop, that we'd smoke in high school. We were told that it was opium, which made us feel oh-so-exotic. A decade later, a high school friend decides to make her own incense, and voila, we discover our naive mistake. Perhaps I had this major flashback because I was wearing it to, of all things, a high school basketball game. (I felt so out of place there, but we went to have a nice time with my father-in-law.) The setting, plus the smell of Anubis, took me into a time warp. (And helped to inject some interest into the setting for me. ) Oddly, when I'd sniff my wrists, I could hardly smell anything at all. I'd assumed that the scent had worn off after just an hour. But, no! Every time I'd move I'd get a huge whiff of Anubis! How strange... Anubis hides, avoiding direct interaction. Instead he follows your every move like a shadow. Added-- There is something fruity about this. I wish I could go back in time and give this to myself in high school, when I wore nothing but strawberry or vanilla essential oil. I would have LOVED it.