hellomoonglow

It smelled so freaking good wet. It smelled just like a thin mint. Then it dried. And it smelled like hard core nursing home day old urine. Ewwww.

In Imp: Unusual. I can get the vision of snow, based on the description. Also smells like something a little green underneath. Very muted green. Wet: Good enough to make we want a bottle even before the dry down! There’s something fresh and surfacy about this, with a little vanilla underneath, although that’s not listed in the ingredients. ½ hr. Dry Down: A more muted version of freshly wet. Good staying power! I’ve worn this all day and can still smell it.

In Imp: Reminds me of cologne my Dad used to wear when I was a little girl, with a smattering of something feminine over top of it. Wet: More feminine, with a strong rose, but unlike many other BPAL roses. I like this the best of all the rose scents. ½ hr Dry Down: Strong and commanding. Something to wear when you need to keep attention. Rosey but in a very non-rose way, not fake. Overall, I like very much but would never have the “perfect” occasion to wear, entitling me to buy a whole bottle. The imp will suffice.

In Imp: Bayberry, menthol. Christmas. Wet: Christmasy, no more menthol, but I do smell the fir. ½ Dry Down: Something I’d really enjoy at Christmas, but not suitable, really, for the rest of the year.

In Imp: Sweet vanilla with smoky sandalwood. Wet: The same, with an undertone of that rum. ½ Dry Down: Ok. I’m not married to it. It’s fun in the imp, but I wouldn’t buy a bottle. Probably because I despise anything that smells like rum. ADDED May 8: OOOOooooooo I love this! And I didn't think I would, as anything with creamy or milky notes turns to barf on me. The vanilla and sandlwood are such a delicious mixture. Wet it smelled just like a sandalwood/vanilla mixture, and while it was creamy, that addded to the throw nicely. After an hour it kind of disappeared. But that's ok! I'm happy to apply, wait and re-apply. Frequently! A keeper!

In Imp: Strong perfume. Wet: Powdery. I smell the linden blossom, which is very unique. ½ hr. Dry Down: Not a lot of staying power. I like this a lot, but it doesn’t hang in there for the long haul.

In Imp: Reminds me of the perfume counters in an expensive department store. Lots of heady smells, swirling into one, pleasant conglomerate mass. Wet: Already I love this! Strong perfume but not over kill. The darn Grog is too close and I’m getting some rum, too. ½ hr.Dry Down: The ylang ylang is very prevalent and mixes quite nicely with the frankincense. I don’t smell anything that jumps out at me as grave loam, so I’d be interested to smell another scent with loam as an ingredient. I like it but probably wouldn’t buy a bottle till the imp is gone. It’s not one I’d die without, but definetly a must-have.

In Imp: Rum and cake. Wet: Rum and burnt rum. This reminds me of Tortola. ½ hr Dry Down: Grog’s gotta go. This is not a scent for me.

In Imp: Whoa! Stronger than what I like. Wet: Musky. Spicy. I like this but right now, just out of the imp it smells very manly to me. ½ hr. Dry Down: For some reason, this reminds me of the Strawberry Shortcake doll I had as a kid. When you squeezed her belly, she blew strawberry air on you. It was yummy. It smelled a lot like this on the dry down! I need a bottle of this.

In Imp: Truck stop restroom. Wet: Cherries. And strangely, like preppy guy’s cologne with a hint of snotty rich princess. I think Paris Hilton and the uber-privaleged sisters on “White Chicks”. I don’t get any cranberries, although I wish I did. ½ hr Dry Down: Perfume. Strong perfume. Old rich bitch perfume. It’s ok but not for me. Too strong. Maybe for Nana, though.

In Imp: Strong! Not something I think I’d like. Wet: Smells like my parent’s boat when I was a little kid. Mildew. And it’s barely there, but I smell powder. <<< Cough! >>> ½ hr Dry Down: There was no ½ hr. dry down because I had to wash this off immediately. I so wanted to like this because I like the name, but this was a no-go for me. I’m getting a headache.

Arrrggghhh! I swiped it on without smelling the imp first! In Imp: Strong, reminds me of autumnal baking. I think I’ve made something like this in food form before. Wet: There’s something promising in there, under the pumpkin pie spices, which are the treacle and the cider. Treacle. There’s a scent you don’t smell very often! Mixed within this concoction it’s quite manageable, however. ½ hr Dry Down: Really good for the upcoming autumn months. I don’t know what exactly it is, but as with most of BPAL’s oils, when I wave my arm in front of my face, left to right smells very different of the same swiped sample area. I get that sensation a lot. This is really, really nice! Now I also think this would be good at Christmas/Yule.

In Imp: Roses with candy. Maybe the red wine? Wet: Roses with something both behind and on top – I picture this as a scented layer: 1) Dragon’s Blood 2) Rose 3) Red Wine The effect is overall very pleasing and complex. This is another one that kind of flys around the room, saying, “I’m here! Smell her wrist!” Even the kids like this one. ½ hr. Dry Down: If this is what Dragon’s Blood smells like, I’m a fan! I need a bottle of this, I want to smell like it all the time! Which brings me closer to my next quest, exactly what can I put this stuff in so I can bathe and wash my hair with it? I hear The Body Shop makes a good neutrally based shower gel. If I could just jump into a big bowl of Blood Rose I would be happy! I positively cannot stop smelling my wrist.

In Imp: Really strong, I’m having to force myself to swab this on. Wet: Much better, and I get a little suntan lotion smell too, which is I love. ½ hr. Dry Down: New age shops…..patchouli…..this is a keeper! I need a bottle of this! Suntan lotion is all gone. This would be a great his/hers unisex scent.

In Imp: Old ladies. But I get that a lot from the imps. Old lady or cherry, those are my two standby’s. Wet: Soap, roses. ½ hr. Dry Down: The roses in this are so very different than Lucy’s Kiss. I like the idea of cinnamon in the mix, because although I can’t smell it now, I know eventually it’ll creep out from behind the roses. This is a very weird (in a good way) kind of rose mixture. I like it but not enough to buy a bottle. Imps will suffice. Don't get me wrong, I really like it a lot, but there are several other rose scents the Labbies do that I like much better.

In Imp: Dusty cherries. Wet: Dark, dusty cherries. Currants and something dark and rich, not sweet but rather cold. I know, it’s weird. That’s what it smells like to me. ½ hr. Dry Down: The Red Queen is telling me a secret. And the secret is…..don’t buy a bottle of me! I’m way too complex for you! Stick with Alice, dear. She’s much more your speed. So, alas, The Red Queen is not for me. I get an icky talcum powder with cherries which is not at all the scent I’m looking for here.

In Imp: Little Old Lady Convention. Wet: Strong but standable, with the promise of something wonderful poking out in the gradual dry down. Clean, rosey soap popping out from underneath. Mmmmmm, this just hits the back of my nose and swirls around in there. ½ Hr. Dry Down: A great rose, well done. Very Victorian and old world. This is a good rose for me, but in general, all roses are good for me since I LOVE rose scents. 1 hr. Later: I can still smell the roses, strong and wafting up to me from my wrist. I love it when perfumes do this because just a turn this way or that, just a flip of the hand, and you can smell your perfume. Lovely!

This is just yummy! In Imp: Vanilla with floral undertones. Wet: Vanilla! Floral! More Vanilla! But very pleasing, not cloying. ½ hr. Dry Down: This is a really complex scent. I get deep, warm vanilla and I feel like I always say this, but I smell cherry! It’s the amaretto, I know. The plum is muted and I don’t really smell any wine, but that may come later as it continues to dry. This is one of my faves, I really like it.

In Imp: Strong, flowery. A little coconut maybe? Wet: This smells very floral and reminds me also of suntan lotion. This makes me think of Florida (I live in PA and have family in FL so we always went there when I was a kid). Ah. I get what this reminds me of. Public restrooms. I mean after they're cleaned. And it reminds me of Florida because we DROVE there....you got it....pitt stop in every state. Oh boy. Not what I was going for in a scent. Dry Down: Overkill on the florals for my skin. I need to wash this off before bed. This is not a scent for me.

In Imp: A little chocolatey, with a floral additive. Wet: Cherries (almond), chocolate. 1 hr. Dry Down: Yes, red! Weird to describe a scent as a color, but I sense it. Very nice, bold but doesn’t bowl me over. I probably won’t buy a bottle of this, only because there are many other I like better, but overall, this is a nice scent. I can see myself buying a bottle as a gift for someone, as this would be very suitable for someone like my MIL.

In Imp: This reminds me of my Mom’s garden when I was a little girl. Fresh, floral, Easter flowers. Wet: The same, but really clean also. This was a frimp and I’m glad they graciously gave it to me, because I wouldn’t have selected it on my own. 1 hr. Dry Down: Mmmmm, I get the golden and warm that is in the description! This reminds me of a Lily-of-the-Valley scent my Mom bought me when I was a little girl. Very well done and I’ll be getting a bottle of this.

In Imp: Dawn liquid detergent and kool aid. Wet: On my neice it smells nice. On me it smells like rotten fruit and fingernail polish remover minus the acetone. This is narsty. ½ hr. Dry Down: I’m getting a general men’s cologne with a bit of powder. Still really strong of polish remover. I can’t let this go on, it’s going into the same pile as Arcana. Must…..wash…..off…..NOW!!!

A shot of pure, self-indulgent euphoria! A scent that is very, very wicked in its own way: the serotonin-slathered scent of pure milk chocolate. Something wicked this way comes, and it's name is BLISS! Let me preface by saying that I live about 30 minutes from Hershey, PA and was just there twice last week! Outside the factory, it smells just like BLISS! I just wanted to drive around the factory and smell the air. In Imp: Hazelnut, almond, chocolate. Wet: Same! I smell something faintly floral underneath, but instead of detracting it adds to the scent. ½ hr. Dry Down: If they made a bed full of Hershey Chocolate flowers, this would be what they smelled like. This is D-I-V-I-N-E!!!! I covet a bottle of this. I need a new job to buy all the BPAL scents I now need! I am now hungry. Addendum: I have Bess on my wrist, and these two smell very beautiful together! That could be where I get the florals from.

In Imp: Baby vomit. My god, you people at the lab are never going to allow me to place another order! Sorry, Beth. Wet: Clean, soapy, fruity, reminds me of my grandma (who I really miss!). This is a very reminiscent scent for me, already I can say I will get a bottle of this. ½ hr. Dry Down: Grape! Delightful! Roses, orange is there also. Chocolate too, which is weird. Wait, I have Bliss just above it on my arm. I need an unadulterated view of Bess! Trying it on the other hand…. ½ hr. Later: Just a whiffy sniffy of chocolate. Not that I have a problem with that, I really like it. I can’t tell where it’s coming from or why my skin sticks to this scent, but I will buy a bottle of this and not just because it is named after my favorite Tudor (whose signature I have tattooed on my foot just below the Tudor Crest) and not because I believe the Earl of Leicester was completely romantic although skanky, but because I love the scent!

In Imp: Lime. Mojito. I’m digging this scent! Wet: Lime with something else in the background I can’t pull out just yet. Something I’m not familiar with. Maybe the neroli? It’s killing the lime now, at this point I’m not liking it all. ½ Dry Down: Lime, lavender and body odor. I so want to like this, I’m really going to give it a chance a little longer. Bill just walked in, grimaced and said, “Man, it smells in here.” Overall: OMG, this is horrible on my skin. It smells like ass and feet. I can hardly get close enough to my wrist to even make that determination! It’s going to be washed posthaste. As soon as I hit the “Add Reply” button. Like now!