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Today I received a lovely little package from a fellow forumite. Some Posset's imps.

After hearing everybody I know on the Lush forum raving about Posset's and BPAL (Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab) I was really eager to try some. However both companies are based in the US, and whilst they ship to the UK I didn't want to spend a fortune if I wasn't going to like them. I already managed to get hold of 5 BPAL imps which I have been keeping in a little wooden box that I got in Ibiza last year. Even though the imps are sealed the box now smells amazing, it smells like incense and really reminds me of the hippy market over in Es Cana.

A normal bottle from Posset's is normally 7ml in size and BPAL is usually a 5ml bottle. The imp's come in little tubes similar you receive as a free sample from Beauty Counters in the UK, normally containing 1-2ml in each. Perfect to try the scent before you buy a full bottle and as the scents are so luxurious you only need to use a really small amount so an imp can last for quite a while.

Both the Posset's site and the BPAL site contain huge scent lists which are just too long for me to possibly go through so for more information you can view their sites on the following links:
Okay, so I think I will start describing the BPAL imps I own to you first.

The first one is called Velvet. It's description on the site is "Envelop yourself in the soft, sensual embrace of gentle sandalwood warmed by cocoa vanilla and a veil of deep myrrh."  In the vial I can really smell the sandalwood, its strong but not too strong, the chocolate scent for me is a little subtle. I have dabbed a little on my skin however and the chocolate is a little more noticeable but it's not as foody as I expected, the sandalwood and myrrh give it a spicy incense kick. After a little while the strength of the sandalwood has faded and whilst its still not an in your face dose of chocolate it's enjoyable and recognisable all the same.

Next up is Ophelia. Whilst I'm not really a floral scent kind of girl I thought I would give this a try. Described on the site as "Wistful and vulnerable: lotus, water blossom ivy, stargazer lily and white rose." It is a floral scent in the vial but it's not just flowers that you can smell. It's sweet and reminds me terribly of Parma Violet sweets. It's lovely but not quite me unfortunately.

Thirdly is Alice. "Curiouser and curiouser. Milk and honey with rose, carnation and bergamot." After the recent Tim Burton film there has been a real influx in the number of Alice in Wonderland themed items. This scent came before the film but I still thought I would give it a go. I was hoping that the milk and honey would be a little more promenant in this one but in the vial it smells quite strongly of the rose and carnation. On my skin though - wow! It smells powdery, creamy and sweet. Quite grown up with the hint of rose and carnation but not floral. Really beautiful.

Now to describe Shattered (which I generally am). "A scent as sharp as glass shards, and as brittle as a broken heart. The formula came to me - quite literally - in a dream, and is named after, and created in memory of, the last poem that I ever wrote… almost ten years ago to the day. A blend of white champagne notes, grapefruit, lotus, slivered mint and crystalline aquatic blooms." This is a real wake up scent grapefruit and mint. Totally in your face - fresh. On my skin this smells really cool and cold, it's really lovely like a citrussy summer scent, not as strong mint but theres the still that slight mintiness to it. I love it.

My last BPAL imp is Grand Guignol. "In 1897, a new form of entertainment was presented to the people of Montmartre, Paris: the Théâtre du Grand Guignol. During the course of an evening at the theatre, one would watch several small plays, ranging from crime dramas to sexual farces, a violent, throat-ripping, eye-gouging, acid-tossing good time, which always included shock topics such as infanticide, necrophilia, insanity, murder, paranoia, vengeance and death by common household object. Our Grand Guignol perfume is a shot of sweet apricot brandy; just enough to settle your nerves after a ghoulish, gory brush with the macabre." This is basically Apricot Brandy but in perfume form. Now I'm not keen on apricots and I don't much like brandy either. The smell of brandy is not quite so poignant on my skin I mainly pick up a fruitiness. This may sound really daft as a description, but this smells really happy and lively on my skin. Like a fun knee's up with my friends. Much more enjoyable on my skin than anticipated.

Now moving on to my Posset's imps. I was sent seven imps to try although two are the same scent. So I will be reviewing six imps in total. These imps would have cost approximately $10 + shipping direct from the Possets site which I think is really good value.

I've found it really hard to choose which one to write about first as there are some seriously beautiful scents.

I think I will start with Strawberry Heart. I love strawberries, the colour, the taste and most definitely the scent. The Possets site describes it as "Sweet, simple, lovely. Scrumptious strawberry untrammeled by anything other than the most perfect of vanillas. Other people dip their berries in champagne, let them, we have found the ultimate in indulgence. So. Very. Good. Have you ever noticed how strawberries look just like little hearts? Sweet, foody, innocent, girly, fruity, foody, gourmand,divine." Never a truer word spoken. This is absolutely 100 percent GORGEOUS! If anyone remembers El Campino sweets? That's what this smells of. Beautiful creamy strawberry sweetness. Like vanilla ice cream with strawberry syrup, mmmm.

Another foody scent is Pippin Pie. As most of you know I am on a weight loss mission, with the odd few treats. Well this perfume is definitely a treat. It smells exactly like apple pie. It's amazing. You can really smelly the buttery pastry and the sweet crunchy apples. I'm so tempted to pour custard on my arm and take a bite because it really is amazing.

 The last food scent I chose was Giddy. "A great scent for those times when you feel...giddy. Chocolate and vanilla with lashings of a creamy sugar-buzz inducing fragrance which will make you feel like licking your arm. This is definitely one of the cutting edge foody scents which are wildly popular to the point of changing the philosophies of the great scent houses like Dior! If you want to be in the vanguard, this is your scent!" It really does smell like chocolate. Rich, decadent and grown up chocolate. Its really warm and cosy. Perfect for cold, rainy weather like we have in Yorkshire.

So after 3 imps, I'm ready to eat my arm's and raid the treat's cupboard. They were all real to life, smells like my favourite treats, beautiful. The other imps I chose are not food scented. I opted for emotions/feelings. You may see a theme ;-)

Adamus. Now this is a man's scent really. Described as making the wearer into a chick magnet. "This stuff will indeed make you a chick magnet. Sweet and amazingly sexy, it insinuates itself into her mind and lets you be the not-so-obscure object of her desire. Dry and sweet new mown hay (irresistible), is combined with tobacco flower (very attractive but non cloying), and my own concoction of sweet green moss and you can't miss. I like Adamus so much I have taken to wearing it (!), that is how much of an attractant it is. *sigh* Buy it for him or wear it yourself. " I have to say I agree totally with this desription. It's gorgeous. Very manly in a strong, seductive, lean in close and inhale kind of way. Now I just need to find a man. (Heaven help them with this and the Vamp Vogue wax tart from Scents and Sparkles)

Next up is Madame X. The website describes it as "Wicked, sinful, hedonistic, and irresistable. You may not have the heart to play the femme fatale, but you can at least smell the part. It's musky, creamy, enticing, perfumy, slightly foody, but very skin-like. It has a profound effect on men, they have no idea of what is bothering them ...it's you. It has a profound effect on the wearer as well. Since I created Madame X I have changed my hairstyle, bought a gorgeous black strapless long dress (and have a place to wear it) and many other disturbing personality changes, too. Don't miss out on Madame X. The more I wear this one, the more I love her." It smells to me like a creamy chocolate, but it's got more layers than just that. It's quite subtle on skin. Sultry and sexy, yet elegant at the same time. Really wonderful. I'm looking forward to seeing whether it does what it says on the tin ;-) .

Lastly I have Boom Boom La Rue, which just makes me want to sing the Will Smith song 'Boom Shake the Room'. Described on site as "A high keyed candy sweet kind of a scent, makes you hot just as you smell it. Very very sexy, a bit dirty, and well scrubbed! Big shot of air conditioner and atomic love in this one, too." It certainly is very sweet smelling. I've not smelt the primal dirty, raunchy sexiness which is supposed to come out from this perfume but it does keep changing on my skin.

Overall I think i prefer the Possets imps to the BPAL. Don't get me wrong they are all lovely but I really like the fruity, sweet food like nature that lies with in the Possets scents where as in BPAL I get a lot of floral tones. The scents change a lot on your skin, so what suits one person may smell totally different on another persons skin. It's because of that reasoning that I suggest if you are interested in BPAL or Possets that you go through their scent lists and try imps first. I am definitely very happy with some of the scents I have received and whilst the others aren't my favourites they are still lovely they just don't personally suit me.

Have you tried BPAL or Possets? Is there any scents you would recommend?

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