Pickled Imp

[greenranger]

Cinnamon, clove, vanilla, and pine sap.

Wet, I definitely smell the cinnamon and vanilla. On my wrists, I actually get the clove as well as the cinnamon, and maybe the pine.

So far, this is what I had hoped Chimera would be, as it is definitely more spicy. I'm sort of expecting the vanilla to come forward and overpower everything on my skin, though.

So far, the pine is holding up on my wrist, and the cinnamon and clove are keeping up with the vanilla on the back of my hand, or at least making it a really spicy vanilla. Edited July 2, 2008 by Shollin

[cranberry]

wet, this smells of clove, and a touch of cinnamon and pine. the pine burns off quickly though and you're left with sweet clove, with a bit of cinnamon. this is absolutely delicious! it reminds me of Three Witches but softer and much sweeter. without the edge if you will. the vanilla blends really well with the spices and adds a wonderful sweetness to this scent.

 

 

I really love this but I'm not sure if I need a bottle. I've got Three Witches and that pretty much takes care of my spicy cravings. Though, I do think this is more wearable than Three Witches with the addition of vanilla.

 

If you like spicy scents, you will love this!

[ifinena]

Sadly this didn't work at all. Pickled Imp is a simple mix of cinnamon, clove and vanilla, but something is off with the vanilla here.. it has a somewhat 'plastic suntan lotion' tinge to it. That's the only way I can describe it. I love spicy/cinnamon scents (Shub, Plunder, etc), but I'm actually going to dissent and say I really don't enjoy Pickled Imp too much, but the concept and art = great.

 

What Josh said.

I love cinnamon, clove, spice blends. But this one just doesn't do it for me. It's very much like Gingerbread Poppet, either to my nose or on my skin. To me it's a foody scent and totally not "me".

[filigree_shadow]

I agree with ifinena that this scent reminds me of Gingerbread Poppet. It has the same sort of spices in it, and it's about at the same level of spiciness, except this one's a bit spicier.

 

Strangely, I get no huge overpowering blast of either cinnamon or clove out of this (like I usually do with those notes). Both of them seem to be rather gentle. I think they smell very good with the vanilla. Can't really detect the pine sap, but something about the scent seems deep, so I bet that would be it.

 

I honestly don't wear spicy scents all that much, but I definitely enjoy them on other people. I'd love to smell this scent on someone.

[maribouquet]

I don't have much in the way of new things to say about Pickled Imp, but I LOVE it - it reminds me a bit of Villainess' Ginger Snapped products, and the vanilla doesn't hate me. I will be procuring a bottle.

[hipslike___cinderella]

Pickled Imp is one instance where I'm sure I won't like the blend, but I give it a go anyways, and my suspicions were confirmed. Even at that, when I sniffed it I thought, "Ah! I might like this after all!". Adding pine sap to what could be a boring vanilla/cinnamon/clove blend is an excellent idea. It adds interest upon first whiff and cuts it down from being too super-creamy foody spicy. Alas, once on my skin, it's WOW-POW vanilla-cinnamon. Stereotypes be damned, I smell like winter spice potpourri. This does not morph past that, and it's strong. I was hoping for more crisp pine! I really do hate the thought of breaking my set, but I always knew Pickled Imp was the, ahem, "red-headed stepchild" of my Wunderkammer collection. No doubt I'll find it a happy new home!

[slave1]

PICKLED IMP

 

In Bottle: Spicy pine

 

On Skin: This is very interesting!!! The pine is very sticky sweet, like I was just climbing a tree and my hand got stuck in some the aged sap that collects on the sides. It’s old sap for sure, it’s deeper and doesn’t have that sharp note fresh sap has. The cinnamon and clove, both notes I normally dislike, warm this scent up and give it the neatest spice taking away the “forest” tone this scent could have had. I like that they transform it and make it so much more unique. The vanilla is the only note that isn’t warming up on me. It seems like it’s the same vanilla that was in Love’s Philosophy that went completely fake and plastic on me. It’s not the deep creamy vanilla that’s in scents like Antique Lace. It’s odd because vanilla usually loves me, but in this scent and Love’s Philosophy, it dissed me… not sure why. Still, the other notes keep the vanilla in check and I end up really liking this scent. I also love the name. Medium throw and long wearlength.

[pamplemousse]

I don't know why I've been having such terrible luck with CD acts IV and V, but on me this smells like taking cinnamon and pine tree car air fresheners and rubbing them on my skin. At first it's all pine, and then it's all cinnamon. If there was vanilla in my imp, it ran away.

 

Such a lovely idea, though! I really, really *want* to like it. I just don't like it on me, and the cinnamon is too strong for a room fragrance for me.

 

Waaaah!

[ChloeKEvil]

This reminds me a lot of the Body Shop's Vanilla Spice line that they have at Christmas time. This is not a bad thing at all- I covet that stuff madly. This is positively delicious, just the right amount of spice and vanilla to make me a very happy foody fangirl.

 

Besides, I love the bottle art. The imp is staaaaring at me. It's so cute. I think it wants my soul.

 

It may just have it. This is that good.

[asciident]

Wet: Vanilla, clove, something green so likely the pine. It's definitely the resinous scent of sap, not bright like the needles themselves.

 

First on: Strong, rich vanilla. The spiciness of cloves and cinnamon are there, but they're not predominant enough to stand out. Smells very much like Christmas, actually.

 

Dry: This is like all the cookie and candy scents I wish I had loved, but had never worked on me because sugar notes tend to go plastic. This is like a big plate of spicy cookies with vanilla frosting sitting near a pine tree at Christmas, and it's absolutely gorgeous. Not a hint of fake/plastic scent.

[SarahScent44]

In the imp, I get vanilla, with a hint of the pine.

 

On my skin, there's an interesting interplay between the spices and the vanilla (which are extremely foody, almost cake-y), and the pine - there's almost a tension between the two.

 

Okay - as it dries, I'm feeling a burn on my skin where I applied it. Just a note.

 

When it dries, there's a strange smoky-sharpness coming out of the pine sap with a dusting of the spices over it - I really thought I was going to love this one, but it's just too strange.

[Delirium1009]

In bottle/imp: Thick cinnamon and clove with a creaminess to it.

 

Immediately on skin: This is one of the first bpal blends where the clove actually smells like clove on me! This smells like vanilla pudding with lots of clove and a little cinnamon sprinkled over the top.

 

After a little while: As I wear this, it gets creamier and yummier smelling. The vanilla comes out more and blends with the clove to create a sweet and spicy foodie concoction. The cinnamon is very light in this, but I can just smell it.

 

Overall Impressions: I am so loving this. CLOVE!! That smells like clove!! This is like rich vanilla pudding sprinkled with the spice, and I adore it. It’s foodie, but not overly so. But it’s very rich and will be fabulous for cooler weather wear.

[kakiphony]

In the imp: Red hots -- the usual cinnamon smell to my nose before other notes allow it to morph.

 

Wet on skin: Cinnamon is dominant, but there's also a sharp, pungent smell under it that I suspect to be the pine.

 

Early dry down: Strangely, I'm getting cinnamon and woods. This almost smells to me like there is some uncredited wood base -- maybe something like teak or mahoganey. The two scents aren't mingling either -- more like they are fighting for dominance. I suppose the "wood" I smell could be the pine sap, but it smells nothing like pine to me. It is a deep, smooth cedary aroma.

 

Late dry down: High, sweet, cinnamon and vanilla. Like cinnamon toast crunch cereal. Really. I smell like cereal. And it is wafting. This is the first time anyone from work has ever noticed and commented on my scent. (It was called "evocative.") I'm actually not comfortable with that. I like my scents to be private diversions and am NOT someone who likes a cloud of scent to trail about me.

 

Verdict: This is perfectly nice, but just not me. I'm happily sending it on.

[sofaking6]

I was askeered to try this since cinammon usually burns me, but I am determined to review all the CD IV scents so I gave it a brave swab...and it came out all yum!

 

I'm really surprised that my skin showed no reaction to the spice.

 

I get all of the notes in here...I love the sweet pine sap, so far there hasn't been a BPAL pine that I haven't loved. Right off the bat it's sweet pine and cinnamon...like breakfast in Vermont in the fall.

 

As it starts to dry, the vanilla becomes clear, and the clove, too!!

 

Honestly, for me the only problem is that it's so sweet it makes me hungry, and I don't like that. But for fans of gourmand scents you should definitely give Pickled Imp a try.

[Jilara]

Opens imp and sniffs. That's weird, it smells like fruity rootbeer in here...

 

Okay, let's try some of this on skin.

 

Bakeneko sticks his furry little puss out and puffs a fireball.

 

"Hi! Betcha I fooled you! Come play! We're having a cream soda party! I think we might even have a little of that great Strengthening Sassafrass stuff, if you're into tonics! But mostly it's cream soda. Slather some on and let's party!"

 

"Um, I was told there was an imp in this bottle..."

 

"Yep, there was. But imps don't hold their cream soda well, so I tricked him and got him to go off while I moved in and drank all his cream soda! I AM a trickster, after all! Mmm, we've also got some great cookies with lots of cinnamon. Here, have one! They go really well with cream soda!"

 

So here I am, having a cinnamon cookie and cream soda party with Bakeneko. Not bad at all, actually. Kinda grows on you. After a while, you start thinking of how good a full bottle could be...

[agnusdei]

I almost didn't end up with a decant of Pickled Imp to try because the pine sap scared me off, but the promise of spices & vanilla got me in the end & oh, am I glad. In the decant it reminds me of a perfume oil version of Villainess' Jai Mahal, all done up BPAL style. Lots of rich vanilla & cinnamon, a hint of clove, & maybe if I look for it, a touch of sticky sap off in the background. After a few minutes it loses the Jai Mahal likeness & becomes primarily creamy vanilla & cinnamon. The cinnamon is going all buttery as BPAL's cinnamon tends to do on my skin, which really seems to work with the softness of the vanilla. There's a pop of clove backing the vanilla & cinnamon doing a wonderful job of keeping Pickled Imp spicy & hot. Eventually the cinnamon & clove settle into equal dominance of the scent, with the vanilla adding a creamy sweetness & the pine sap still pretty much undetectable. It smells like yummy spice cookies & I love it.

[smallvoice]

Body odor and cigarette ash.

 

The pine sap and ginger have committed a hate crime against cinnamon, which started out smelling pretty. It was the only thing about this that smelled pretty. Note to self: Ginger doesn't work. Srsly. Stop trying to make it work.

 

Just a nightmare.

[nekogrrl]

Wet: *sniffs* Is someone baking a ham? *sniffs again* Oh, is that /me/? Okay, not exactly what I want to smell like right off the bat.

 

Drydown: Clove totally goes away, and the cinnamon takes over. Hard. I don't smell like a red-hot (like I did with the cinnamon Snake Pit, whose name is currently eluding me), but it's definitely cinnamon and it's STRONG.

 

Dry: Still cinnamon. I get no vanilla from this at all, nor do any of the other notes make an appearance (except for the clove at the beginning).

 

Yet another for the swap pile. So far, I'm thinking my BigAssHUGEOrder I was planning on making specifically for the CD won't be so bigass or huge.

[tartchef]

Cinnamony-vanilla, but not too cloying, thankfully. I get just a trace of pine sap in the crooks of my elbows, none at all on my wrists. It does, however, burn baby burn - looks like I'm getting a bit sensitive to either pine or heavy spices To my nose, it's very similar to Three Witches Revisited - not an exact match, but most definitely in that vein. The drydown is very nice - the medicinal quality of the clove & pine really cut through the sugary sweetness, and the end result is a strangely fresh spice-&-deep-woods feel... a little cottage deep in the forest, a fire in the hearth & the scent of cinnamon cookies wafting through the trees

[Ina Garten Davita]

Pickled Imp is everything I wanted it to be when I read the description and more. Autumn outdoors and Winter indoors and Grannie's Kitchen at Christmas all bottled up. Warm and welcoming, perfectly spiced, creamed with vanilla and laced with a touch of sap from the freshly cut tree. This little bottle of magic is making me wish summer away.

[ClareN]

I love spices, but cinnamon burns my skin, so I was afraid to try Pickled Imp because I was sure I'd find yet another scent I'd love but could never wear because of the burning (like Silk Road and Bengal).

 

I was wrong on both counts: I don't love this, but it doesn't burn my skin either. It itches mildly but it doesn't cause the red rash I usually get from cinnamon. If you're sensitive to cinnamon like me, well, you should probably stay away from all cinnamon scents, not that I ever take my own advice there - but if you do want to risk it, this is definitely one of the milder cinnamon scents. It's spicy for sure, but I think it's much more clove than cinnamon.

 

And speaking of clove, this is by far the cloviest scent BPAL has ever done. I've tried nearly everything containing clove in the search for the ultimate clove scent, so you'd think I'd love this...but I just don't. It's too simple. It's almost single note clove. Obviously it smells really good, but I might as well buy some pure clove essential oil. Stronger pine or creamy vanilla would make things interesting, but the other notes are just a faint hint behind the clove. Gingerbread Poppet is similar but slightly foodier; I think I prefer it over Pickled Imp.

 

To sum up: if you like cloves, look no further. But expect a simple comfort scent, not a complex perfume.

[windbourne]

Fascinating. For such a comparatively simple scent, it certainly gives me quite the range of reactions. It's not dissimilar, as some have mentioned, to Gingerbread Poppet, but less sweet and buttery. It's quite spicy, just as I had expected, and has everything I want in a spicy/woody/sweet scent, but something about it makes me think 'air freshener'. I love it, but really not at all on my skin. It's not that it does anything awful, it's smells quite nice, but something (I suspect the pine sap) sends it off into a place that I'd be happy to have in an oil burner to make my house smell lovely, but can't imagine wearing at all.

 

I'm considering buying a bottle, because it would be so lovely as a room scent, but as a perfume, I'm not inclined.

[Mishinka]

Right what it says on the page: vanilla and cinnamon. Lots and lots of vanilla and cinnamon. I don't smell the clove in the bottle, but there's something a little woody and piny underneath it. It smells like someone's baking out in the woods.

 

The pine takes over in a serious way when I put it on, though the cinnamon is still pretty strong. I don't dislike it, but it's a weird mix. Oh, wait. There the vanilla is after a minute, and I think I might be starting to smell the clove.

 

I bought this scent because I wanted something straight simple and spicy, and well, there it is. It reminds me a lot of Plunder, which I love, but it lacks Plunder's complexity and warmth. This is also a little foody on me. It also dries to something strangely sweet-bitter on me; it's mostly clove (or a very harsh, hot cinnamon that isn't the same as the cinnamon buns earlier) and pine, but I can still smell a little vanilla. I don't dislike it at all, but I am sort of disappointed by it.

[Em-]

OMG, this is...amazing. Seriously, it is vanilla, spices, and just the most wonderful hint of rich, sweet sappy pine. My only fear was that it might be too sweet, but it is mostly warm and rich - a wonderful scent to tease me about fall.

[djsiberia]

wet/in imp: cinnamon, sharp pine sap, and sweet vanilla.

 

on me/dry: cinnamon and burning clove oil smoke and a touch of pine sap. it smells smokey, sharp and sweet.

 

the clove doesn't really stand out too much and the pine dies down after 30 minutes. mostly i smell sweet smoke. it really reminds me of gingerbread poppet without the dough scent and i also pick up a little bit of shub.

 

i might be tempted to pick up a bottle or 2 depending on how active the clove is. i absolutely love clove scents.

 

i would also like to point out where red phoenix, inferno, alone, and gingerbread poppet turned me varying degrees of red and itchy...pickled imp is the first to not make me blotchy red. that is worth a definite bottle.

Edited July 19, 2008 by djsiberia