I'm fairly new to BPAL products, and this is one of the first imps I tried due to how much a couple of my friends hyped it up. My imp is fresh from the lab.
In the vial: Very subtle, too subtle to actually pick out individual notes even with my nose right up to it. Vaguely resiny. A hint of leather.
Wet: I had to really slather this on to get any level of throw, but doing that I now see the appeal. Up close to the skin, leather and rosewood dominates, which is interesting since my skin tends to absorb leather notes. The leather still doesn't really carry for me, though. The throw is primarily frankincense, with a hint of tonka. I got this in the men's imp pack, and while I would agree that this leans masculine, I think it's sweet and light enough that other genders could easily pull this one off. This is Dee chilling in his library reading an astronomy book, not prying the language of creation from angels.
Dry: Doesn't evolve much. The leather dies down within an hour, but again, par for the course for my skin chemistry. Unfortunately, the leather is what makes the blend interesting to me. If I want to smell like frankincense, there are lots of options out there that are longer lasting and more complex.
The sweat test: Still detectable over my natural scent and does blend well with it. I was concerned because in my transmasculine experience a lot of things this sweet don't do well with testosterone-dominant body chemistry in this regard, but no, this is one I could definitely pull off during a day at work.
It's totally possible this one gets better with age. From this experience with this fresh sample, I'll keep and finish the imp, but I don't think I'm into it enough to spring for a bottle. It's pleasant, but it's not the kind of thing I go to an indie perfume house for.
