AbbyNormal

Very green and gold smelling, and exactly like a warm summer hike. It throws a sage that’s very reminiscent of Western Diamondback, but when I go in for a closer sniff the sage is very faint and I mainly get eucalyptus, oak, and an overall wilderness scent that’s lightly sweetened by the elderberry and lilac. It’s a very California smell and I couldn’t resist blind buying a bottle just for that reason and I’m glad I did.

I don’t get anything even remotely masculine with this, it’s very strong violet with a whisper of frankincense. No cinnamon to be found anywhere. It was very overpowering both in the imp and wet, but once dried it settled down into something I don’t desperately need to scrub off. It was close there for a bit but I think I can keep this on now.

When I opened the imp it was almost pure booze, with a hint of chocolate and creaminess. But once applied it was spot on tiramisu. I still haven’t gotten any funnel cake from this, and while I’m really loving how it smells I don’t know if I can wear it again. I normally don’t have an issue with cinnamon but my arm is burning quite a bit from the small amount I swiped on, and I’m grateful that I didn’t slather more and on my neck. It smells absolutely delicious but not sure it’s worth the fire skin.

In the imp this was very sharp jasmine with the barest hint of honey and vanilla. I got a tiny bit on my finger when opening the imp and swiped that on my wrist before actually truly testing, and on my skin it turned to mothballs. It’s so mothbally that my mouth is doing that whole bitter watering, and that was after I washed it off. Normally I don’t have an issue with jasmine, but this combination just did NOT work for me.

Straight from the mailbox (I couldn’t wait) Somehow I missed this one when it first came out and it wasn’t until the Liliths were about to be pulled down that I noticed it while doing one last “do I need anything???” check. I’m so happy I was able to grab this. I was also at the Rhys Darby stand up at the Largo, and am a massive OFMD fan so an orange/velvet combo was a no brainer. I was a little concerned seeing the reviews on how harsh this is, but so far I adore it. Yes, it is very orangey, but I’m now getting flashbacks to making my 40 orange cake. I’ll update this with a proper review once it’s had time to settle from the mail shock. But I now have the perfect scent to wear with my Old Navy uniform shirt and to the SDCC meetup!

I’m not the biggest fan of florals and I loathe rose so reading the scent nots I was already apprehensive. I know there are several florals in this but to my nose it was rose, with more rose, followed by some rose, and for fun, a touch of baby powder. This is the fastest I’ve ever washed off an oil and I put on the tiniest spot possible with the imp cap. Even that tiny dot and it was throwing like it was playing for the big leagues.

Slightly over roasted almond with a cream that almost smells butterscotch-y but not, with a touch of dead leaves in the background. Very foody, but not really a food I’d want to put in my mouth. Overall it’s not bad, but there’s something here that just seems off, even though all of the elements are present and smell like they should. It’s like the almond/bourbon version of a pecan praline ice cream cone that I dropped in a gutter full of dead leaves. Now it’s just sad and covered in dried leafy bits and I don’t want to eat it anymore. *edit* There is something strangely compelling about this scent. After posting this review it started growing on me. Kind of. I’m still not entirely sure about it, but I did reapply it a couple more times that day to refresh it. There’s something very pleasant about it but also something that’s just a tiny bit off, but I can’t stop poking at/sniffing that little off bit to try to get a feel for it.

When I first sniffed the imp I mainly got plumeria with a hint of unidentifiable florals and fruit in the background. Fortunately I adore plumeria, so I thought it might work despite the rose. Wet: still mostly plumeria, with the faintest hint of pear. And then bam! ROSE! Luckily the rose toned down after a few moments, but it’s still pretty prominent, and absolutely drowning out both the plumeria and pear. I haven’t hit peak “ohgodwashitoff” levels yet, but unless it shifts or fades soon I might get to that point.

I tried this fresh from the mail when I first got it and was more than a little intimidated. It was way harsher than I expected and I wasn’t too sure, but knew it needed to rest before I made any real decision. I tested it again today and it has definitely smoothed out a lot. I get all of the listed notes, and while I was hoping for something a bit sweeter I’m still happy I bought it. In the imp: sugared patch and spice Wet: this is when the leather really comes out. I can see the comparison between this and the leather in Snekhellden, although it’s more of a feel of the leather rather than the actual leather smell. Dry: the florals from the nag champa throw a lot more than I expected which definitely brings and overall sweetness to the scent, but it’s still very patchouli forward. The clove just kind of hovers around in the background, and it becomes mainly a leathery, floral patch. It’s definitely growing on me the more I smell it, and I’ve already reapplied once. It wasn’t really fading, I just wanted to amp it back up a bit.

In the imp: it’s definitely bread-y but not gingerbread, more like a spice cake that wasn’t made with a lot of sugar and before the frosting has been added. Wet: there’s the cookie! It’d definitely a gingerbread/molasses cookie and add me to the list of people picking up a touch of peanut butter. There’s also something else here that I can’t place and I keep sniffing to try to figure it out. I normally don’t react to the oils but a spot on my neck is feeling a bit burny. Not bad enough yet to do anything about it, but definitely burny. Dry: the ginger bite tones down and it becomes a lot softer overall. I still can’t place the mystery scent underneath it all, but it still smells so hauntingly familiar.

When I first got this I got a very strong savoriness that really reminded me of the stuffing note I pick up in Drink Me, so I never even tested it and put the bottle away to think about what it did. I finally ended up testing it tonight and age has helped a lot. I still get a bit of savory but it’s tolerable now (mostly), and I do get all of the listed notes. It starts out mainly as a baked cookie with almond paste. There is citrus present but not strong, a bit of rum, and the dates and figs are in the background. After a bit the fig/date combo comes forward and the citrus falls back, and it becomes more prominently spiced. I'm going to let this age a little longer and see if I can wait out whatever that savory weirdness is. If not, to the swap pile.

I can’t quite tell if this is cologne or men’s deodorant. It’s not bad but definitely not what I was expecting. In the bottle it was very strong but once applied it settled down quite a bit and is wearable without smelling like my husband’s clean armpit. I may let this age a while and come back to it, or just keep it for more masculine days. *edit* within minutes of hitting post this shifted and went aquatic. Absolutely not what I expected but it works. It’s still very masculine but it’s much more my style now.

This stuff is GOOD! It starts out smelling very boozy in the imp, like a cross between two of my favorite cocktails to make at home, a Poisonappletini and a Liquid Christmas cosmo (despite not picking up anything remotely cranberry in this) Wet, it’s initially cucumber peels with a touch of apple. Then the patchouli shows up and it’s a much earthier patch than I’m used to, followed by the matcha. Then it all kind of settles into something that can only be described as green. Just green and glorious. I think I might need a bottle! *edit* I reviewed this last night before it had a chance to fully dry down, and dry this is a light green tea with really nothing else hanging on. It sounds boring but it smells super delicious and I can stop huffing myself.

Based on the description I was expecting something much sharper, but this is very mellow and lovely. Sweetly spiced resin and incense, with not a lot of throw, but I can’t stop huffing my wrist. I can see how people are making the fall comparison, and I’m really interested in attempting to layer this one.

I had no clue what I was getting myself into when I saw wasabi was one of the note. I cautiously opened the imp and took a sniff…this stuff smells divine! In the imp: a sweet floral musk with a touch of spice green. Not at all what I was expecting, but I love it! Wet: pretty much more of the same, but the wasabi tones down and the floral becomes more dominant. Dry: here’s where the magic happens. It turns into aged Lust somehow! If I put my nose to my arm I can tell that I’m not wearing Lust, there’s something subtly different, but the throw is all my beloved aged Lust. I’m guessing the red musk has taken over everything else in the blend and I’m not complaining in the slightest. I’ll definitely be getting use out of this imp while I’m waiting for my full bottle of Lust to get a little older.

I can’t pin this one down because it shift like nobody’s business. In the imp: patchouli, a bit of aquatic, and some florals. Wet: still patch, some musk, and a touch of florals. Dry: the patch is gone, the florals have turned to rose, there’s a hint of spice, now the rose has disappeared, and it smells like a spiced wood that has the tiniest dusting of baby powder. Every time I think I’ve figured it out it changes again. Unfortunately the powder seems to be getting stronger, but I don’t want to wash it off yet in case it shifts again.

I was a little leery of trying this one based off of the notes but I had to give it a shot and I’m not upset that I did. in the imp: some unidentifiable florals mixed with something green and dusty smelling, I’m guessing the moss. There’s a hint of dirt but nowhere near as strong as Burial. Wet: the dirt is much stronger and the florals are still present, but it’s as if I’ve completely forgotten how to smell flowers and buried my nose in the pot instead of sniffing the flower directly. The jasmine is starting to make itself known, but there seem to be some other flowers there that I can’t put my finger on. Just a wisp of incense in the background. Dry: my first test (just a dab) dried down to a light, pleasant floral with a touch of incense. Every now and then I’d get a pop of jasmine, but it was fleeting. I reapplied a bit more before bed to see how it dries down when I almost slather. The florals are quite a bit stronger with the second application, so I’ll need to remember to be careful about how much I put on and try to Goldilocks it next time.

I recently received a bottle of 2015 Smut from a forumite and tried it today. It’s doesn’t have quite as much red musk as I had hoped, but I’m still glad that I got to try it. I’m also getting something reminiscent of rum and coke when I sniff closely, but the weird thing is that it seems to be throwing a tiny bit of masa/hominy. Luckily I think that smell is delicious, but it’s still a little unnerving to smell it coming from me. I did apply it right out of the shower so there are virtually no skin oils to grab onto the scent, so I’ll have to reapply in the morning and see what it does then. *edit* ok, there’s the red musk I was looking for. It took its time showing up, but it absolutely making its presence known now. And the masa has disappeared and I’m in love!

This was by far my most confusing test to date. I was really struggling with opening this imp, and ended up with my first dreaded imp explosion, with a rather large glug all over my hand. In the imp: this is straight up paint thinner. I’m not getting anything remotely creamy or leathery, or tobacco-y. Just paint thinner. Very strong paint thinner. Wet: there is a hint of something clean, but it’s hiding under the paint thinner. Still none of the other notes at all. Dry: (this happened less than two minutes after the explosion) Gone. There is the absolute faintest hint of something sweet on my hand, but if I hadn’t seen it with my own eyes I would never have believed that my hand was all but covered with a large amount of oil. I’m talking about 20% of the imp in one shot and it’s just…gone. I’ve heard of skin doing this but it’s my first time experiencing it. If I literally put my nose on my hand I can get a wisp of sweet leather, and the paint thinner is nowhere to be found (scratch that, just found a tiny spot on my cuticle that’s still thinner-y). But overall I might as well have not put anything on for as faint as it is. Definite swap because I don’t need two minutes of paint thinner and then nothing. But at least I didn’t have to scrub it off so yay? *edit* I am so confused now. It’s about 5 minutes later and now I’m smelling the tobacco and leather, but it’s still light. I do really like the combo but it’s just bizarre how it went paint thinner—>absolutely nothing—>tobacco and leather, all in under 10 minutes. It’s like my skin was some sort of black hole that also had my back, that sucked up every drop of scent, and then said “here, I heard you like these ones” and spit only the good stuff back out. I don’t know if I like it enough to deal with the paint thinnery minutes to wear it again, but it was definitely a journey.

This was the imp I drew today, and I opened it before I could check my phone for a scent description. Based on the name along I thought it was going to be some kind of Snek, and I can’t believe how wrong I was. In the imp it’s straight up patchouli. I’m getting better with patch, but it needs to be blended with something else to smooth it out, and this one didn’t have that for me. When I was closing the imp a little splashed on me so I was able to give it a bit of a wet sniff without technically applying any, and I was getting dark, grimy patch mixed with a floral that took a few minutes to identify. Jasmine! A much darker jasmine than I’m used to, but enough that I kept asking myself “who put patchouli in my green tea???” I know I committed to trying everything out, but I think that little splash was enough to let me know that this isn’t for me. If I applied it like I normally do I would end up washing it off. So I think I’ll sit this one out today. *edit* I couldn’t sit it out, I had to try it. At first I was really regretting my decision as it was pure patchouli and jasmine, and my brain just couldn’t grok the combo, plus it is way more patch than I’m used to. Luckily it dries down to something much softer and the patch is only very obvious when I shove my nose to my wrist. But it’s throwing the jasmine like nobody’s business, and it’s turning my stomach just a tad. Don’t get me wrong, I like jasmine but this is a bit of an overkill for my taste. Swap pile it is, but at least I really did test it to make sure.

LUST. OMG LUST. *ahem* I may really love this one. I just hope my ordered bottle is as amazing as my imp. If not, I’ll let it age and wait for it. OMG LUST 😍

Years ago, when I was first learning about BPAL I would have taken one look at the scent description and wrinkled my nose, and if I had somehow been convinced to give it a sniff I would have done it but run away rather quickly. I guess my tastes have changed over the years, or I’ve just become able to appreciate different scents better, and now I’m really happy I tried this one. In the imp: dirty licorice, but not in a bad way if that makes any sense. It’s dark, murky green (scent, not color), woody and dangerous smelling, with a child’s licorice candy that was dropped in a dirty puddle when they were snatched. Wet: this is so much sweeter than the imp would have you believe. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still dark and foreboding, but it manages to be sweet about it. The licorice is still there, but it’s toned down significantly. Dry: this is fantastic! It doesn’t have a lot of throw but when I put my arm up to my nose I get a light, spicy, musky (maybe the civet, this is my first civet that I know of) with just a whisper of licorice. This was quite a ride, and now I’m cursing past me for not trying more stuff at the one Lunacy event I was able to attend a few years ago. I kept to my “safe” scents and missed out on so much 😭 I don’t know yet if this is big bottle worthy for me, but I’m going to enjoy the hell out of the imp while I can. *edit* I just checked and I have a second imp of this! I thought it was one of my duplicates, and I may have gotten a little more excited than I expected when I saw the second one. At least it gives me a bit longer to decide if I need a bottle.

Today’s imp was Burial and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Opening the imp I got wet, dark earth in the middle of a forest and was very intrigued. I put it on and completely got the cemetery notes, so much that I instantly thought of a specific scene in Pet Sematary. I was planning on making a cup of coffee and then putting on the movie for a very immersive watch, but then the scent morphed into very strong rose. I’m not a fan of rose scents, and this one actually isn’t bad for rose, but it’s really not what I want to smell like, and it won’t go with the movie at all now. I can still get flashes of damp, dug up earth, but it’s mostly rose. Think I’m gonna go shower instead.

I tried this one on a few years ago when I first got the imp, and while I got the sweet fruity notes I also got some serious stuffing scent. Like straight up Mrs. Cubbison’s stuffing from a box, once the celery, onion and broth have been added but before baking. So I put it away and tried to forget about it. I drew it today and since I’m trying to stay committed to my challenge and not cheat I reluctantly opened the imp. Pineapple! And stuffing 😭. But I couldn’t stop there so I had to dab a little on to give it a chance. The fruits all but disappeared and I may as well been wearing a life sized stuffing box. In addition to the cut veggie scent I was getting a really strong celery seed smell, and had my partner sniff my arm to make sure I wasn’t imagining things. He couldn’t smell the stuffing at all and said it smelled nice. Nevertheless, I had to wash it off. Don’t get me wrong, I do like stuffing, but just not on me. Swap pile it is.

I’m not sure how long I’ve had this imp but it was today’s draw so I had to try it. I was expecting much more of a floraly floral based on the description, but when I opened the imp I was very surprised by a lot of wood. Fresh cut wood. Wet, I’m definitely picking up the carnation, the tiniest bit of the chamomile, and something peppery that I’m guessing is the angelica based on what other people are saying (I’m not familiar with either angelica or heliotrope so honestly who knows what I’m smelling). There are brief flashes of fresh lumber but only when I’m not looking for it. I’m really liking this so far and I’m glad I tried it but unless it really does some serious morphing I don’t think I’ll need a full bottle.