rien

And...that about sums it up for me. Kubla Khan fits in the 'good things' category. I'll ditto the above since it's impossible for me to pick out particular notes in this one. It's lovely and eeenteresting! The only downside I can report over here is that it disappears on me after about ten minutes. Why, why, whyyy? But that's easily remedied and worth the effort for this one! Yay!

Erm, I wore this when I woke up one morning knowing it was going to be a trying day at work ... and a couple hours after application, it made me puke. I don't know why, it doesn't smell horrible, it just triggered something bad in my brain. Maybe I'll try it again another time - kind of like getting sick off a particular drink, though, it'll be awhile before I can separate that initial experience from the oil enough to give it another chance. =/

I don't know if it's the power of persuasion (knowing the name and background of the oil) or what, but when I wear this, I just want to swing my hips a little when I walk, or lean over just that tad bit too much to show a little cleavage. It makes me want to put on my RenFest wench garb and go try my luck with a man in tights. All this tartiness would be set to Poe's "Hey Pretty," of course. Hated this at first, but when I gave it a real chance to settle in, it definitely grew on me. Must remember not to judge an oil by first sniff of the imp. It's sexy and dark and 'ooh, what's that?' and - again, power of persuasion - conjures images of a silk-stockinged, satin-clad prostitute sashaying down the street leaving men drooling in her wake.

Sex in a bottle. I would let Crowley do nasty, twisted, debaucherous things to me. And I'd let him think it was all his idea.

I've been lusting after War for months and got a bottle from my Enabler, who couldn't sing its praises enough. V v excited and SO wanted to be one of the luckies War fancied, but I seem to be among those for whom she doesn't work. Even my sister, who usually jumps for joy when oils don't work on me - because ALL the 'not right' ones on me seem to work on her (Velvet, Mad Sweeney, even Enraged Groundhog Musk lol) - couldn't vibe with this oil. For both of us - in the bottle, wet, dry-down and dry - ALL we could smell was Tony Chachere's (non-Cajuns, google it ). le sigh. Forget not being able to wash it off quickly enough, as another poster mentioned - I couldn't wash it off, period, so at least can't say I didn't stick with it 'til the bitter end (about an hour later). Keeping it anyway for the zexxxy label ... maybe I'll give her another shot some other time, or for my next crawfish boil.

In imp: weird, but pleasant. Very almond-y. Wet, on skin: all I smell is almond - oh, mmm, it smells like a toasted almond drink. Drydown: thank god it mellows out, otherwise I'd become a raging alcoholic every time I put it on. The fig notes and coconut are starting to peek through, and I think it's the sandalwood keeping it grounded. If this was Eden, then I'd kick out the unworthy, too, just to keep my little sacred garden to myself. Dry: everything's blending into each other, still with almond upfront but nicely allowing the others to push through here and there. Guh

In imp: as sexual as Loviatar, but more feminine and sensual as opposed to in-your-face-and-on-your-knees. Wet, on skin: this is taking off the spiked heels and rubbing ointment into the whip marks. Drydown: it's bringing him close after punishing him, promising to be nicer next time though each of you knows she won't. it's the tender woman under the charade. Dry: it's soft and feminine and - this sounds crazy - it's a hopeful Tart who dreams of romance under the smutty exterior. this is Penny Lane on quaaludes.

In imp: super-duper floral, v strong jasmine with rose in a close second; I think it's the myrrh that pulls them together. Not sure how something so overtly floral will work on me psychologically (it's STILL in my nose). Wet, on skin: it's like a perfume I've worn before, but junkie I am, hell if I know which one. Drydown: augh! what is this? very flowery, anyway. maybe it's the flowers that I'm confusing with another fragrance. I do like it, but it's almost overwhelmingly floral. something I'd wear to church or to visit my stodgy Aunt Brenda to make her jealous because she would love it. Dry: I no longer smell like a 5'3" night-blooming jasmine, but a pretty little shadow lurking outside your window after dusk. Much better given time to set in.

In imp: can't describe. I smell the apple on second sniff, maybe if I knew what ylang ylang smelled like on its own this would be easier to describe? Wet: oh, it's sweet and pretty and there's a curious apple underneath it all. Drydown: oh, love. The rose is coming through - I smell rose and apples, rose and apples, I'm in heaven. Eve, you silly girl. I would've gone for the forbidden fruit, too. Dry: I thought maybe more of the other two components would have overtaken the apples and roses, but they only seem to have made them better, somehow. How? I don't know, but it is. Apples and roses. This is divine.

In imp: HOLY wow, this one is HOT. Def one to wear whilst writing girl-on-top smut! Holy wow, zomgz. Could never wear it to work with a straight face, that's how sexually-charged this is! Wet, on skin: oh god, it's leather and dripping sex. It's too good to be allowed. Drydown: the leather and musk keep strength enough to make unworthy boys beg for it. This is divine, in the wickedest way possible. Dry: she's still cracking the whip, I'm her slaaave - hee!

Rhododendron and bellflower petals swirl through deep, cool, dark aquatic notes. In imp: smells like a Christmas tree. By a river. Huh. Wet, on skin: I can't shake the Christmas tree thing! Not a cheap car air freshener, but like stepping onto a tree lot. Drydown: it rained on the tree. lol This all sounds unpleasant, but it's oddly appealing. Would be great fun to wear at Christmastime, but don't know if I could pull it off any other time of year without feeling out of season. Dry: okay, the tree has finally backed off and it's turning rather aquatic. Still not quite sure if I would wear it often, but I do foresee myself coming back to it again and again to try! (ETA BPAL description)

In imp: omg! I want to eat it! Yummy - EXACTLY what you'd expect. Wet, on skin: can I lick the bowl? Jaysus. Er, all I smell is cake, though the other components are probably contributing to making the cake as heavenly as it is. Drydown: I don't know what's coming out strongest, only that it's sinfully sweet. I'd wear this to a biker bar to feel enticingly out of place, or to a child's birthday party to feel like I belong. Could work for or against your projected purity - but mostly, I just want to lick myself. Dry: not so much on the cake anymore, which is probably safest for everyone; want to say it's becoming more milk and honey? whatever it's doing, it's delicious.

In imp: very clean one. Super clean. Unnaturally clean, you might say. Actually, it reminds me of a French parfum I have called "Eau Fantastique" - fantastic (literal, not 'wow' meaning, heh) water. Wet, on skin: it's insane! I just keep huffing my arm and don't want to stop and miss anything to type! Drydown: the honeydew is the first one that grabs my attention, then - oh god, it's so good - um, the mandarin and it actually does remind me of cacti! Thankfully, I smell no freesia; if it's there, this is so perfectly blended that it's gently overshadowed by the more prominent whites and greens. this will be a great morning pick-me-up, or to cool down and clean off after traipsing around the dirty, busy city on my summer lunchbreaks. Dry: the musks are coming through more now, which is actually kind of perfect because the initial OMG clean would make a girl dizzy if it lasted too long; once it mellows out, it's REfreshing rather than in-your-face fresh.

In imp: oh, lovely! Very green, light, summery fragrance. This is gonna get the hell worn out of it - it's like the antithesis of humidity! Wet, on skin: this is so fabulously green and fresh! Like if you mowed your lawn and got a lemon caught under the blades, but not in a room-freshener kind of way. Drydown/Dry: lives up to wet expectations - the perfect answer to a sticky summer day!

Disclaimer: most of my family is from Louisiana, I'm an Anne Rice junkie, and generally overly protective of attempts to capture the essence of one of my favourite places on earth. Also, I HATE to cry, and fight the urge whenever possible. That said... In imp: could smell this through the bottle, and that faint whiff alone screamed Crescent City already. The honeysuckle is blatant, which I was wanting. Deeper whiff and the lemon comes out quite strong, but overall a nice floral, sticky, southern scent. Wet, on skin: this is so nostalgic of every moment ever spent in Louisiana that I want to CRY. CRY. Drydown: holds onto the initial and blatant honeysuckle topnote, with the jasmine and lemon working against and complementing each other wonderfully. The spice is my grandparents' backyard and sleeping with the windows open in your haunted orphanage hotel in Vieux Carre. I kid you not, am on the verge of tears. It's spiced honeysuckle with a bit of jasmine. I'm sitting in a courtyard, waiting for the Vampire Lestat to come sweep me away... Dry: I'm driving home to Texas with the feeling of Louisiana in every fibre of my being. This is so many of my formative years in a teensy vial, I couldn't begin to tell you... (ETA: I wish I'd had this for my grandfather's funeral back in March, it would have been the perfect homage to my roarin' Cajun granddaddy.)

In imp: sweet and naughty and playful, as an imp should be! Reminds me of a renfest shop of windchimes, tarot cards and incense. Wet: it's sharply bohemian, in a way? Like walking into a headshop wearing Kathy Lee Gifford clothing and feeling everyone trying to figure you out. Drydown: I feel less conspicuously out of place, the tamer notes are coming out; I'm catching the peach now, and some amber, but the patchouli still seems to be the frontrunner. Dry: am becoming more comfortable in the scent, it's musky and sweet, pretty inviting actually

In imp: oh, mmm. Mmmohmmm. This smells like something I know very well, but can't place my finger on it. I can place my finger on smoky eyes and a velvet skirt and a lace corset, though. This is intoxicating... Wet: aristocracy, can't think of any other way to describe it. It's stuffy and sensual, dark and decadent. Drydown: the opium, I think, over the florals, gives it its wicked-yore appeal. It's borderline "old lady," but has an x-factor that commands attention. Dry: it's just getting better...

In imp: so that's what an orgasm smells like? I'll take it! Wet, on skin: funk, can't figure it out, exactly. It reminded me of a quote from Rules of Attraction, Lauren describing losing her virginity at a kegger: "When I came to, he was already ----ing me, but he didn't know that I was a virgin and that it hurt. Not that badly, only a little bit of sharp pain, but not as bad as I had been taught to expect - but not exactly pleasant, either." I know, it's weird, but that line popped into my head when I put it on. Drydown/Dry: Wore this for a trip to Target and spent half the time en route sniffing my arms (yes, in the store too). Got caught in a gust of wind and actually looked around to see what that awesome smell was - it was me! It's hard to describe - it smells like skin after something dirty, but in the best possible way. Sadly, it suddenly vanished at hour in, but worth reapplying. I feel like I have a secret when I'm wearing this in public.

In imp: indeed! The roses are beautiful, could only smell "something else" which must be the cinnamon - I like that it's subtle enough you can't tell exactly what the other note is. I hope hope hope this works, the rose is delish! Wet, on skin: oh god, the roses, the roses. mmmmm. Drydown: they become kind of powdery, which makes me feel clean and womanly and everything good about a nice spring day. Not like a harlot at all, hee! I love this. Dry: soft and sweet, still feeling pretty. Love.

In imp: O, boy. Not sure what this is. Will definitely have to try it on and see what this does on skin. Wet, on skin: it's barely there. Doesn't distinctly smell like any of the listed components, just kinda spicy and a little bit naughty. It is so familiar, but I can't figure out why. Drydown: turns it sweet-smelling and somewhat dirty, like a faint smile recalling a kinky secret. Dry: practically nonexistent, will try again mixed with some unscented lotion and see if having more time to figure it out can help with final thoughts. Definitely a keeper, if only for the intrigue

In imp: very nice, clean smell ... one unexpected note that I can't quite single out? Wet, on skin: reminds me of Glade scented oil candles in Clean Linen(?) - which is NOT a bad thing, as I spend way too much on those every week! Drydown: yes, that's exactly what it smells like. go to the grocery store and huff some Glade candles, and you've got Dirty. Frankly, I rather enjoy smelling like a candle. YMMV. Dry: it's becoming febreze fabric softener. I've seen a lot of people who say this as a negative, but fresh laundry has always been one of my fave smells in the whole wide world, so... Sidenote to outofrhyme's professional scent comment - I definitely plan on using this to brighten up my sometimes-claustrophobic office space!

In imp: I think it's the black patchouli that does it, it smells like Imp's deliquent older brother, the shop that sells pentacles and studded cuffs. Wet, on skin: I can barely smell it. Maybe it’s one of those sins that makes you really, really ashamed of yourself, so that you try to forget you did it? Drydown: I've never worn anything with patchouli, so maybe that's what I'm smelling? Can also catch the amber and cinnamon, which is a nice partnership. Subtler than I thought it would be, but I don't want a scarlet letter emblazoned on my pheromones, either, so the hint of sin works.

In imp: could smell this through the bottle and already knew was in for a treat! Smells like Martha Stewart's kitchen at Christmastime. Wet, on skin: the chocolate and vanilla are fighting over each other, giving the feeling you get when you walk into a house and know something awesome is in the oven, but you can't figure out what it is and no one will tell you anything more than it's a surprise for dessert. Drydown: more of the toffee, hazelnut and buttercream, caramel poking through occasionally. not a kind thing to wear to a weight-watchers meeting, but agonisingly foody and delicious.

Before I start: I ordered this because I am settling into my newly-single status, and wanted something to put on the extra pillow (without having to go out and spend $60 on his cliche Polo, ha). And I needed some masculine inspiration to kickstart my muse for the erotica story I've been writing. So, I wanted a boyfriend in a bottle, hee! In imp: errr ... ew. Smells like a man who's gone a few days without a shower (so I guess appropriate?) - was hoping for better, but will see what it's like on skin. Not thoroughly unpleasant, but definitely not what I was expecting. Wet, on skin: errrg. I'm having the same wrinkled-nose effect as I had with Velvet. I really wanted to like this, have I mentioned that? Drydown: maybe the leather/cinnamon combo? There's just something in this that does not agree to my senses. It does smell familiar, if I could figure out what it was to more accurately describe my unfortunate disdain. But, I can't stand to huff my wrist one more time to figure out what that is. Dry: huh. is this the same "get it off me!" that I just put on? it's mellowing out, it smells like a man (which is the only hope I'd had when I ordered, hee!). I guess the leather? but an expensive leather that's been in a smoky dive bar with dimestore beauty queens hanging on him all night. amazing. maybe I won't put this on the swap pile just yet.

Firstly - have never had absinthe, have always wanted to try it, so this was the first imp I ordered, ever. That said... In imp: smells kinda like medicine, but strangely exactly how I expected it to smell Wet, on skin: very minty, with lemon. Drydown: I know this, it's almost like candy. OH! Holy crap! It's licorice! From what I've read/heard of the drink, they nailed it! Dry: I wasn't so sure I'd like smelling like a licorice-flavoured green fairy, but it's actually quite nice. Picking up the less obvious notes, as well. Unexpectedly nice, yes.