Penance

Ahh, gotcha. I don't remember getting apple from Creepy, but (like I said), it's been quite a while. Sorry I couldn't be more helpful.

You could also try Grog. It's very butterscotch (or buttered rum Lifesavers) without much rum, IMO. ETA: It's been quite a while since I tried Creepy, but I remember it being a strong butterscotch scent for me. If I'm wrong, forgive me.

Origin: 5mL x 2 from Urban Outfitters. Preconceived notions: This sounds perfect for me. I adore patchouli and I love vanilla and hemp when they're done well and BPAL does most everything well. I'm expecting this to be a real winner, which is why I got 2 bottles right off the bat. First sniff: Huh. That's not what I was expecting at all. Sweet, but not candy-like, and a little bit musky. I couldn't place it at first, but this smells a lot like (Thierry Mugler) Angel to me. I believe Angel has patchouli in it (in small amounts) and I know it has vanilla, but there really isn't any note similarity other than that, so it's a bit baffling. I have to say that I'm disappointed at this point, since I was expecting something dirty but sweet. I'm getting something sweet (that tickles the back of my throat), but no earthiness/dirtiness at all. I'm hoping that this changes once I put it on. I've learned not to judge a BPAL scent before trying it, so there's still hope here. Wet on skin: Okay, now it really smells like Angel. Which would be wonderful if I actually liked Angel, because I'm sure the longevity is going to be better than Angel's. This is a hard scent to describe if you've never smelled Angel. It's sweet, but doesn't really smell like candy. It's got a muskiness to it, without being truly musky. It's feminine and floaty and, to me, a little bit cloying. Dry down: This just smells more and more like Angel the longer I wear it. I couldn't really say what this smells like aside from that comparison since I find it so difficult to describe Angel. This definitely isn't the sweet "dirty hippie" type scent I was hoping for. Not by a long shot. There are very few BPAL scents that differ so widely from what I expect from the description. Mystery and Banshee Beat are the only two I can come up with off the top of my head and both were big disappointments for me. The bottom line: Not at all what I was hoping for, but it could be a real winner for someone who's a fan of Angel-type scents. I'll be selling both my bottles, I think. ETA: I've finally figured out the note that I don't like here, thanks to The Antikythera Mechanism. Black vanilla. Banshee Beat has to have black vanilla in it because the vanilla note is identical to the one in Antikythera. And, unfortunately, it's the one thing I don't like about Antikythera and the reason I got rid of my bottle of it, too. At least I managed to figure out what I'm not liking so I can avoid it in the future, so it's not a total loss.

Detestable Putrescence dries down into something very similar to Snow White on me. They don't smell alike in the bottle or wet on my skin, but the dry down on DP is similar to both the bottle and dry down scent on Snow White. I'm not a huge fan of Snow White (although I like it), so it's not super exciting for me, but I thought I'd put it out there. Not sure if it would be true for anyone else or if it's strictly my skin chemistry doing something odd.

I was at the doctor the other day and a nurse walked down the hall, backtracked and said, "Oh, you are wearing my favorite perfume, Angel, right?" I was wearing Banshee Beat! Glad it's not just me. I couldn't figure out what it reminded me of at first and then it hit me. It smells even more like Angel the longer I have it on.

Banshee Beat smells nearly identical to Angel on me. Which is bizarre because they don't share many notes.

Origin: 5mL from LadyJC. Preconceived notions: All the notes in this are ones that I really like, so I'm expecting this to be a winner. First sniff: Masculine. I'm getting some leather, some tobacco, some wood and...some soap? Where's that coming from? Something here is a bit bitter and soapy and I have no idea what it is. I'm really hoping that whatever note is causing the soapiness disappears once it hits my skin. If there's one thing I've learned from BPAL, it's that scents can smell very different on the skin than on the bottle, so I'm not giving up hope. Wet on skin: Yay, no more soap! Fresh on my skin, I get a lot of wood, some mild tobacco and soft leather. This isn't brand new leather and it's not dry, dusty, cracked leather, either. It's well-worn and broken in. I don't particularly like the smell of real leather, but I do like a nicely blended, soft leather scent in perfume and Enkhespalos fits the bill. This is still a decidedly masculine scent at this point, which isn't necessarily a bad thing for me (I prefer unisex or masculine to girly, as long as it doesn't smell like men's cologne). Dry down: Now this is nice. I get a lot of dry wood from this once it dries (I don't think I've ever smelled elderwood before, but it smells like a cross between cedar and redwood or oak to me) combined with a touch of soft, broken-in leather and just a hint of very soft tobacco. It's musky and soft and comfortable smelling, somehow. This would smell amazing on a man, but it's very wearable for me. This is almost exactly what I'd been hoping for. The bottom line: A definite winner once it dries down. This is an "everyday" kind of scent for me, one of the ones that I can (and will) reach for on a regular basis, rather than just when I want a very specific sort of smell to suit my mood or an outfit (tell me I'm not the only one who coordinates scents to outfits...I know I've got a raging case of BPAL insanity, but I don't think the matching thing is abnormal).

Origin: 5mL from MidnightAeval. Preconceived notions: I already read the reviews here before buying a bottle of this, so I'm expecting maple doughnuts and jelly filling. Which doesn't really sound anything remotely like the kind of scent I normally love, but it's strangely enticing to me all the same. First sniff: Whoa! Are you sure this isn't Sugar Skull? Or maybe Sugar Skull's sibling? They're very similar in the bottle, although Sugar Skull is even sweeter than Zombie Apocalypse, which is saying something. Straight out of the bottle, this is straight up carmelized sugar with maybe a hint of some sort of red fruit in the background (could be strawberry or cherry...or even red plum, I guess). Luckily, I like Sugar Skull for reasons I still don't understand (because it's so completely backwards from everything I normally like), so I'm not put off by the intense sweetness here. Wet on skin: Still very burnt/caramelized sugar, but the fruit comes out more once it hits my skin. Maple doughnut (with glaze/frosting) and jelly filling is about right, I'd say. On me, Zombie Apocalypse is less intensely, cloyingly sweet than Sugar Skull is, but it's still a real sugar rush of a scent. This doesn't have quite as much "Wham!" throw as Sugar Skull does, either. It sticks closer to my skin instead of enveloping me in a cloud of caramelly sugar. At this stage, ZA reminds me vaguely of maple sugar candies, although the maple scent here is much less pronounced than it is in the candy. Dry down: This settles down into something that's, again, similar to Sugar Skull, but not quite the same. It still has more of a maple doughnut type scent than a true burnt sugar scent and the (jelly-like) fruit is definitely more prominent in this (and intensifies as the oil dries down). Sweet, definitely sweet. And rich. And sticky smelling. Yes, sticky. Zombie Apocalypse smells gooey. I don't know how that's possible, but it does. Sugar Skull smells crunchy to me, like caramelized sugar that's been left over the heat just a little too long. And Zombie Apocalypse smells sticky, like jelly doughnut filling, and maple glaze and liquid caramelized sugar, all rolled into one. The bottom line: I wasn't sure the first time I wore this whether I liked it or not. It's one of those scents that I really needed to think about and try more than once before I could decide whether it was interesting and nice enough but not something I'd wear or if it was one of those rare gourmand scents that manage to find a loophole in my "no foody scents" rule. There doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to which foody scents work on/for me and which don't, so it's a gamble every time I get brave enough to try a few foody scent (or get one sent my way as lagniappe). Some make me queasy (almost always because they're super rich, sweet and cloying; Hellcat for example) and most make me think "that smells exactly like brownies" in amazement, but don't appeal to me on any level as a scent I'd want to smell like (like Lump of Coal). But every now and then one makes me want to eat my arm. The cannibalism-inducing ones are the keepers. So in the end, while Zombie Apocalypse definitely isn't an everyday scent, it's still a keeper, because it does tempt me to take a little nibble of those sweet-smelling wrists.

Origin: Preconceived notions: This is another scent I bought mainly for the name and bottle art. While I like some of the Monster Bait scents (and a handful of other sweet scents), I'm not generally a foody fan and I don't really like the scent of cherries. But I'm hoping this might work at least somewhat because I've been pleasantly surprised before. If not, I'll keep it for the art and the name and be happy. First sniff: This smells like a mix of Luden's cherry cough drops (which taste and smell like candy, not medicine) and cherry cordial. Sweet but kind of tart at the same time and a bit syrupy. I don't smell anything but cherry here and it's a distinctly syrupy sweet cherry at that. This doesn't bode particularly well, but I'll try it. Wet on skin: Not much change from in the bottle. Cherry cordial (like chocolate covered cherries without the chocolate) and Luden's cherry coughdrops. Maybe some wild cherry Lifesaver thrown in, too, but there's something a little more "real fruit"-like, too. It's a little juicier now. There's also a small hint of something powdery and sweet coming up in the background. That's encouraging since I think the powdered sugar note could help temper the intense cherry scent of this for me. Dry down: As MB: Bloody Mary dries, the powdered sugar gets more and more prominent. It takes hours (literally), but the eventual result is that I get a very distinct powdered sugar scent with a background of powdered wild cherry Lifesavers or Luden's cough drops. In the time in between wet and totally dried down, it's very linear, with the cherry taking more and more of a background position and the powdered sugar overlaying it more and more. The bottom line: I could (and would now and then) wear the final dried down scent, but I'm not sure how likely I am to wait hours for a scent that's just okay (for me) in the end. I'm still happy I bought a bottle because I love the inspiration and the bottle art makes me smile (it's creepy but strangely cute), but I don't think this will get much wear from me. It definitely lives up to the description and concept. It's just not really a "me" scent, which I knew going into this.

Origin: 5mL from the lovely MidnightAeval. Preconceived notions: Honestly, I bought this one almost purely for the name. The notes sound interesting and it does have the potential to work, but my real reason for snagging this was because the name makes me laugh. Also, I love ghosts. And cows. So ghost cows are like a mega dose of awesome. True story. First sniff: Hmm...this isn't bad. It's actually kind of pretty. I'm not sure I would have pegged this as being a milk scent if I sniffed it blind. It has a sweet, grassy scent to it, like a field of clover and a hint of fresh mown grass. I like this so far (I wouldn't say I love it, but it's nice enough), but I'm not sure how good it's going to smell on me. Wet on skin: Oh, there's the milk! The sweet clover/grass scent sticks around, but there's something milky underneath. It's a little sour smelling, but milk scents often go through that stage on my skin. This is definitely unusual and not in a bad way. Dry down: Mostly milk now but with a soft layer of clover underneath. I actually really like this, although it's not one of my favorite BPAL scents. It smells like an old-fashioned dairy farm (which I'm familiar with), but without the more unpleasant barnyard smells. This is like the field where the cows are grazing. It's summery and milky and green and highly unusual. The bottom line: I would have kept this no matter how bad it smelled on me because I want it for the name, but the scent is a keeper, too. I don't think I'll wear it often, but I will wear it. I'm thankful I don't get oregano from this like some other reviewers have because that could have ruined the scent for me. Phantom Cow was a pleasant surprise all around.

Origin: 5mL from catseyes. Preconceived notions: I love white chocolate. At least when it comes to eating it. It's one of the few candies that I really enjoy. My experience with it as a perfume note has been limited to the original 13, which really didn't work for me. It had a waxy, plastic-type smell to it that really put me off. But considering how much I love black raspberries (as food, generally, but the smell of actual fresh black raspberries or black raspberry preserves is a wonderful thing) and BPAL's apricot note (hello, March Hare!), I had to try this. I'm really hoping that it smells somewhat similar to Godiva's white chocolate raspberry starfish candies, to be perfectly honest, because they smell good. First sniff: First I sniffed this through the plumber's tape that was wrapped around the cap and it smelled strongly of white chocolate with something almost musky that had to be the apricot playing tricks. It smelled pretty good. Then once I unwrapped it and was hit with a nice waft of black raspberry preserves, mixed with white chocolate and a hint of that March Hare apricot note I love. This is looking good. Opening the bottle, it was the same scent as it was with the cap on but stronger. Delicious. It actually does smell quite a bit like Godiva's white chocolate raspberry starfish, but with apricot added. Wet on skin: No change at all from the bottle. Which is good. I was afraid this would turn to plastic on me like it seems to do on some people. This smells wonderful. Much sweeter than my normal perfumes (since I strongly prefer incense/earthy scents most days), but really nice. It's definitely sweeter and more gourmand than my Dark Chocolate, Whiskey and Cognac Truffle, but still wearable and not too foody for me (I think it would definitely be too foody if I disliked any of the notes in this, though, so bear that in mind). Dry down: The white chocolate takes over a bit as this dries and it settles into a musky white chocolate scent with a background of apricot and black raspberry preserves. It really does smell like candy and, amazingly, I'm absolutely loving this. Like Dark Chocolate, Whiskey and Cognac Truffle, it makes me want to eat my arm, it smells so good. Completely realistic and utterly delicious. The bottom line: I'm definitely going to have to track down more of this because it's a beauty. I only have half a bottle right now and I can see myself using it all up. I'm amazed by how much I'm liking these Box of Chocolates scents. I never thought I'd see the day that I would be wearing (and loving) a candy scented perfume, but leave it to BPAL to achieve the unachievable. I'm in white chocolate, raspberry, apricot heaven right now.

Origin: 5mL from Dark Delicacies. Preconceived notions: I'll just say it up front. I got this because of the name. It made me laugh and I'm an unrepentent lover of really bad horror/sci-fi movies. I don't necessarily have high expectations for it, although some of the notes are good ones for me. Not all of them, though. Fruitcake? I really, really don't want to smell like fruitcake. That's the most concerning thing here, everything else seems like it could work. First sniff: Ooh, this smells good. It's like a cross between Gingerbread Poppet and Villainess' Gingerbread. It's nice and rich and spicy with a moistness to it. How can a perfume oil smell moist? I have absolutely no idea, but this does. It doesn't smell like crisp cookies, it smells like rich, moisy, chewy gingerbread with an emphasis on the spices. I don't smell any musk or fruitcake here. Rum is hard to say. Could be, but rum often smells a bit spicy to me, so it could be getting masked by the gingerbread scent. Wet on skin: Same as in the bottle, but maybe a little bit sweeter and more candied smelling. Kind of like if you took that same moist gingerbread and dipped it in maraschino cherries, but without the cherry scent. It has that sweet, syrupiness to it without being over the top or cloying. I really like this is a lot. It's pretty similar to Gingerbread Poppet on me, but sweeter and gooier smelling. Dry down: This goes through some stages when it's drying down on me. At first, when the oil actually dries, it's very similar to the wet stage only with just a little bit of candied fruit smell. It has to be the fruitcake making an appearance, but I actually like it. It's just fruity enough to give this some depth (and keep it from being too much of a Gingerbread Poppet clone). It has a very rich smell to it and it's very realistic, not like the cheap gingerbread candles you see popping up around the holidays. This is the smell of a kitchen where someone's been marathon baking all day to prepare for holiday guests, with maybe a slug sip or two of rum along the way to help ease their frazzled nerves. Then, once the drydown has been going on for several hours, it turns musky but still spicy. In the end, it leaves me with a gentle musk (white musk, maybe; it reminds me of Oison but without the herbal notes) and soft, gingery spice scent that's surprisingly pretty. You really need to put your nose up close to it at this point to get a whiff, but it's a nice surprise when you do. The bottom line: I have to say, I'm very pleasantly surprised. This has an awesomely hilarious name and a really nice, wearable scent. I don't think the difference is big enough between this and Gingerbread Poppet for me to justify getting a second bottle (since I already have 2 GP's in my stash), but if I didn't already have plenty of gingerbread smelliness in my BPAL box, I'd definitely grab another bottle. In fact, I still might...it's tempting, although I know I don't "need" it. ETA: Not only did I go for the second bottle of Flesh-Eating Reindeer in spite of telling myself repeatedly that I didn't need it, I went for another 2 on top of that. Yes, I now own 4 bottles and I it.

Origin: Partial 5mL bought from glasspillars. Preconceived notions: I'm not much of a chocolate fan (either as food or as perfume) normally, but there's something about BPAL cocoa notes that's managed to circumvent that little obstacle. While I'm still not a huge fan of super sweet chocolate scents, cocoa and dark chocolate are working for me (in moderation), especially when they're combined with boozy notes (like here) or tobacco. So I expect this to be a big winner. First sniff: Oh, this is good. I get a nice cocoa scent (more like cocoa powder than candy) layered over sweet, heady, boozy cognac in the background. I'm not smelling much whiskey here yet, but that's fine. Cognac smells really good on me in BPAL blends and it's a little less intensely alcoholic in scent than whiskey is (I love boozy scents, but I don't want to walk around smelling like I've been on a bender. Wet on skin: Mmm, chocolate and cognac. This smells like the delicious little dark chocolate and rum ganache truffles I used to get now and then from the upscale little chocolate boutique in a town a little ways from our house, only with cognac substituted for the rum. It's rich and chocolatey, but not cloying, and deliciously boozy without being cheap smelling. This is sophisticated. Dry down: Smooth, almost milky, chocolate with just a bit of cognac wafting up. It makes me want to eat my arm in spite of my take it or leave it attitude toward chocolate. This is a gorgeous scent. It's not overpoweringly sweet. Not by a long shot. Soft, smooth, silky and, yes, sweet, but not cloying or ultra foody. It's almost musky on me, oddly enough. And that's a good thing. The bottom line: I never thought I'd see the day that I would fall so completely for a chocolate scent, but my BPAL adventures have evidently been leading up to this by teaching me to appreciate notes I never thought would work on or for me. I'm happy to say that this is an unequivocal keeper, although I'm sad that it's an LE and I don't have more of it, since I'm a hoarder of scents I love.

Origin: Dark Deliacies. First sniff: Clean laundry? Detergent? Something a little bit sweet and minty in the background. No idea what that is. In the bottle, this immediately makes me think of doing laundry. More the scent of powdered laundry detergent than clean, crisp sheets. Wet on skin: Definitely different on my skin. It's like a distant cousin of White Rabbit, without the ginger (which smells like lemon) note and with less sweetness/milkiness. I'm still getting clean laundry, but it's sweeter, softer and more comforting now. This isn't bad, but so far I prefer White Rabbit. Dry down: Very similar to White Rabbit's drydown on me. It has that crisp linen scent (no more laundry detergent; the sheets are clean and dry and folded now) with a milky, sugary tea note over top, which is strange since there's no tea listed in Black Lace. Maybe I should say that it smells like the milky, sugary tea note in White Rabbit, which doesn't exactly smell like an actual cup of tea to me. It's not exactly the same as White Rabbit, but it's hard to pin down what's different here. I think it may be that White Rabbit has a slight pepper and ginger scent on the drydown that's absent in Black Lace. This is sweeter, smoother and prettier on the drydown than in the wet stages. The drydown is fairly close to what I was expecting, although I don't get the cognac noted in the description. I think if the cognac had made an appearance, it would have made Black Lace a little more unique and a little more interesting for me. With the cognac, this could have been a more grown up, sophisticated version of White Rabbit, but as it is, Black Lace just doesn't differentiate itself for me. The bottom line: If I didn't already have White Rabbit, I think I would probably keep this, but I'm trying hard to keep my collection reasonably under control and they're just too similar to keep both. Since I prefer White Rabbit's wet stage and it's drydown (it's a close call, though), I'll be sending Black Lace onto a new home.

I can't believe this doesn't have a topic already...weird. Origin: The Pumpkin King circular swap. My impressions: Cinnamon without smelling like a craft store or potpurri. I definitely recognize this from Three Witches. It's an almost musty smelling cinnamon, more like cinnamon sticks than red hots (i.e. realistic instead of fake). I like cinnamon a lot, but I can't see myself wearing this on its own. It's definitely nice, though.

I've been meaning to review this for ages, but just never got around to it, so here it is, my long-awaited and long-overdue review of one of my most coveted BPAL blends. Preconceived notions: I literally almost cried when I heard about this blend and realized I wouldn't ever get a bottle because there was no possible way that I could go to Convergence and couldn't justify spending the price that a bottle, should one be put up, was sure to command on eBay. I loved it for the name alone, being a buzzard-lover from childhood for reasons even I don't understand, but also for the descriptions people gave. Woody and warm? I'm all over that. I almost hope to hate this so I don't lust after something I can't get more of (I have a dab in an imp that I was very lucky to be gifted with). First sniff: Something in here reminds me strongly of Golden Priapus...pine, maybe? It's got that same sort of strange medicinal, tickle-the-back-of-your-throat sharpness to it that GP has, but it's more...syrupy, maybe? Strange, very strange and hard to describe. I'm not sure that this was entirely what I was expecting...I was thinking more warmth and dryness rather than sharpness, but this is interesting. I'd be thrilled to death if I got the earthiness that some other people have described, but nothing doing. It's pure medicinal sharpness to my nose for some reason. Wet on skin: More manageable now, but still not quite what I had in mind. Where I was thinking rich and warm and earthy with a touch of dry wood, I'm getting that same odd throat tickling piney note that never seems to agree with me for some reason. This isn't boding well. Dry down: No real change, unfortunately. There's a bit more dry woodiness now, but not enough to make this a scent I really love. It has to be something in here that's throwing my nose off because by all accounts I should adore this. I'd love to know what it is and if there's a common ingredient between this and Golden P as both of them make my throat tickle and give me almost a sense of nervous anticipation that's just not pleasant. Whatever it is, I'm sure it's one note ruining this one for me and that's more heartbreaking than if the entire thing had gone horribly wrong. The bottom line: I wanted to love Doc, but we're just not meant to be together, apparently. I would have expected that we'd be perfect for one another but I suppose it's a blessing in disguise as I could never get a bottle of it if my life depended on it. Blessing it may be, but it's still sad. We could have been such good friends. ------------ ETA: It's been more than 4 years since I got my little decant of Doc Buzzard (which I could never bring myself to get rid of for sentimental reasons) and I'm trying it again today, mainly out of curiosity, but also to see if its mellowed/changed any with age. So I think it's time for an updated review. First sniff: Still that same, strange medicinal smell, although the other notes seem to have mellowed and deepened. There's something oddly herbal and medicinal lurking in here, but it's not quite as sharp as I remember it being the first time around. Wet on skin: I'm getting more dry wood now than I (apparently) did before, but that pine note is still here. At this point, it's definitely evocative of the old west. Dry, dusty wooden buildings, raw, rough cut wood and herbal cure-alls. I'm still not loving Doc at this point, but it's not bad and I do like it. Just not something I'd reach for on a regular basis. Dry down: Hello! What just happened? Suddenly, this went from dry wood and pine to dry wood and incense?! Seriously, Doc made a sudden, sharp turn in the time it took to dry. And I'm loving the results. I only put on a small dab since I don't have much and didn't want to slather it all over (both because I didn't think I was going to want to smell like it and because I didn't want to put a big dent in it just testing it), but it's strong. I'm getting very dry wood (cedar, I'd say), a little bit of some sort of dusty, dry incense (possibly sandalwood based, but it's hard to say) and maybe some musk? I'm not that good at identifying musk types, but I'm thinking black. Definitely not red, because it lacks the round, almost fruitiness of red musk. This is a very dry, masculine scent. And it's much, much more appealing than it was the last time I tried it. The longer it dries, the better it smells (to me, anyway; I have a feeling a lot of people would smell this and go "Eww, hamster bedding!"). The bottom line: Doc has indeed mellowed with age and lost its youthful sharpness. I like what it's turned into. Apparently not getting rid of my little decant was a good decision. Or a bad one since I want more now.

Preconceived notions: I had to buy this from the moment I read the notes, even after the momentary sticker shock. Everything in here is pure love for me - redwood and red sandalwood are easily two of my favorite notes and tobacco is something I'm always happy to see in a BPAL blend. I can't imagine something more perfect sounding. First sniff: Ooh, love it! This is just what I expected and it's a relief that the pepper isn't overpowering, which I'd been afraid of for no reason other than that something that sounds so perfect can't possibly live up to my expectations. I was wrong, though - dead wrong. In the bottle, this is rich and woody with a soft resiny swirl in the background and a bit of subtle spice. It's gentlemanly without being impossible for a woman - albeit a tomboy - to pull off. Wet on skin: Warm, rich and woody are words that come to mind, as are decadent, mysterious and smoky, although there's no smoke to this. It reminds me of wood panneling and leather armchairs for some reason. In terms of feel, it's similar to Hellfire without being overpoweringly tobacco-like. It's almost what I imagine a grandfather should smell like (not what mine smelled like, certainly, but ideally speaking): warm, masculine and welcoming. Drydown: There's no real change from wet to dry for me on this one. It's just as warm and inviting and rich once it dries as it is when its wet. For a long time I've wanted a bottle of tobacco absolute and while I have one now, it doesn't live up to Carceri d'Invenzione in terms of perfection. I vastly prefer this genius blend to the tobacco absolute mainly because of the depth of this scent. The verdict: An absolute winner. I would bathe in this if I could.

Preconceived notions: I'm not normally a foody fan, but throw in bourbon and red velvet cake and I'll make an exception. I'm a bit afraid of this being too foody for me, especially with the buttercream, but it sounds delicious! First sniff: Ohhhh...this is good. I smell the blackberry and the red velvet cake the most, but I get a hint of sweet creaminess from the buttercream, too. It's rich and sweet and foody, but I like it. Wet on skin: This is so good. On my skin, the bourbon (a note I'd love to see more of) comes out strong with a sweet, fruity background of blackberry and buttercream. Dry down: I'm surprised that the buttercream isn't amping up and making me sick, considering that my skin loves to latch onto sweet notes and turn them into UBER SWEETS OF DOOM (yes, the capitals were necessary to convey the true nature of their evil). As it dries, Monster Bait: Closet gets a bit sweeter than during the wet stage, but not overwhelmingly so. It's sweet and edible without being cloying and it's somehow grown up smelling in spite of the "little girl" vibe that foody scents generally have. The bottom line: Love it! I need more of this before it's gone.

Preconceived notions: I had to try this blend since I tend to go through phases where I toss and turn and have horrible nightmares that keep me awake, but since I already had Somnus, I got a decant of this instead of splurging on a whole bottle. Scent impressions: Smells like lavender, but sweeter than Somnus to my nose. I like the way this smells! Effectiveness: I've never in my life had such a good night's sleep as last night, although I'm not sure if it was the Nocturne or the fact that I haven't slept well in 4 nights because I couldn't get a refill on one of my medications that helps me get stage 4 sleep (long story) and finally got it last night. Either way, I have to say I'm impressed with Nocturne. It seemed to work better than Somnus does and didn't have the almost astringent smell to it that Somnus does. The verdict: I think I'm definitely going to get a bottle of this one.

Preconceived notions: I actually bought an imp of this before seeing the notes because I had to have it for the name alone, Alice in Wonderland fan that I am, but I'm waffling over whether it'll work now that I know what's in it. The green apple, ambrette, mint and vodka sound good, but aquatics often give me hives and I don't like florals or lime, but I'm looking forward to trying this anyway. First sniff: Ooh, pretty! Green and fresh...limey, appley but somewhat herbal at the same time. It's not my normal kind of scent, but I like this so far! Wet on skin: I like this even more on my skin. On me, it turns to a minty aquatic with a tiny, tiny hint of apple. It's fresh and clean smelling, but not laundry detergent-ish. Dry down: Powdery mint with just a hint of aquatics. I think I may be allergic to this, unfortunately. Aquatics tend to give me hives and my wrists are starting to itch. I'd wear this in my scent locket, but I prefer the scent on my skin to the scent in the bottle. The bottom line: I really like the scent of this, but my allergies have other ideas, unfortunately. I'll hang onto my imp, but I'm not going to be getting a bottle of this.

Preconceived notions: I had to have this one if only for the name, but the notes sounded perfect for me, dirt-lover that I am. First sniff: Earthy but not loamy really...sort of a light, soft earth note with something that really does remind me of fresh-picked mushrooms...that sort of white, slightly fungus-like scent. I'm sure that sounds bad to some people, but it's really not. It's definitely different, but I really like it! Wet on skin: Pretty much the same as in the bottle, only slightly stronger on the earth note and not as strong on the fungus. Destroying Angel is light and ethereal but at the same time dirty and loamy, like the forest floor. It's a contradiction in scents but it works. I'm sure this wouldn't be a scent for everyone, but I really like this. Dry down: Soft, dusty dirt and not much else. Destroying Angel is a truly wearable dirt scent. It's not as intense or as in-your-face as Graveyard Dirt but not too light, either. The bottom line: I can see this being a dirt scent that works for people who don't like dirt scents as well as for us dirt-lovers who just want something a bit lighter to wear for a change.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I really don't see myself liking this. It's got nothing but things that generally go all wrong on me, but I'm going to try it anyway. First sniff: Bubblegum and flowers! That would be the lotus root mixing with the...flowers. I really, really don't care for this. Wet on skin: Sweet flowers and a touch of ginger and musk. This is just too girly and floral for me, unfortunately. Dry down: Pretty much the same as the wet stage. I knew this wouldn't be for me, but it's even less for me than I'd anticipated. The bottom line: Too floral for me, alas. This will be finding a new home.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: The cheesecake part sounds wonderful, but the cupcakes have me worried. I generally hate sweet, foody scents. First sniff: Chocolate cupcakes. Seriously, it's like cramming an unfrosted chocolate cupcake up my nose. Now, you may find that to be a good thing and are thinking "Damn, I want a cupcake-up-my-nose scent!" and if you are, then you'd probably love this. I, however, don't want a cupcake shoved up my nose (literally or figuratively) every time I wear a perfume, so I don't think this is for me. Wet on skin: Cupcakes with icing now. That's not necessarily an improvement in terms of scent, although it would be if I were, in fact, eating this. I don't smell any cheesecake yet, but I don't think that it showing up now would salvage this scent for me. Not unless the cupcakes magically disappeared when they did. Dry down: Cupcakes, cupcakes and more cupcakes. I had a feeling this scent wasn't going to do it for me, but I was expecting the cheesecake to at least put in an appearance. I'm glad I got to try this, though. It was quite the, uh...experience. The bottom line: If you're a foody scent lover, fear not, Beaver Moon is for you! If you're like me, then run for your life.

Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: My Imp Pimp tells me this might be a surprise winner, so I'm looking forward to trying it! First sniff: Hmm, this definitely isn't what I was expecting! I smell sandalwood first and foremost, and then the amber and champaca flower. This is a bit like Hellion only sweeter and more complex. This definitely could work! Wet on skin: This is interesting. It's a dry resin scent, but there's also date, honey and florals in here that're really making themselves known and I'm not sure if they're working on my skin. I had a feeling they might come out and ruin this for me since I often have problems with date and honey (and my skin amping up florals). Dry down: Phooey, this isn't going to work on me. I wanted to love it and even expected to really like this, but the date, honey and florals are ruining it for me. My skin just doesn't do well with any of them and all together they're creating a synergistic effect in each other. The bottom line: I wanted to love it, but my skin has other ideas, apparently.

Not the desperation, desolation and anguish of unrequited love, but the distant, chill and pitiless scent of the object of that doomed desire. White musk, osmanthus, Nile lily and frankincense. Origin: Imp from my Imp Pimp, Diana. Preconceived notions: I don't see myself liking this even thought it has frankincense (which I love) and white musk (which I like) in it. I may be wrong, though, considering the surprise success fo Parlement of Foules. First sniff: Yep, this isn't for me. Far too floral for my tastes. It smells a bit aquatic, but definitely floral with just a hint of white musk. Wet on skin: Aquatic florals and not much else. I don't smell any frankincense in this at all, just the florals. It's a fresh, clean floral blend, so it's not bad, but it's still not me. Dry down: I'm getting a tiny bit of frankincense in here now, but it's mainly aquatic florals the same as when it was wet. This just isn't for me. The bottom line: Definitely not for me, although I didn't expect it to be.