naeelah

I'm pretty much just chiming in to agree with the other reviews. This one has a distinct dragon's blood base that has the typical almost-fruity-but-not-quite quality. It's sweet and thick smelling, and it blends well with the lotus. I'm not familiar with lotus, but I have to assume it's similarly sweet and thick, because this is a very syrupy scent. That's one thing I love about dragon's blood -- it's sweet and fruity, but being a resin, it's always grounded with that soft organic quality. This is a rare one that smells the same on me from bottle to final dry down. It has almost no morph. Other dragons blood based fragrances dry to a patchouli-like, dry resinous quality, but perhaps because of the lotus blend here, this one is remarkably consistent, with good staying power. Light throw. This was a freebie, and I've really taken to it. I love almost anything with dragon's blood, but this is a nice spin on a floral base. However, I wouldn't categorize this as a floral. Interesting and definitely a bit different. Very nice! I would definitely consider getting 5 ml of this.

Only brief notes this time, to say that I'm in love with this. The predominant note is the bitter clove, followed closely by the black musk. I agree with the other reviews that say this is basically the scent of a goth guy at a club. A man in cologne, smoking clove cigarettes. It's a complex blend, but it combines to an austere and smoky blend, deepened by the sensuality of the musk and punctuated by sharp cloves. I adore clove, so if it weren't for the musk I would buy this by the bucketful. The musk gives this more of a traditional men's cologne quality that doesn't quite suit me, however, I still adore it and will probably wear it.

I ordered this as a fan of incensey fragrances, and because I was just curious what it was like. It turns out it's exactly like the notes. I'm truly amazed at how well this captures the feeling. It's not the type of fragrance I normally like to wear, but I couldn't stop sniffing it and saying "Wow!" Dry, this scent is predominately herbal, set in a dusty, long-forgotten wooden room. And yes, there's just a faint hint of incense, as if the residue of masses that ended long, long ago. The herbal blend isn't at all medicinal, but very dry. I won't seek out a bottle of this unless I fall in love with it in an oil burner, but I will definitely keep the imp, just because I'm so in awe. Really a fantastic scent, if it's your bag.

I'm an Aries, and while I don't actually buy astrology, I've always enjoyed it because every description of my various signs is just so accurate. So, surprise surprise, the scent of Aries sounded like it was exactly the perfume I was looking for. In the bottle and wet it smells strongly of black pepper. For a moment, that's all I get on my skin. It calms down to reveal the honeysuckle, which continues to carry a strong whiff of pepper behind it. I get a little of the dragon's blood, which is a good bottom note, and unfortunately, none of the ginger. This one morphs very little on me, for once! The longevity is good. After several hours, it's still definitely noticeable. This is confident and slightly abrasive scent. Combined with the pepper, the honeysuckle takes on an almost astringent quality. It's very unusual, which is good, and definitely not a scent that strikes me as destined to be loved by everyone. Try it if you like: Wrath

I wasn't entirely sure what to think of this one at first, but after wearing it all day I'm in love! This one isn't a very "me" scent, and I was fully aware of that when I bought it. I had no idea what it would smell like, except for the description in reviews that it smells like bright, fresh, springtime. It was those reviews that convinced me to buy it. I don't usually spring for fresh scents, but I always look forward to the coming of spring as a time of optimism and potential, so I bought this fragrance hoping it would encapsulate that feeling. It's difficult to pick out notes in describing this one, because it's a very rich and complex blend. In the bottle and on the initial dry down, bergamot is definitely the top note. It's a very bright, almost astringent quality over florals. After 15-30 minutes the bergamot calms down and the bouquet comes into full bloom. It continues to develop over time, but nothing ever stands out to my nose. It's just a perfect fresh, bright, springtime feeling. There really is no better way to describe it. The powdery orris and frankincense help to balance the bergamot, and these help to round out the floral notes. For me, it's the frankincense that prevents this from being a more standard floral blend, and it makes it very wearable. The notes that I never get, personally, are the sweet cakes or cream. (However, it turns out the Abhisarika is perfect for layering, to add that quality.) {EDIT:} I've found the cake! After about 4 hours of wear, the scent softens to a much sweeter and vanilla-y blend, but still with a distinct floral character. At last, a fragrance that doesn't turn into baby powder on me! The bergamot was a little off-putting at first, before I knew it would calm down. So I left the house not sure of how I felt about it. As I drove through town with the windows down, from time to time I could catch the scent on the wind. Every time I saw spring flora and fauna and caught a whiff I thought, this is just perfect. This is one of the best things I've sniffed from BPAL. There's no denying that this is a very skillful blend and beautifully realized. It wears very well, with good longevity and very little morphing. (As it wears, the only change I noticed was that the frankincense became slightly more noticeable.) The throw is moderate to strong, but it avoids being too sharp or too soft It's right in the middle. I'm glad I got this! I love it more the more I wear it.

This is yet another that I think wonderfully realizes the intended character (youthful, innocent, passionate). This is a wonderful fragrance for spring, for me, because of this character. In the bottle I mostly smell bright musk. Wet, the musk is most prominent but quickly dissipates to the background. Drying, I get a sweet cream as the top note, with soft rose underneath. I was actually a little surprised by how light the rose is. I'm not familiar with orchid's fragrance, so I can't pick it out specifically, but I can detect a floral note other than the rose, and it blends beautifully. The orchid blend seems very rich and perfume-y (in a good way) but not at all cloying. Dry, I can't pick out the musk as much, but it seems to provide good balance to the sweet cream note. This has very little to no throw and I had to slather it on for it to be noticeable to me. The life was about average. It's a very soft fragrance to begin with, so it becomes even softer as it wears, but it doesn't quickly fade into obscurity. After several hours the sweet cream note was most prominent, but I could still get a whiff of faint florals. Final verdict: this one is lovely and is a beautifully realized concept. If I had my druthers the rose would be a little stronger, but I think that would take away from some of the youthful feeling. This probably won't become daily wear for me, but I think it's perfect for cozy and happy-go-lucky spring days. As should be obvious by the notes, this isn't one for people who don't like florals or fragrances that are a bit sweet. If you're a bit rose wary, have no fear, because this isn't a fragrance that screams rose.

This scent positively glows. What a wonderful realization of the concept! The notes say "gilded" and boy, is that right. For me, it's difficult to pick out the individual notes in this. The citrus is apparent, but it's a warm, honey-like citrus. Not so bright or zesty. Mostly I get citrus with warm amber, and just a touch of the floral, like a bouquet of flowers wafting nearby. Despite the floral notes, I definitely can't call this a floral fragrance. The floral notes balance the fruit and resinous notes perfectly, creating a fragrance that is neither floral nor fruity. It's just... gold. To me it feels very carefree and elegant. This is a really gorgeous fragrance and I love it. Unfortunately, on my skin, it fades incredibly quickly. After 30 minutes it's hardly noticeable and turns very baby powder-ish (perhaps because I amp the amber like crazy). A pity, because this is one I would want to buy. I'll keep the imp and revisit it another season. Sometimes my skin chemistry reacts differently.

I was really looking forward to trying this one, and it hasn't disappointed me. In bottle: bright, fresh linen! Wet: bright, fresh linen! With a little bit of something kind of astringent. I suppose that's the tea before it settles down. Not so much of the spice, honey or anything else. Dry: This is one that definitely takes some time to settle and behave. It's not so nice when it first goes on, but after 15 minutes or so it's wonderful! Exactly like the notes. It's spices (I can smell the cinnamon and clove) softened by black tea, and rounded out with a warm, sweet quality, like milk and honey As someone else mentioned early in the thread, it's just like a nice cup of chai tea. The great thing about this scent, and the thing that made me look forward to it, is the fresh linen note. It's what makes this fragrance unique. It lurks just behind the chai scent, not the first thing you noticed, but carried on the end of your sniff. I already have a nutmeg & ginger cologne that's very warm and cinnamony on, so I didn't need another scent like that. The linen is just the thing to balance the sweet and spicy notes, a nice mixture of fresh and warm & cozy, making this very versatile and relaxing. Spicy fragrances are my day to day scent, and this one is a perfect, lighter variation for spring. Later: It's all but gone. Unfortunately, this one fades very quickly on me. 30 minutes and I had little but a nice, fresh, lineny scent left on my wrist. Perhaps it's best for lunch or tea, or some other occasion where you only need to maintain your fragrance for a few hours. However, I think the goal is perfectly realized, and I like this one very much. Definitely worthy of a full bottle.

In bottle: COFFEE! And rose! Wet: Woah, this is rose, rose rose. After a minute I start to smell something a little bit spicy, fruity, and sweet... fig? (I checked the notes -- yes! fig! My nose rules!) Dry: Oh my god, this is so gorgeous. The top note is definitely rose, but the jasmine adds a sweet twist. The tonka bean and vanilla have come out, warming up the whole blend wonderfully. The fig adds just a hint of tartness, and the coffee lingers in the background, setting the ultimate tone. Exactly like the notes description. Later: This fades relatively quickly. An hour later, and many of the notes had faded, leaving a somewhat sandalwoody tonka bean in the fore. I could still smell the rose, less so the coffee. It has been about 3 or 3.5 hours and it's still noticeable, just quite soft. But I can live with reapplying it. final thoughts: This is a gorgeous, womanly, exotic scent. I've been after the perfect rose scent for a long time. Single note rose just isn't quite right for me, and it's something my mom wears, so I felt like I was coopting her. This is just the fragrance I've been looking for. It's rose, but different. Rose and jasmine are my favorite floral notes, and I love all of the other notes present in this. The rose and coffee stop the vanilla from being too sweet. The vanilla, fig, and tonka bean keep this from being strictly floral. And the coffee adds a unique spin on the entire blend. It's just too beautiful. Definitely going to get bottle after bottle of this!

Yay, I just received my imp! I was really looking forward to this one, and so far I'm quite pleased. In bottle: Very bright, green and floral. The gardenia really hits me. Initial drydown:: Fresh on my skin it smells much the same as it does in the bottle, with the floral notes becoming better developed. Lots of gardenia, with the rose and jasmine rounding it out nicely. My first impression is that it's not nearly as masculine or as menacing as I thought it might be. (Maybe it's more in line with the romanticized highway man?) As it begins to dry, the leather note really begins to stand out, which blends beautifully with the floral notes. Dry: Now the vetiver has come to the front. I smell vetiver first, but the flowers aren't too far behind. I can smell each floral note, but they mingle into a lovely bouquet that matches the vetiver really well. And in the background, yes, there's that faint hint of leather! I'm getting absolutely no cinnamon, but that's ok. It has become more masculine, but the floral bouquet still makes it very wearable for me. It's a great unisex scent. (However, this would be dead sexy on a guy.) On the whole, I feel like it's very cool and confident, and is a bit like walking through a flowering field at night. The faint hint of leather is like the scent that might waft from my dashing highway-hardy clothing. Definitely suits the notes description well! Later: It has softened but still has throw. The vetiver has let up, so now I smell more leather. Still no cinnamon, but the other three elements are in good balance. This feels very fresh and outdoorsy. Reasonable longevity. As a final verdict, I really like this one. The final drydown isn't necessarily the type of scent I usually wear, however, it's a lovely fragrance and perfectly realizes the site description. (Which is exciting in itself, because my skin never lets things smell like they ought to.) I'll definitely be hanging onto the imp, and I'll have to play with it some more to reach a decision on a bottle. I think layering might better suit it to my usual tastes, but I could wear it as is. EDIT: I tried layering it with Wrath, and this works very nicely, to my nose! The fruity and resiny quality of the dragon's blood blends well, and the spices help play up the intended cinnamon note. I like this combination. It's still very fresh, but a little richer and more my style.

In the bottle, what leapt out at me was the scent of sweet flowers (jasmine and honeysuckle), tempered by an almost spicy earthy note, either sandalwood or patchouli. I guess the sweet and somewhat odd earthy note came from the honey. The orange comes through, but not so much the rose. I just got a generic "floral" sense. I thought it was lovely in the bottle, "pretty" and a little bit flirty but grown up. Someone else described it as "womanly", which I think is perfect. The scent in the bottle is very strongly sweet, but I figured that would soften to something very nice on skin. And on my skin it did soften, right down to almost nothing. Unfortunately, this is one that just doesn't work for me.It instantly turns to sandalwood (my skin really amps earthy bottom notes), and the way it meshes with the honey is very weird. Or perhaps it's just the honey itself that I'm not liking on my skin. But sweet earthy must isn't really up my alley, so... Oh well. I didn't leave it on long enough to see how well it aged, because after an hour or two I was tired of it and washed it off. Definitely not something I like, as a personal perfume. I'm going to try it a room fragrance, because I do love the scent in the bottle.

In Bottle: If Sweet Tarts grew on a bush, this it what that plant would smell like. Wet: Still the Sweet Tarts like scent, but it's fading to reveal a powdery scent. Dry: The initial sweet tart-ness has faded, leaving a slightly sharp or acidic green plant scent, perhaps a little like aloe. It's rounded by a powdery scent. That's how it smells directly under my nose. From a distance (for example, sitting here typing), I smell baby powder. I can't smell any of the green plant at all. I'll update this after I've worn it a few hours, but I think that this is one for swaps. I like the green plant aspect, although it isn't for me -- at least, not in this blend. However, the overwhelming similarity to baby powder makes it a definite no go for my skin. I really don't like that aspect of this fragrance.

In bottle: As everyone else says, pure almond. Wet:Strong almond that fades quickly, with sandalwood quickly emerging, followed by the musk. Dry: Strong sandalwood and musk, rounded out by the jasmine, oakmoss, and almond lurking in the background. Smoky, in a soft, powdery way. Longevity: After about an hour, it softens to mostly sandalwood, with musk next, and the other notes barely hanging in the background. I can hardly tell there's any jasmine in this. I think in another several hours, it will remain noticable but soft, which isn't altogether a bad thing, because it seems to suit the character of this fragrance. (It's not as wicked or dangerous, for me, as the name might imply!) EDIT: I applied it around dinner time and didn't wash it off before going to bed. In the morning, I could still smell it, although it was very faint and was down to about pure sandalwood. Throughout the evening it remained noticeable, although after a few hours almost nothing but sandalwood and musk were noticeable. Overall I'd say it has reasonable staying power, at least, on me. Thoughts and impressions: I don't have a professional nose. While I am getting better at identifying scents in fragrances, I think it speaks to the skill behind this blend that I was able to pick up all of the notes without reading the description. I knew that it contained almond and jasmine, but that was it. I immediately identified the sandalwood and musk. I could smell something faintly earthy, in a dry, clean way, which must be the oak moss. My skin chemistry generally brings any sandalwood and/or musk notes right to the front. Perhaps that's why I tend to avoid any fragrance with sandalwood or musk, unless it's listed at very bottom of the notes. I appreciate it as a balancing agent, but not as a top note. They're just not my cup of tea, usually. However, it turns out Salome is a major exception. As usual, the sandalwood and musk come right to the front and stay there, but they're balanced by jasmine and almond lurking in the background. It's a sandalwood fragrance, but so much richer and prettier than most. To me, this is a very cleanly and elegantly sexy scent. It's smoky, but not spicy. Regal but grounded, and just a little exotic. It reminds me of an incense I used to burn, and it also reminds me of renaissance faires -- clean outdoors in autumn, with incense wafting out of vendors' tents. I don't think I'll buy a bottle, because it's not quite a me scent, however I definitely I think I can find enough occasions to wear this to finish the imp. Overall, I'd say it's nothing exceptional, but it's very nice, and recommended, as long as you're not hoping the almond notes will remain on top.