ShadowEtienne

Kyoto was one of my early imps, and it's ended up in my: not bad but I don't reach for it often and would happily enough part with it. In the imp, it actually smells quite nice to me. The anise is the main note, and I love that anise/licorice cluster of smells. Unfortunately the slightly floral anise of the imp is not what happens on my skin. Instead I get a bitter sandalwood combined with a slightly more sour anise scent and almost no flowers. I still really like the anise note, and I have layered this to good effect with things that were too sweet on me, but it's not quite my smell.

Aizen-Myoo may be my single favorite BPAL to date, and it was my very first full bottle (and I'm now on my second bottle of it). I adore everything about this scent. From start to finish, there is a lovely complex and bright set of citrus notes in this on my skin. I do think that the yuzu with its sharp tanginess is the dominant citrus between it and the mikan, but the mikan brings some sweetness and rounds out the citrus profile. The kaki and black tea both bring some very different earthy notes that help keep this scent from being overly punchy, but they are still gentle and harmonious. I love tea notes a lot, so I'm glad that the black tea is a recognizable element on my skin. The cherry blossoms bring a light waft of floral on my skin that also adds to the overall brightness of the scent. The scent is well balanced on me. I'd class it as a predominantly citrus scent with other fruity, floral, and earthy notes. I've got it on before bed right now, and I can't help but keep sniffing my wrists. This lasts well on me and has a good but not overwhelming amount of throw. I'm so glad this is a GC because it means that I'm always happy to reach for it when I want a nice smell but don't know what I want.

I just realized I've never reviewed this despite it being one of my favorites (it's one of my GC bottles alongside Aizen-Myoo and Prague). On my skin and in the bottle, it's a pretty even balance of the bright, tart scents of grapefruit, yuzu, and kumquat, some of my favorite citrus. There's a strong element of the scent of the zest, not just the juice. Underneath the citrus at first, but as it dries blooming to fairly equal prominence (though I'd say the citrus has more throw on me) is a lovely floral blend that I strongly suspect contains some sort of lilies because it's a slightly juicy/spicy floral that reminds me of some of the notes of Prague. Overall, I love the combination of notes, and I wear this one a lot!

I just realized I'd never reviewed this and I'm wearing it today. This is one of my absolute favorite scents. It's very rich on my skin right out of the bottle, full of sun warmed juicy plums fresh from the tree, wafts of fresh blooming jasmine, and bright soft green tea. The scents complement each other well, and they settle into my skin for a fresh, floral and fruit scent that is balanced by the green tea. Tea of any type and jasmine are some of my favorite notes, and I am finding that the various plum notes are very much my thing. They are so well balanced here and have excellent staying power.

I have had good luck with lilies from BPAL so far, and I'd say that Voodoo Lily continues that trend, though it's not my favorite of the lilies so probably won't end up a bottle scent for me. On initial application, like most lilies on my skin, it has a creamy, nectary, spicy growing lily scent, also with some greener notes that make me think of the whole plant. It quickly evolves into those same lily plants but slightly crushed and not quite decaying but smelling like their thinking about it. It's a scent I definitely associate with humidity and living plants but towards the end of their life cycle. This is a good smell though, one I enjoy. There's definitely an underlying sharpness too it that keeps it from getting rot-sweet. I'm not sure what I would wear this with, though I could see layering it in to a floral that had gotten to sugary for me to reel it back in. I'll definitely find uses for the imp I have.

I was so excited for this one and it does not disappoint! In the bottle for me, it was a strong earthy spicy ginger with only a very subtle floral note. Figured it would open up on the skin though. Lily tends to be loud on me in a good way. Fresh on the skin, it's very similar to in the bottle, but right away a hint of the actual lily note starts appearing. Once it dried down and in the hours since, it has developed the sweet nectary slightly spicy lily smell of blooming lilies on a warm spring day with that rich earthy ginger balancing it. It's sweet and spicy and floral and fresh, and it is in some ways very much what I was expecting, but also absolutely it's own distinct and amazing scent. This is definitely among my favorite BPAL scents to date, and I'm really excited to see how and if the scent changes as the bottle ages. I'm seriously contemplating ordering more of this while it exists.

I'm wearing this today, and I'm really enjoying the combination of mint and fruit on my skin. The mint is definitely the predominant note in that I would categorize this as a mint scent rather than a fruit scent, but the fruit is not quiet on me either. There's a sweet tartness from all three of the fruit notes that really makes the scent more well rounded other than just the mint element. All of the scents in here are very fresh to me as well, almost like stepping on mint in the snow and cutting fruits right after. I find the three fruit notes to be fairly balanced, and they're working well together, none of them getting too sweet or too sour. I would agree that this is an energizing scent and that it is a cold weather scent. The ice/snow/frost elements of the scent would definitely read strangely to me in the heat.

In Bottle: A slightly sour, spicy rose (in a good way). Tart and a little dry. Wet on skin: Oh if this stays this way I think that I've found my rose! It's got the good sort of sour tartness and it's not too juicy but not powdery either. The narcissus brings this lovely spicy flower kick to it, and it's a very rich smell for only really having two notes. On drydown: Pride has changed very little from application to now. It's maybe a tiny bit sappier, like the rose was cut and the sap has welled up to the cut in the past 10 minutes adding to the scent, but overall, yup, I think that I've found my favorite rose forward scent.

These were my notes when I initially tested out what has become one of my absolute favorite scents. Lilies have been doing well for me, so I'm interested in this one. In the Bottle: Rich, nectary and juicy floral scent. Smells like a garden in bloom. Wet on skin: Adds some softly spicy floral notes to that. A little sharper, but in a good way. The sweet juicy nature of the floral is still there, but it's a little more complex on the skin. Oooh, if this stays like this I like this! On drydown: Prague continues to smell incredible like a bed of lilies and sweet nectar, but not sticky sweet, tart and airy sweet. I am learning that lilies smell very good on my skin. I saw people mention powdery elements or soapiness from the lily scents, and I am getting none of that from any of the lilies. They all seem to want to smell like blooming flowers and nectars on me. So like, this is good knowledge. I do kind of want to lick my arm though, which is a slight problem, it's just this side of it being a problem. I will not lick the perfume, I am an adult who knows better. I have worn this so much since getting the imp, and I'm definitely getting a full bottle!

I'd sniffed Pele once prior to making these notes and liked it, but these were my more detailed notes. These were all very good smells on me earlier. And I liked it at initial sniff, so I feel like this is going to go well. In Bottle: Ginger, lily of the valley, tropical blooms, we're in a rainforest again, a different one though. This shares some excellent notes with Macchu Picchu. Wet on Skin: The ginger is popping on me nicely, and there's that rich, humid floral that I really like. This is great right off the bat! On drydown: Pele is a remarkably gentle scent on me, but it smells really nice. Mostly ginger and tropical blooms, but the muguet/lily of the valley adds some smoothness (I think it might be what's making the scent so gentle). It is good though, and good for when I want a subtle floral with a little bite.

I didn't have a great time with tuberose earlier, so I'm not sure how this will go, but I like violet and lilac a lot if they play well. In bottle: rich sweet violet, seems pretty straightforward but pleasant, could get too sweet if it goes the wrong way very easily. Wet on skin: It's not got a ton of initial throw on me. Definitely getting sweeter right away though, I think that the tuberose might be out to get me again. On drydown: Nocturne has sadly gone 100% tuberose sweetness on me. A lesson I am learning, a little bit of tuberose on me goes an extremely long way. The violet was nice for the five minutes it lasted.

I got this as a frimp with my most recent order, and while I might not have ever picked it as something to order, I was definitely intrigued. I might never have ordered an imp because amber has been more miss than hit for me, but this sounds fascinating. In the bottle: I definitely am getting mountain rainforest, and some papaya and mango? I definitely am getting tropical fruits, but from some distance, blooming rainforest, and I'm excited about that. I think that the amber in the bottle is just making it warmer a little, which is hopeful for me. Wet on Skin: Definitely papaya, still mountain and rainforest smell. Bright green fresh but also humid and rich smells, like hiking through underbrush? I think I like it, but it's also slightly confusing my brain. On drydown: Macchu Picchu as it has settled has gotten a little bit more resinous and added the scents of like rain off loamy soil to add to that overall rainforesty scent. It's a little bit less light and a little warmer than when it first went on. I think that I've found my first amber based scent that I actively like. Keeping this one.

In the bottle: Sweet pea and grass, that is literally all I'm smelling. Little hesitant because grass often amps on me, but a lot of the reviews say it smells very different on skin Wet on Skin: OK, I see what people mean, it smells different on skin, still getting some sweat pea, but not a ton, definitely some other flowers hanging out in there, but I'm not sure that I like them as much as sweat pea. It's also kind of... spicy soapy. Why is this reminding me of cilantro (cilantro tastes like slightly spicy soap to me because I got unlucky on that one). I'm going to be curious how it dries down. On drydown: I'm deeply baffled, but this smells to me like what cilantro tastes like to me (spicy-herby-SOAPY). Not for me, but certainly an experience.

Grief was my first sample towards discovering that lilies and my skin (and thankfully also my nose) love each other! Because of it and a few others I sampled at the same time, I'm now basically seeking out everything lily I'm not allergic too (that unfortunately narrows it down more than I would wish). In the Bottle: A very bright, vibrant floral, definitely smell the lilies and hyacinth, but in a very fresh still on the plant sort of way, the resinous element seems to ground it some. If it smells true to the bottle, this will be lovely! Wet on skin: Gets a tiny bit spicier floral on my skin almost immediately. The smell is a little richer, like some petals got crushed, but similar. This seems to have quite a bit of throw! On drydown: The flowers are definitely alive in this one! They've had some crushed petals and leaves, but they are fresh and growing and vibrant. These are flowers I really like, and that's a good thing. I think this is one of my favorite non-jasmine floral combinations. This is a very springtime scent to me, it also really doesn't connect to its name for me at all?

Druid is the main class I play, and enough of this sounded appealing despite being a little out of my comfort zone that I got an empty try. I'm glad I did! In the bottle: This smells like a garden while I'm working in it. Definitely an herb garden, I'm getting some sage and rosemary. Nothing smoky about it so far, but the soil appears to actually be nice here! I cannot smell the grasses at all though (and those seem to pick up on my skin). Wet on skin: Still smells mostly the same, but the grass has come out to play pretty loudly. If it the grass settles down some, I think that I'll like this (which yay, this is one of my two main classes I play in D&D) On drydown: Yeah, I like this! It's not my absolutely favorite, but I can see being in the mood for it. Slight smoky notes from the incense did eventually come out, along with smelling a little bit more foresty. Still definitely smells like the act of gardening. The grass did settle down some which was a relief.

In ancient India it was believed that a specific combination of flower petals, when strewn across a couple’s bed, would amplify desire and sexual pleasure. This blend is a blend of the same floral essences, refined into a gloriously sinful perfume blend. Frangipani, with rose, tuberose, and jasmine. In the bottle: somehow strangely fruity for something that isn't supposed to have any fruit in it? I'm a little concerned it will be too sweet as tuberose sometimes is for me. Not getting the jasmine so far in the bottle, hopefully it shows up on my skin Wet on the skin: Well, it immediately developed a spicier (?) floral note that I couldn't smell in the bottle. Immediately less sweet though, which I appreciate. Still currently confusing, still not smelling the jasmine. Hopefully that decides to show up. On drydown: Sadly, I still can't really smell jasmine in it, and the tuberose has gone very sweet on me. I don't think that this one is for me.

In the Bottle: Oh I really like this! I hope it works. It smells like an herb garden with citrus trees, and gentle roses wafting in the background. Wet on the skin: rosemary and orange flower and mint are my predominant notes so far, and I am not mad about this. So far, glad I got this to try. Hopefully it doesn't go somewhere weird. On drydown: I love this!? A lot! Orange flower is definitely the leading note of this scent on me, still got those lovely herb garden notes from the rosemary and mint, and the roses have stayed a soft wafting note in the background that just makes it a richer floral. I'm very glad I decided to try this one. Probably going to end up a full bottle scent for me.

In the Bottle: Swamp blooms with background trees, I'm tentatively hopeful, not too much moss in the bottle which was making me uncertain from the description Wet on the skin: Little bit more bitter than in the bottle, but definitely getting those swamp blooms that I was looking for, some aquatic notes as promised, the trees have been eaten by the flowers On drydown: Bayou has gone a very strange direction on me... It's not very strong, but I think that it's the combination of slightly swampy aquatics and moss is making my brain go: meat. It has some notes I really like! These "swamp blooms" are really cool, and the hints of trees are great! But I don't think I want to smell like meat. (This imp was rehomed to a friend.)

In the Bottle: It kind of smells like the flower stalls at the Pike Place Market during peony season, this is a good association Wet on the skin: Very tulips and grass, where did the peonies go? I'm not sure how I feel about the grass, and I got this imp partially to test "fresh cut grass" as a scent and skin thing for me, but at least it is not making me itch After it settled in some: the peony has come back, I'm not getting that Pike Place Market flower stalls smell back though and I'm a little sad. I think that the aquatic/fresh flowing water note didn't decide to appear on my skin. It's not bad, but kind of too grassy on me.

First impression on the skin: the passion flower and freesia are loud to start this one out, not bad but not quite what I was expecting. After a few minutes: the jasmine came out more as it dried down (yay!), and there's a touch of berrylike fruitiness that must be from the redcurrant, though it's not distinguishable as that specifically. The freezia is still one of the dominant notes for sure though. Not getting much of the mint at all, and I was curious to see if that would show up more in the next bit because I think that would be a good element Once it settled: it developed a touch of something herbal, probably from the mint and thyme and possibly a little bit of the tea note, but I think that it is just balancing very much towards the floral (especially freesia and jasmine with a little bit of the passion flower lingering that was so strong at the start) on me. I like it, but it remains not My Perfect Jasmine scent that I am seeking.

Tweedledee was immediately intriguing to me because I love kumquats. I initially sampled it at my sister's along with several other scents in close succession and really liked it, but didnt take proper notes of my thoughts. These notes are from my second try sampling it. Tweedledee is starting out candied kumquat with notes of pepper. A good smell, but I remember it got more complex with time. As it settles, it becomes a little less candy sweet, the light floral of the orange blossom comes out some, and the pepper pops a little more. A little bit of the white tea coming also begins to come through. The smell reminds me of helping my foster mom make candied kumquats with the windows open while someone is drinking tea under the blooming orange tree in the pot on the front porch. I like it a lot and it will likely eventually be a full bottle scent for me.

New Orleans was one of the first things I ordered in search of my jasmine scent (jasmine is one of my favorite smells), and while it's not my perfect jasmine, it's definitely a lovely scent that I will enjoy my imp of. On me, it's definitely night blooming garden in a warm humid place. Pretty even balance of jasmine and honeysuckle, some earthy spices (I think that there might be a little bit of cardamom in there, but a few other things too) that remind me of warm garden at night after heavy rain. The lemon in the description isn't coming through much on me, but I think that it may be keeping the scent from being too sweet. As it settled on my skin, New Orleans did evoke a rather vivid scent memory. It reminds me of viscerally of hiding under the house at my paternal grandmother's house in Nashville making friends with the snakes. I'm not sure if that's a good or bad thing, but it does make me a little less inclined to wear the scent often.