Assimbya

Athens was one of the batch of imps I bought in my very first order, for the classical connection, and has turned out to be a strong contender for my favorite GC. I feel like I don't see it often in people's list of favorite or what they regularly wear, and I think it deserves more attention! I experience Athens as somehow at once regal and comforting - it reminds me of the sensibility of the major arcana tarot The Empress; it has this red-gold feeling with its deep, sweet, honeyed wine. The wine note is on me the same one in Blood Rose or the Carmilla collection's Indescribable Solemnity and Fear, but it's sweeter and smoother here, rich but with no distinct alcohol. I definitely do get the myrrh, which is resinous rather than incense-like, and adds a depth and elegant sharpness which tempers the sweetness. There's a floral sensibility, but I couldn't pick out the "sweet flowers" on their own, or make a guess at what they are. This has reasonable throw and longevity (today it's now fading on me about 6 hours in), and makes me feel very capable and feminine in a mature way. As someone who feels very connected to Ancient Greece, it's very special to have a perfume based on one from that time, and to be able to hold that connection in a private, subtle way when I wear it. I love wearing this one to work, or in general to activities for which I want to feel confident.

2024 version. To me this perfume is very much like a fantasy of snow - white and fluffy and soft and sparkling. As far as notes, I can pick out a light musk with vanilla, almond, nebulous white florals, and something that if I squint I can call coconut, but they're all very fully blended together into a single picture. I do get a slight plasticky edge on my skin, but somehow this doesn't bother me; it feels like part of the fantasy snow image, like it's inside of a snow globe. I came to this one sort of backwards, seeing people compare other blend to it, primarily My Soul Acquiesced in It from the Carmillas, which is my absolutely favorite BPAL to date. I can see the resemblance to My Soul Acquiesced, but the snow in Snow White is opaque in contrast with My Soul Acquiesced's crystalline clarity. Snow White also feels more youthful - a sweet fantasy, in contrast to My Soul Acquiesced's adult elegance. I enjoy Snow White a lot; it's fun to wear, and I would be pleased to try other blends with this snow note. But the playfulness of it means that I find myself wanting to wear it in more limited settings and moods, and it doesn't feel quite as much 'me' as some other perfumes (that experience of having a perfume feel distinctly 'me' is such an interesting one! I'm so curious to think more about how it works), so I don't think it will become an absolute favorite for me, or fully become part of my regular rotation.

Eclipse goes on as a pretty almond/marzipan with some hints of vanilla; almost too foody for me, but I enjoy the almond which is lovely on my skin. As it dries, the cinnamon and frankincense become more and more prominent, along with a pink candy like note which I suppose must be the heliotrope, and they meld into something which feels peculiarly dusty and stale to my nose. I have a sense that the way these particular notes combine on my skin must have some negative association for me that I can't quite pinpoint; the urge to wash this off is stronger than seems logically warranted! It's an odd experience that I'm glad I was able to have, but I probably won't keep this imp around and instead enjoy other almond-centric blends which don't do this on dry down.

This is an impressively inoffensive scent - clean, well-blended, reminiscent to me of hand soap or lotion from a fancy hotel. The white musk here smooths out the other notes, rather than adding the depth that it does to many other blends on my skin. I can see why this is so popular, and especially why it would be a good entry point to BPAL for those who might feel more wary of strong or unusual notes, but it's just not what I'm here for. I'll see if I can rehome my frimps to some people in my life who might be otherwise more hesitant about perfume oil.

Beautiful smooth golden honey with a sharply dangerous floral undercurrent. My skin loves honey notes, and I appreciate the way that on me the sweetness doesn't overwhelm so I can get the complexities of the blend. This is a simple but lovely perfume on me - I don't know that I'll need any more than my imp, but I'm glad to have that when I'm in the mood for it.

Similar to others, I get a sweet, marzipan-like creamy almond at the beginning, and a gently blended musk with it. As it dries, it morphs to become primarily myrrh, with a hint of almond in the background. This has extremely low throw on me, and fades quite fast. It's pleasant, though not particularly Hecate to my sensibilities, and the speed with which it fades makes it one that I'm unlikely to wear often. But I am still glad to have my imp to wear around the house, when I can easily reapply it.

This is totally gorgeous on me, and I am so grateful to have received it as a frimp from someone here! It's a beautiful velvety red rose, with a heavenly sweetness from the musk and an edge of sharp powderiness which is how amber often shows up on me. Amber can take over on my skin, but here the musk keeps it in check and it's part of a very balanced whole. Over time, the rose, initially the strongest note, fades into the background of the musk and amber, but I really love it at all its stages. This may be one I end up wanting a bottle of, though I want to spend more time with it before deciding, especially since I have quite a number of rose scents already. But I just love them all so much!

I saw the first snowdrops and croci of the season yesterday, so of course I had to wear this today! On me this is a bright, clean, lily scent, lightly fruity in a sort of fleshy-floral type of way, the absolute opposite of indolic. There's a cold sense to it that feels the image of a snowdrop, but it's pretty much purely the lily note. This is very pleasant and fun, and I would like to wear it more, though I don't know where I will need a bottle; I personally prefer wearing the more complex and mature white floral of the Lab's Datura Blossom. Prague also fades quite fast on me, though this may be because my imp is rather old.

This really does have such a chilled, melancholy feeling to it! I am enjoying wearing it on this very cold day where I am. This is a lovely aquatic. On me it's predominantly cold river water rushing with bergamot and a very clear, almost herbal jasmine. There's this earthy grittiness beneath which I identify as the moss-covered stones and actually really enjoy; it gives the scent this effective atmospheric feeling. I don't think I can distinctly pick out the water lilies, plum, or carrot seed, though the perfume as a whole has a layered complexity which makes it clear there are other notes there. My only disappointment in it is that the longevity is pretty low - it fades substantially a couple hours into wearing it. Maybe apropos for a misty river, but I would prefer to have it stick around longer!

This one has a dry, herbal, bitter quality to it which I find really compelling. On me, the saffron and blood musk are definitely the dominant notes, with a distinct coppery metallic note which I think is from the blood musk. The amber and honey for me are this perfumey undertone, winding through the red-gold of the musk and saffron. This feels like such a good Erinyes scent to me - it's bloody and dark but in classical way, not a traditionally gothic one. The saffron is such a great choice to create that sensibility! I like this one a lot; it goes in the same category for me as Seven Inches of Blood from the Carmillas as another intense metallic blood perfume which is beautiful and scary at the same time. They're not perfumes I want to wear every day, but I really love them as a way to embody a certain mode and side of my self. And it's a delight to now have this one which lets me do that in a more hellenic sensibility!

I have been really enjoying this one after getting it as a free imp. I get a rich, juicy, slightly sweet rose, with the dragon's blood and wine blending beautifully together. I think this is the same wine note as the one in Athens, which works really well for me, and it lovely with the rose. I don't know that I'll want a bottle of this one, especially since it's note as good an everyday scent for me as Athens, but I will definitely continue wearing my imp.

On me this is predominantly sour-sweet cranberry, with a hint of earthy ginger grounding it. Alas, I really don't get any of the lily, and definitely no smoke. I'm finding that red fruit notes really take over on my skin and end up smelling quite artificial. This isn't for me.

I really love this! It's at once sharp and sweet, and complex, layered floral which feels mature and elegant with grounding of the sandalwood and amber. It's a little challenging to pick out specific notes in this one, but I think the pear blossom is the clearest on me, which is a lovely scent I haven't had much experience with previously. My partner and I keep joking about the "ode to delicate femininity" descriptor, but there is something that does feel accurate about it; this is a scent which makes me feel confident and put together within a feminine self-presentation. This is the first hair gloss I've actually gotten into, and it has excellent throw and longevity. I love that it's a way I can enjoy sandalwood and amber without having to worry about them amplifying enormously as they both tend to on my skin.

I would second the recommendation for Les Fleurs du Mal! It has a pale, melancholy feel that may be what you're looking for. I have also been loving Eusapia from this year's Yules, which I have found to be a beautiful, true lilac. Perhaps not as funereal, but very lovely.

This is a lovely scent! Definitely a sister scent to Alice, as others have suggested above, but in sort of an opposite direction as the GC Maiden; while Maiden takes Alice's notes in a sharper, more astringent direction, Dawn: Maiden is smooth and creamy and gentle. I am not sure I can identify heliotrope yet, but I can distinctly pick out olive blossom, honeysuckle, and tea roses, and combined they give a certain golden luminosity that feels appropriate to the name (I am not familiar with the comics which inspired the scent). With the milk and honey this feels like a more grown up and less sharp tongued Alice. I am so glad I decided to try this one and expect it to easily enter into my rotation of daytime perfumes.

This feels very pink and clean and bright. As other reviewers have described, I get mostly pear and sweet pea, a little musk and other florals. There's something very young and girl about it, in a way that doesn't feel romantic or sexual - I'm thinking more of Emily in Our Town than Juliet herself, to be honest. I would have preferred to have the lily and honeysuckle (two of my favorite notes!) show up more strongly, though I do get some more of them on dry down. It's a pretty scent, but I think ultimately it feels too youthful and fruity to be quite right for me.

I was given a decant of this by the wonderful paperflowers in her Yule decant circle! I'd never used hair gloss before and so was curious to try, though nervous about the cotton candy note. But I shouldn't have been worried - this is a sweetened, bouncy dragon's blood, It has great longevity and throw in my (very long) hair, and while the scent isn't quite me it's fun and pleasant to use. Taking this as an indication to continue exploring hair gloss!

I got a decant of this because I bake a lot and got drawn into the fantasy of a baking fragrance! Unfortunately, I think I wanted it to be something it was not, which was really quite unfair of me. I think I saw the fabric note and unconsciously imagined a sweetened, lavender White Rabbit - but of course they actually have no notes in common! On me, it was much more gourmand than I imagined. It makes me think of a lavender sugar cookie dough - definitely not baked yet, and the lavender maintains its herbal sharpness, but this is something that's going in the oven. I definitely do get a distinctive clean laundry scent, but there's quite a bit of dough stuck to the apron. It's an extraordinarily friendly scent, and very well done - I think a lot of people will love this! But it's not for me.

It's intimidating to be the first review on a fragrance without many listed notes! I don't trust my ability to pick out and identify notes yet, but I'll try and eagerly await other reviews. I found this to be an elegant, grown-up floral - a single red rose and a single white lily encased in translucent resin; definitely a substantial amount of amber and possibly other resins too. I also get something dry and woody and pale. The flowers are the brightest in this when it's wet; they get significantly dimmer as it dries, as if I'm seeing them through the resin, and the resin/wood notes become more prominent. After a couple hours of wear they take on a bit of a sour edge, but not unpleasantly so. There's something understated and melancholy about this scent, appropriate to the poem which is its inspiration. I like it, but something about it doesn't totally capture me. Maybe if the floral notes stayed brighter for longer, or if something in it softened the wood and amber. I am glad to have a decant and I expect I will use it, but I don't think I need a bottle.

2024 version I found this stunningly beautiful, the truest lilac perfume I have smelled. Somehow the other notes lend it depth and complexity without actually taking away from how purely lilac it feels. The sharpness of the white tea, most apparent when wet, gives it this living greenness, while the beeswax, which comes out more on dry down, gives it a kind of creamy smoothness. It's white and purple and bright. It makes me think of this tiny, extremely expensive bottle of pure lilac essential oil I smelled last year at an essential oil store; the proprietor said it was made with enfleurage and was their last one of the season. The way he described the process made it sound so precious and special. I feel the same way about this perfume, which is like an April afternoon in the botanical garden right here for me in the depth of winter. This made me giddily happy the whole time I was wearing it last night; I love it and will definitely want a bottle.

This scent feels very distinctively Victorian to me - there's something formal, dry, and contained, which absolutely fits the odd propriety of inviting a ghost for a cup of tea. On me it's predominantly a jasmine earl grey tea, light on the bergamot, with some subtle wood from the cypress and a hint of amber like a dusty sunbeam. Both the jasmine and the tea are quite sharp notes, with the jasmine feeling almost more herbal than floral. I cannot discern the orris, though it's a note I'm not all that familiar with. This is pleasant and elegant, but the dry sharpness of it doesn't quite win my heart. I tend to amplify sharp/astringent notes, so possibly it would be a mellower scent on someone with different skin chemistry. As it is, I am glad to have my decant and expect I will use it, but it's my favorite jasmine and I won't need a bottle of it.

Precisely, realistically its description! This is a yeasty, warm, butter-enriched bread with a milky base into which herbal lavender and golden saffron have been steeped. In the moments after application the lavender is quite intense, but it calms down quickly and becomes a gentle undertone for the bread. I can distinctly pick out the saffron note, which is lovely. A couple hours into wear there's a lingering butter note which I found faintly unpleasant without the grounding of the bread around this. I got a decant of this because I wanted to have an experience of an actual pure gourmand, and I'm glad I tried it, but it's very much not for me. It left me very strongly wanting to bake lussekatter! But I don't want to smell like one, and for me I am learning that there's something disappointing about smelling it something I'd prefer to be baking. But if you do like wearing gourmands, this is an impressively accurate sweet yeasted bread scent.

(Note: testing from an aged imp) I love many of the notes in Misericordia, but unfortunately it's incredibly faint on me to the point that I have trouble quite making out all the notes. What I can tell is that wet on my skin it's largely lavender and a resiny note that might be the amber or labdanum, so with some hints of rose. As it dries, the resin becomes the most prominent note, sharp and distinct labdanum, with a lot of blackcurrant and some of the rose and lavender. I really can't make out the magnolia, which I was excited about! What I get is pretty and elegant, but whatever about the perfume is is causing my skin to absorb it and give so little scent back means that I can't do much with this. Fortunately the resin and/or blackcurrant-heavy Carmillas do a lot of what this one does for me, but the faintness (at least of the aged imp) is a disappointment.

I was excited about this one, but unfortunately my skin chemistry had other plans. One me, this is purely a sharp, perfumey amber, with an indistinct herbal quality which I could maybe squint and call myrtle. I often love amber, but its astringency here is unpleasant in a way that reminds me of commercial perfumes. I get none of the apple blossom or carnation, both of which I was excited for. Of course, when my partner tried this one the non-amber notes came out beautifully and it was the perfectly balanced scent which I hoped this would be on me. Alas! I am trying to remind myself of all the perfumes that work well on my skin and not feel too envious.

Ooh, thank you so much for these suggestions! I would have avoided Like a Girl because of the sandalwood, so hearing the way it works on you is very intriguing. I'll keep an eye out! And would love to hear how Woman Putting on Her Stocking works for you - it was one that intrigued me, but not enough to go for it. I haven't gotten into the RPG scents yet mostly because of an aversion of layering, but I'll consider....