Chimera

[theseagrows]

The fiery, volatile scent of cinnamon, thickened by myrrh, honeysuckle, and copal.

 

this starts off kinda foody, like cinnamon gingerbread or something. a minute or two later the cinnamon gets even bolder and spicier and less foody smelling. after a few more minutes i get a hint of copal. this is very fall-like, due to the cinnamon. i really don't seem to get much honeysuckle either and the myrrh seems fairly subtle, but sometimes i am not good at picking out myrrh either, so. it's definitely a warm, spicy fall scent-very comforting.

[Teaker]

This became an instant favorite as soon as I put it on. It's creamy vanilla warmed by cinnamon. It's not overbearingly sweet or spicy, just warm and soft and fragrant. I know vanilla isn't a listed note but there's no way it's not in here. It's very much like Morocco, but a bit more "grounded" and not quite as airy. It's also very reminiscent of Snake Oil, minus the musk and "exotic" element. If Snake Oil had a sweet little baby sister, it would be Chimera. It has fantastic staying power but sticks close to the skin.

 

This is going to be my new go-to winter work scent, for those days when Snake Oil is a bit too much for the office. Sweet and warm and simple, I just love it!

[azurephoenix]

Wow!!! Just lurve this!!

 

cold sniff: It smells just like Big Red gum... sweet cinnamon

on skin: It's totally nommy sexy cinnamon over snake oil.. SWOON!!!

 

I rarely buy bottles but I need a bottle of this stuff!

[greywind]

Chimera inspired me to come back here and post a review after a long absence!

 

This isn't just any Chimera, however, but *aged* Chimera. I like spices and incense, but I amp sweetness and I'm not a fan of foody scents. Consequently I bought a bottle of Chimera roughly seven years ago and wore it in spring and fall. Fresh on me it smells vaguely like sweet oatmeal, which I blame on the honeysuckle. Otherwise it has spices and resins which I love, and it's a soothing, comforting, quiet scent that sticks close.

 

At some point I mislaid this original bottle of Chimera. It ended up in the back corner of the drawer that I use to store BPAL and I must have thought I'd used it up because I bought a second bottle and have been wearing that for some time. Last spring in sorting out the drawer I discovered the lost bottle, but I've absent-mindedly kept using the newer. Today I decided to use up the older bottle before the new bottle is half finished. It's been long enough that the lid was stuck and took some time under a hot tap to be able to open it.

 

The results of this aging are superlative. Where it's usually a little too sweet on me for me to adore it, now the sweetness dies away almost instantly, leaving incredibly rich, smooth, spicy resin.The copal has intensified, the myrrh has become more smoky, and the cinnamon is woody as well as spicy. There are no edges to the scent either, everything blends into one warm, sensuous whole. The oil has darkened too, from a pale gold tinged with red to something that's much browner, similar to Snake Oil.

 

Now my only problem is what to do with this loveliness because I don't want to wait another however-many years to get the same effect. By comparison the "new" bottle (which is also a couple of years old) is very floral and brash. Maybe I will blend my old bottle with my newer one, in hopes of increasing the glory, and buy a new fresh bottle to cellar!

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: My first thought was "exotic". If you're a fan of scents like Morocco or The Lion (which I happen to be), then this is one for you! It's sweet (in fact, almost foody-sweet, but I guess I can also see how this could be honeysuckle) and spicy (but not immediately identifiable as cinnamon), and like the above-mentioned two, gives a lovely warm reddish-brown impression.

 

Wet: The cinnamon comes forward in a big way. I still wouldn't call it a foody scent, though - the sweetness is still there (albeit rather dialed down), but the cinnamon is a bit too sharp to be something I would cook with. But idk, if you're a big fan of cinnamon or spices in general in your food, maybe this would come across as foodier to you. (This is the reigning World Champion Spice Wimp here.)

 

Dry: Now I'm getting all the Snake Oil comparisons! If SO and The Lion has a scent-baby, this would be it. (LOL, now I just need to add a goat-themed scent to get a true chimera.) It's spicy and sweet, but a bit lighter and not quite as overwhelming as SO. I imagine it will age similarly, though.

[Aviatrix]

I wore this today for the first time, and already got a random compliment for it - always a good sign!

 

To me, it stays true to form throughout the wet stages and drydown, with not much in the way of change.

This suits me fine, as I love the wet stage; it's heavy myrrh with a little sprinkling of cinnamon (nothing too dusty, or it wouldn't be for me!) with something sweet overlaying the whole scent. This could be the honeysuckle or the copal, but I am not sure how either of those smell.

There is something very intriguing, almost magical about this scent to me. As if it is constantly shifting under my nose, like shifting dunes in a desert - first this note, then that, and so on. But at the same time it keeps its distinct blended fragrance throughout. It is indeed difficult to explain, but I am very pleased with it!

 

I can't believe it took me this many years to finally try it out, but I am so glad I did! This is definitely a keeper, and if you like spicy, deep or sweet scents, you will probably like this, too.

[d0gbones]

In the imp: Sweet, a little like honey

Wet: Slightly like cinnamon

Dry: Sweet cinnamon with something deeper. It's not shouting itself as myrrh, but I suppose that's what it is. It's a perfect balance of sweet and spicy, I feel like a little more either way and it'd be nowhere near this good.

[Teamama]

Foody all the way.

 

In the imp I could smell the spices and the myrrh. That was the only time I could find the myrrh.

 

Once I put Chimera on, it was very, very sweet. It started as a sort of amber-y cinnamon, with some vanilla and cherries. The cherries started out low-key, but gradually took over completely. Where did they come from? Darn cherries.

[gentle-twig]

This is an almost foody cinnamon blend. Actually, it is foody and I just need to make peace with the fact that there is a foody blend I actually enjoy. At the same time, it's clear that you're not actually smelling cinnamon rolls, just something that suggests them. The cinnamon is the main player but doesn't dominate and the copal and honeysuckle merge to form a sweet, golden, slightly resinous backdrop. The myrrh is nowhere to be found on me, which is a shame, but Chimera doesn't really suffer for it. This doesn't morph at all. I find it layers well with Anne Bonny to bring out the resinous quality of the copal.

[doomsday_disco]

I tried this at Denver Comic Con and liked it, but I wanted to give it a proper test to make sure that the cinnamon doesn't burn when applying a larger quantity. So I ordered an imp.

 

In the imp: Sweet cinnamon (probably sweetened by the honeysuckle), with the resins lingering rather faintly in the background.

 

Wet: Yes, the honeysuckle note is making the cinnamon note sweeter. It's mostly just cinnamon and honeysuckle on me at the moment, with just a hint of the myrrh. The description says 'fiery' cinnamon, but this is actually a softer cinnamon, so it hasn't burned my skin. Huzzah! The honeysuckle note seems to be emerging more with time, never overtaking the cinnamon, but adding a lovely creaminess to the scent.

 

Dry: Soft cinnamon and creamy honeysuckle. I can smell a bit of the myrrh if I inhale really deeply, but only a bit. I am not getting the smoky copal note at all.

 

Verdict: I really like this! This one will likely be a full bottle purchase in the future, as I adore honeysuckle, and it contains a cinnamon note that doesn't burn my sensitive skin. But first, I'm going to see how quickly I go through my imp.

[Veronica]

Oh I almost love this! I get a base of copal and myrrh, blended into a lovely creamy almond base, glazed over with a strong dose of cinammon. Without the cinnamon it would be a surrogate hit for me. In the same family as Bengal, strangely reminiscent of Snow White!

Edited December 21, 2015 by delighted

[paperdollsandbpal]

YAY a cinnamon that works on my skin and doesn't burn!!! This is beautiful... a sweet, spicy & soft scent that I can't get enough of. If you are sensitive to cinnamon I def. recommend trying this out!

[Elspethdixon]

In the bottle: Cinnamon with a cool/sweet top note (maybe the honeysuckle?)

 

Wet - Cinnamon. Sweet cinnamon-y cinnamon.

 

On the drydown - CINNAMON. This is basically a single-note cinnamon on me at this stage, and for the whole first hour or so that I wear it. This is not a problem for me because I adore cinnamon. And unlike most strongly cinnamon-scented oils, it doesn't turn my skin red (yay!). It's a very strong, but soft/sweet cinnamon, not a dry/dusty one, and not quite the "red hots candy" single-cinnamon-note of All Night Long.

 

After two hours - The cinnamon has softened slightly, and I can now smell some of the incense underneath it. I can't pick out the honeysuckle, but that may be what's been making this scent softer/less harsh than All Night Long.

 

After three hours - The scent is starting to fade back to a general soft-powdery sweetness (why does incense always go to powder on me?), but still with a detectable hint of cinnamon. It's reached the "have to put my wrist right up to my nose to smell it" stage that practically everything with myrrh or frankincense reaches on me after a few hours.

 

Verdict - Cinnamon that doesn't burn my skin = WIN, even if I have to reapply it by lunchtime in order to make it last all day.

[Shadowdawn]

Dear lord what is this delicious beast?! The only other scent I've found as sexy, alluring, charming, and well-morphing has been perversion. This is a very complex cinnamon, and also possibly the only honeysuckle blend I can wear. For years I thought the honeysuckle was a death note on me (turned to very old lady smell), but it's fine here...

 

In the bottle: Hmmm, smells pretty good, kind of like spicy, sweet cinnamon hearts candy. However, there's a darker, creamier.. smoky tone in there that keeps it from being straight-up foody, which is good, I don't mind sweet scents but can't go full foody. Almost smells like fresh cinnamon incense.

 

On my skin immediately: oooh, hot fiery cinnamon! Assertive! I like it, it suits the name very well, and I definitely would wear this with leather to a dungeon of some sort .

 

After about an hour: The cinnamon candy has settled down into a very mature cinnamon blend, and it is incredibly smoky, sweet, resinous... almost heady at this point.

 

After several hours: This has got to be one of the most beautiful dry-down's of any BPAL fragrance. The cinnamon note is actually almost gone... it sat down and blended right into the background, holding up the whole of everything quietly. It smells like the cinnamon got roasted away in a bonfire from the night before, simply leaving an ephemeral veil of cinnamon hovering somewhere around in the ether. I would have never guessed that copal, myrrh, or honeysuckle could smell anything like this on their drydown, either. The closest thing I could describe this as is... comforting, sensual, sweet, delicious warmth. It smells almost like the most delicious dry vanilla and creamy honey, with dusty golden amber flecks, in a milk bath surrounded by ancient candles and the smell of romantic, pale incense coming from the next room over. My description cannot do it justice. And this imp was fresh! I can't imagine what this would smell like aged....

[DiesMali]

In the imp: Sweet, honey-musky cinnamon.

 

Wet on my skin: That same sweet, musky cinnamon. There's an edge of a Play-Doh quality threatening here...

 

Dry: No more Play-Doh, and now this is one of the nicest BPAL cinnamons I've smelled so far, and definitely the best from the GC. It's a sweet, softly resinous and slightly creamy/silky cinnamon with fuzzy, musky honeysuckle making it just so soft and feminine. It's pretty close to the skin and doesn't have much throw, but it's very lovely and I'll definitely be using up the imp. May spring for a bottle at some point if it has a bit more throw after aging a few months.

[roseus]

This is the perfect place of sweet and spicy. Honey, cinnamon, and resin. Fiery and feminine.

[CitrusFiend]

My skin amps sweet notes, and on me Chimera is all warm sweet sticky cinnamon buns. Very foody. It was instant love when I first tried it, and now eight years later it's still one of my all-time favorites.

[Lucchesa]

Chimera! It's like Inferno, without the big red skin welts! I don't know why I can wear this and not Inferno, but I don't care. I will just accept what the universe gives me. The honeysuckle reads like honey to me more than flowers. Myrrh can be an iffy note on me, and I still haven't figured out what copal smells like, but this is lovely, warm, spicy, maybe even a little almondy. It is going to be fantastic to wear this fall. It smells so good I actually licked my arm a bit, which was a bad idea, but that's how yummy this scent is.

[achildoftime]

It's kind of oddly sweet. It actually kind of reminds me of cherries. Like cinnamon cherries baked into bread or something. I don't get anything else. I would never have guessed that there was honeysuckle or myrrh in here. The cinnamon it very strong, but didn't burn my skin for what it's worth. I just can't get past the fact I'm getting cherry bread.

[Nilbog]

I accidentally ate some of this and it does not taste good haha. This reminds me of big red gum. I can see why some get cherries. This really is a nice basic cinnamon scent.

[LadyLuckless]

Sweet, syrupy, sexy cinnamon in the same vein as Snake Oil. This is a top-tier scent for me, I'm addicted!

[gloame]

Ahh so lovely! Not too cinnamon-y, which is a good thing for me. It's very soft—an undercurrent. Not nearly as strong as I would've expected, and I wonder if the formula's been changed because others are saying it's very cinnamon. To me, the honeysuckle is forward, followed by copal and myrrh. I really love this. It smells sweet and innocent.

 

Where I'd wear it: A girl's birthday party

[JakkieTreehorn]

Fresh out of the bottle this is a little funky on me like some others have noticed. It smelled like dirty feet actually. Dry its better but still not great. Im going to put it away to age for a while and hope it transforms into something yummy!

[donkehpoo]

Wet: Cinnamon and some kind of baked good. Almost like cinnamon and honey? Definitely foodie. (It's not a red hots cinnamon, more like.. a cinnamon roll.)

 

Dry: Still has that cinnamon-baked-goods scent. It stayed remarkably similar to the wet stage, which doesn't happen too often! The cinnamon isn't overpowering, at all. 

 

It's a nice scent, and I'll hold on to my imp, but I won't need a big bottle.

[Kay Torres]

Alas, I wanted to love this (cinnamon is my jam), but it turned into a barely cinnamon scented Plah-Doh on my skin and stayed that way. If you can wear O, Snake Oil or Dana O'Shee, this might work for you.