Different smells/colors, same perfume

[Josh]

My first imp of Fenris Wolf from a year ago was a deep, thick, dark red color and had a very distinct smell to it. I traded the imp away and eventually got around to ordering another but this time the oil is more of a pale red (almost orange) and it smells more like pencil shavings (cedar?)

 

I also have an imp of Tezcatlipoca which is pretty much perfect, so I went ahead and ordered a bottle. My bottle smells the same at first but the smell burns off pretty quick leaving something that smells floral/perfumey which I never got from my imp. I'm doing a side by side comparison right now of the two.. perhaps I just need to let my bottle age more? I wonder if aging kills florals? I hope so.. I make it habit to avoid florals like the plague.

[sofaking6]

My first imp of Fenris Wolf from a year ago was a deep, thick, dark red color and had a very distinct smell to it. I traded the imp away and eventually got around to ordering another but this time the oil is more of a pale red (almost orange) and it smells more like pencil shavings (cedar?)

 

I also have an imp of Tezcatlipoca which is pretty much perfect, so I went ahead and ordered a bottle. My bottle smells the same at first but the smell burns off pretty quick leaving something that smells floral/perfumey which I never got from my imp. I'm doing a side by side comparison right now of the two.. perhaps I just need to let my bottle age more? I wonder if aging kills florals? I hope so.. I make it habit to avoid florals like the plague.

 

Mmmm...I'm trying really hard to remember what my bottle of Tez. smelled like at first but I can't...but I can tell you it's all cocoa/leather and heat now. I guess I've had it for @2 years though...

 

I do remember that Tez. goes through a floral phase on drydown...maybe a week or so in the dark will minimize that.

[iiinterstate]

Okay, so about a month ago I bought a partial bottle of the Ifrit (maybe one imp was left, and I used it quickly). I looooooooved it, so I bought a full bottle with my next order.

 

In my new bottle, I can't smell a THING. And on my skin it isn't much better! Very very faint spice. My old bottle (what's left of it) smells as strong and lovely as ever. Is this an aging thing? Or is there such a thing as a bad batch? I've got both bottles in front of me and they smell like completely different oils.

 

It took a while for mine to smell like much of anything. I'd say at least 2 weeks. It was great after a month. But, yeah, when I first got it...nothing.

 

Oh good, glad it isn't just me.

I brought it out again recently just to see how it was coming along and there was definitely more scent to it, but I think it needs a couple more weeks to reach full awesome potential.

 

I guess I'm almost glad about it... if I had bought a full bottle fresh from the lab before trying a slightly aged sample I might have sold/swapped it for something else.

[merwynfaestormwarden]

I have 3 imps of GV- and two of them are a dark reddish hue, the other is a lighter color. Should I be worried someone sold me a diluted imp- or is this just something that happens? Its not a huge difference- just a little lighter- more of an orangish than the deep reddish of the other two.

[hkhm]

i would not be terribly concerned. it's most likely just batch differences.

 

there have been times when the lab has sent me duplicate frimps in the same order and they have had substantial differences in colour.

[donnatron]

There's a thread over in the FAQs that can help you out with this. If it doesn't smell different from the other ones, I wouldn't worry about it.

[ifinena]

I have noticed the same with my Glowing Vulva imps and bottles. Others were more intensely red, others more subdued. This happened not only to decants, but to bottles I purchased at about the same time.

I think it's ok.

[surlygurl]

I've been hearing people say that the new Schwarzer Mond is the same, but thinner. I didn't know what they meant, but I purchased a bottle of SM along with Priala before SM went away. I've never smelled SM before, but I do have a decant of Priala, which is (and has always been) resiny & gorgeous. The bottle that arrived with SM? Thin. Almost as though the lab cleans their machine with a solvent between batches & I got the dregs.

 

Hopefully the scents will "thicken up" as they age. Can anybody put my mind at ease?

Edited August 23, 2008 by surlygurl

[anardana]

Anyone know what the deal is with Baghdad? Is this an an aging thing? Here are my two imps- the darker one is much nicer and less musky/powder-y.

 

Edited August 25, 2008 by anardana

[cranberry]

surlygurl, patchouli gets better with age and that's a prime component of schwarzer mond. resins age well too. perhaps the reason why people are saying schwarzer resurrected is "thinner" is becuase they're comparing it to the original, which has a bit of age on it - it's been at least a year and I'm thinking two yrs, so the patch and resins have been aging away all this time. I can't say for sure but I would guess to just give it some time.

[Salem]

I have a decant of El Amor Y La Muerte and I'm guessing it's gone real bad. I don't know how old it is exactly (I've had it just under a year) but it separates as soon as you leave it alone for a couple of minutes and the smell? Well, it's more old frying pan oil then clove, sandalwood and rose. Could this just be one for the rubbish bin? Or am I missing something? It made me cough a little when I smelt it I have to say. Also, I don't think I've opened it more than 4 times since having it and all my oils are stored away from light and warmth. Sad sad sad.

[tartchef]

I have a decant of El Amor Y La Muerte and I'm guessing it's gone real bad. I don't know how old it is exactly (I've had it just under a year) but it separates as soon as you leave it alone for a couple of minutes and the smell? Well, it's more old frying pan oil then clove, sandalwood and rose. Could this just be one for the rubbish bin? Or am I missing something? It made me cough a little when I smelt it I have to say. Also, I don't think I've opened it more than 4 times since having it and all my oils are stored away from light and warmth. Sad sad sad.

 

It can't be more than a year old - the Retail-Only Salons came out in October of last year, I believe. I did some decanting when they first came out, and I remember El Amor being pretty funky in the bottle - and it was one that I had to roll very well to get the layers to blend. In short, don't let the separation phase you - it just means that some components are thicker/heavier than others. Have you skin-tested it? I've had the rancid oil scent happen only a few times - and only once was the oil actually bad once it was on my skin. That said, if the decant was somehow contaminated before you recieved it, you may well have a stinker on your hands

[Salem]

I have a decant of El Amor Y La Muerte and I'm guessing it's gone real bad. I don't know how old it is exactly (I've had it just under a year) but it separates as soon as you leave it alone for a couple of minutes and the smell? Well, it's more old frying pan oil then clove, sandalwood and rose. Could this just be one for the rubbish bin? Or am I missing something? It made me cough a little when I smelt it I have to say. Also, I don't think I've opened it more than 4 times since having it and all my oils are stored away from light and warmth. Sad sad sad.

 

It can't be more than a year old - the Retail-Only Salons came out in October of last year, I believe. I did some decanting when they first came out, and I remember El Amor being pretty funky in the bottle - and it was one that I had to roll very well to get the layers to blend. In short, don't let the separation phase you - it just means that some components are thicker/heavier than others. Have you skin-tested it? I've had the rancid oil scent happen only a few times - and only once was the oil actually bad once it was on my skin. That said, if the decant was somehow contaminated before you recieved it, you may well have a stinker on your hands

 

I put a little dab on my arm and left it as long as I could stand the smell and it didn't seem to change.

I might try it again but I'm wary of smelling like week old fries. It smells almost like pepper in the bottle too, which is odd as I can't remember it smelling like that before. I'm wondering if it's destined for imp heaven.

[Nisaba]

I am confused by my Inez. I was expecting myrrh and musky vanilla and gold, not weird... dryer sheet smell. Has anyone else run into this? Is this a mistake with my bottle or does it need to age?

 

The bottle of Inez I got for decanting was the same. A bit worrying, as errors do occur very occasionally - once (in my long BPAL experience) I got two bottles of the same scent for decanting, and one smelt pretty much like you'd expect from the description, and the other was a WAY lighter, paler version, like it had been seriously diluted or was missing some ingredients. This wasn't just batch variation, this was almost two completely different scents. I emailed the Lab, and they kindly sent me another bottle, which was the same as the stronger (and much nicer) bottle (I offered to send the weak one back, but they didn't want it).

 

Still, with only one bottle of Inez, I thought I should give it the benefit of the doubt, so I decanted it out and sent it on. I'm wondering if that was a mistake now. I just sniffed what I have left of Inez, and the dryer sheet scent is still there. And the more reviews I see, the more I think my bottle was faulty somehow and I feel really bad for my decantees...

[flutterofwings]

I am confused by my Inez. I was expecting myrrh and musky vanilla and gold, not weird... dryer sheet smell. Has anyone else run into this? Is this a mistake with my bottle or does it need to age?

 

The bottle of Inez I got for decanting was the same. A bit worrying, as errors do occur very occasionally - once (in my long BPAL experience) I got two bottles of the same scent for decanting, and one smelt pretty much like you'd expect from the description, and the other was a WAY lighter, paler version, like it had been seriously diluted or was missing some ingredients. This wasn't just batch variation, this was almost two completely different scents. I emailed the Lab, and they kindly sent me another bottle, which was the same as the stronger (and much nicer) bottle (I offered to send the weak one back, but they didn't want it).

 

Still, with only one bottle of Inez, I thought I should give it the benefit of the doubt, so I decanted it out and sent it on. I'm wondering if that was a mistake now. I just sniffed what I have left of Inez, and the dryer sheet scent is still there. And the more reviews I see, the more I think my bottle was faulty somehow and I feel really bad for my decantees...

 

Hmm, interesting...

 

Nisaba - I believe I was one of your decantees for this circle, and I loved my Inez decant! It smelt right, to me at least, but I'm no expert. In fact it was my fave of them all, and I am planning on getting a bottle in the near future. Now I'm just hoping it'll be the same scent! When I get my bottle, I will be able to compare them, and let you know the results, if you're still worried.

[jewelbug]

Question about L'Autunno:

 

I have two imps of L'Autunno. They are WILDLY different colors. One is a fairly deep red orange (like Corazon in color, not as red as, say, Dragon's Milk), and one is a paler golden hay tone, no red at all. They smell similar, but not exactly the same. The golden one is more smoky woods with apple, and the red is kinda like Lush's tramp shower gel + apples. I was wondering if:

 

1) Anyone else noticed this remarkable color/scent difference in L'Autunno bottle/imp batches?

 

or

 

2) Is it possible that I have one sample of the perfume and one of the bath oil, or something like that? If so, any guidance on which is which?

 

Thanks!

Edited October 6, 2008 by jewelbug

[kraken]

I'm wondering about Schrodinger's Cat. I just got a bottle and have never had an imp or bottle before. I dipped my toothpick into the bottle, swirled it around a bit and then pulled it out... it had this sticky orange stuff all over it. It smelled like citrus, so I was thinking maybe it was an absolute, but the description has no citrus absolutes in it. I tried to scrape as much off the toothpick as possible (so as to keep the scent mixture) and now there's just this goo in the neck of the bottle.

 

What is this stuff? (The scent seems just as the reviews say it should be, so it hasn't affected the blend.)

[septima_pica]

I think I got a bum bottle of Chimera in my last order. It's pretty much completely scentless -- a faint smell of powder. I think I'll bring it back at Tuesday's WC and ask what's going on.

[cranberry]

Question about L'Autunno:

 

I have two imps of L'Autunno. They are WILDLY different colors. One is a fairly deep red orange (like Corazon in color, not as red as, say, Dragon's Milk), and one is a paler golden hay tone, no red at all. They smell similar, but not exactly the same. The golden one is more smoky woods with apple, and the red is kinda like Lush's tramp shower gel + apples. I was wondering if:

 

1) Anyone else noticed this remarkable color/scent difference in L'Autunno bottle/imp batches?

 

or

 

2) Is it possible that I have one sample of the perfume and one of the bath oil, or something like that? If so, any guidance on which is which?

 

Thanks!

 

Jewelbug - I don't know about colors but to my nose the bath oil and the perfume oil smell very different. There's no mistaking them for another.

 

The perfume oil smells strongly of apples and maybe some mulling spices. It's sweet, but a fruity sweet. But not super sweet.

 

The bath oil smells so sweet. At first I thought it was caramel, but looking at the notes and I would say it is the molasses that I smell first and foremost, then warm autumn type smells. The bath oil is quite sweet.

 

I don't know what tramp smells like so I'm no help there, but it sounds like, if they smell similar and only mildly different, then you've got some batch variation there. HTH.

[DenMother]

Has anyone had any problems with Western Diamondback?

 

I bought 4 bottles about 2 - 3 months ago and they smell really wrong. This used to be my favourite scent and I was shocked at the difference, these smell like almonds and it's almost as if the snake oil is missing from the mix.

 

I have kept them to check every week or 2 in the hopes it was an age thing but there has been no change. I have even decanted into an imp to age faster but it hasn't changed either.

 

I really don't know whats happened or what to do. I wanted to stock up on this as I used to wear it daily but this isn't what WDB should smell like

[rawgirl75]

Has anyone had any problems with Western Diamondback?

 

I bought 4 bottles about 2 - 3 months ago and they smell really wrong. This used to be my favourite scent and I was shocked at the difference, these smell like almonds and it's almost as if the snake oil is missing from the mix.

 

I have kept them to check every week or 2 in the hopes it was an age thing but there has been no change. I have even decanted into an imp to age faster but it hasn't changed either.

 

I really don't know whats happened or what to do. I wanted to stock up on this as I used to wear it daily but this isn't what WDB should smell like

 

I wonder if you got some mislabeled bottles then. Does it smell sort of like an almond cookie? If it does, it could actually be Asp Viper. The mandarin in Asp Viper smells 'almost' like a leathery note to me.

[angelicruin]

I recently swapped to get a bottle of The Cracked Bell which I adore after sampling a decant from someone else. Right after I swapped, someone contacted me and sold me their bottle of The Cracked Bell (in addition to the bottle I swapped for with someone else.) As much as I love this scent and the fact that they're really hard to come by, I jumped all over it. Well, the bottle I swapped for smells just like the decant I had tried previously and loved. The bottle I purchased though seems to have an almost vinegar smell to it, both in the bottle and when I apply it. It's not bad, but vastly different from the other bottle and decant that I had initially fallen in love with. Given that both of the bottles should be approximately the same age, why would the one have a vinegar quality to it?

 

Any thoughts?

[stillalive]

Gah. I'm tempted to just stop ordering imps of perfumes I'm pretty sure I'll love and getting the bottle. What is it about the big quantity vs. the little quantity that makes the imps so much more colorful and complex in the imp? What changes in the bottle? Is it the presence of a wand? Something to do with aging? A different batch? Has my nose just changed?

 

My bottles of Black Pearl and Silk Road both smell much different than the imps I got orginally. It's not that they smell bad, they're just not the same "omg, must have!" scents the imps were. Why is this? Other imps almost always smell exactly like the ones I had originally, it just seems to be the bottles! *sniffles*

 

Oh well. I still douse myself in them.

[Juushika]

Gah. I'm tempted to just stop ordering imps of perfumes I'm pretty sure I'll love and getting the bottle. What is it about the big quantity vs. the little quantity that makes the imps so much more colorful and complex in the imp? What changes in the bottle? Is it the presence of a wand? Something to do with aging? A different batch? Has my nose just changed?

It could be any of the above, but my theories:

 

Imps age faster, because they have more exposure to light and (with the wand and the push-cap) more exposure to oxygen—which deteriorates the oils but also makes them age faster. Some blends, especially if they're not citrus or floral, become deeper and more potent with age. Therefore, the "aged" imp might seem more vibrant and complex than a "fresh" bottle. You may find that the bottles smell better the longer you hold on to them.

 

Imps warm faster and mix easier, because of their size and the wand cap. Have you tried gently rolling bottles between your palms before use? A glass wand cap might also help. Warming the oil to skin temperature before applying can bring out the nuances of the oil. Rolling the oil or using a wand also makes sure that you're getting the entire mixture of oils, not just what has separated out to the top, making for a more complete and complex scent.

[stillalive]

Thanks for the suggestions... but I tried warming/rolling the bottle and now it smells even weirder/more different! O_O Also, I bought Black Pearl and Silk Road imps either lab fresh or seemingly lab fresh, and the bottles were older and aged... so maybe it's just the opposite?

 

Blood Kiss, however, only improves with age.