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BPAL Madness!
arachne

Beachy, Tropical Scents

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The most authentic ocean-water scent I've tried from BPAL has been Storm Moon - difficult to find nowadays since it was limited edition, and definitely an Atlantic Ocean scent, but wonderful. No damp grass or flowers on me, though.

 

Caliban might be another to try, though I haven't tested it myself.

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Sea of Glass is very green and salty.

 

Undertow is a little fresher...kind of tide-pool-after-a-storm

 

I only smelled Thalassa once at a will-call but it might be your best bet, I LOVED it. Very much what I think it smells like if you're hanging out on a rock in the middle of the ocean, singing.

 

6

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I took a look at Thalassa and HAD to get some. It sounds unbelieveable!

 

Would Jolly Roger be good for a man? Hubby would like a ocean-y one for himself.

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I'm surprised no one has mentioned Anne Bonny! Or maybe its just me but I really get the salty ocean spray over rich old wood. I haven't had a chance to try Jolly Roger yet though.

 

Ooh I'm so excited about Thalassa! I adore the smell of sea kelp and seaweed!

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I vote for Jolly Roger, but since I just recently got frimps from the lab in Undertow and Caliban, you guys have made me run to my imp box to test :P

 

Caliban is very fresh, a little sweet. There's a hint of floral. Like a fresh ocean breeze.

 

Undertow is a little darker, but definitely aquatic ( a quick disclaimer: my skin does weird things with ozones and sometimes aquatics, so YMMV). This one has disappeared on me already, so it's hard to get a good handle on it. Same fresh water and air feeling - not as much salt as I expected since it smelled a little salty in the vial - and a little deeper, darker.

 

I also swiped Undine (technically a TAL) because I remembered how salty this smelled. This is, not surprisingly, not as pretty perfume-wise as the others, but the sea salt is definitely there. I think I detect a hint of vetiver or something like that. This is closer to - I don't want to say brackish - but deeper water filled with ... things.

 

Eh, not that useful. Sorry. I really should just copy these to Reviews.

 

My vote is still for Jolly Roger - that one is amazing. Salty, fresh and pretty. Never thought I'd like that one, but I do. Caliban is the prettiest of the other three.

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I've been looking for an ocean scent as well, but I'm looking for the Pacific. I was born and have always lived along the California coast, but I miss living in the Monterey Bay area so much. I'm wanting the ocean smell and a bit of cypress to take me back there. Do any of these suggestions sound like what I described?

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Definately going to have to try to get some Jolly Roger now. :P

 

I do have an imp of Caliban on the way also. Ever since I first found bpal, that one has just been stuck in my head. And I also have some Sea Glass coming.

So we'll see. And of course, I really can't wait for Thalassa to get here. :D

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Tarot: Hermit reminds me of the Maine coast. It is a mingling of aquatics with a touch of pine/fir. I love wearing it when it's raining and I have a book and a cat for comfort.

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I lovelovelove water scents, but so far I've been disappointed with all the BPAL scents in that category.

 

Lightning is the closest I can get. I can't stand Undertow (juniper... blech) and Hurricane (vetiver). Tempest had more of the sweet "dryer sheet" quality than Lightning, which I could live without. There were other GCs too, but none of 'em did it for me. I haven't tried Kingsport or City in the Sea, because I didn't find BPAL until after they were long gone, and I'm scared of loving an old LE.

 

In all honesty, the only ocean scent I will wear is Ocean from Woobie. It's salty, salty ocean air. I'm really hoping for Thalassa, though!

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If you can get a decant, I'd suggest The City by the Sea (hope I got that name right from memory!) It's very oceany to me!

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Definitely try out City in the Sea...

 

What about Bluebeard? I remember that the violet in that one smelled positively salty...

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I've been looking for an ocean scent as well, but I'm looking for the Pacific. I was born and have always lived along the California coast, but I miss living in the Monterey Bay area so much. I'm wanting the ocean smell and a bit of cypress to take me back there. Do any of these suggestions sound like what I described?

 

Oh my God... I'm in your boat as well. I lived in Monterey for most of my life and moved away a couple of years ago. I miss it so much. I could cry when I think about it. The scents that remind me the most of home are Sea of Glass and Tempest, but Tempest sounds closer to what you want since it has a very definite "green" feeling to me, while Sea of Glass is a bit more floral. Tempest definitely reminds me of afternoons spent sitting on my favorite bench under the cypress tree at the water's edge, watching the fog roll in. Maybe it will do the same for you.

:P

Edited by glass_cat

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I've been looking for an ocean scent as well, but I'm looking for the Pacific. I was born and have always lived along the California coast, but I miss living in the Monterey Bay area so much. I'm wanting the ocean smell and a bit of cypress to take me back there. Do any of these suggestions sound like what I described?

 

Oh my God... I'm in your boat as well. I lived in Monterey for most of my life and moved away a couple of years ago. I miss it so much. I could cry when I think about it. The scents that remind me the most of home are Sea of Glass and Tempest, but Tempest sounds closer to what you want since it has a very definite "green" feeling to me, while Sea of Glass is a bit more floral. Tempest definitely reminds me of afternoons spent sitting on my favorite bench under the cypress tree at the water's edge, watching the fog roll in. Maybe it will do the same for you.

:P

OMG, thank you, glass_cat! I will have to hunt down an imp of Tempest and try that. One would think that with a few hundred imps, I might have it, but of course not :D I can't even believe how much I miss Pacific Grove.................I wonder if your favorite bench was the same as mine :D

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I've been looking for an ocean scent as well, but I'm looking for the Pacific. I was born and have always lived along the California coast, but I miss living in the Monterey Bay area so much. I'm wanting the ocean smell and a bit of cypress to take me back there. Do any of these suggestions sound like what I described?

 

Oh my God... I'm in your boat as well. I lived in Monterey for most of my life and moved away a couple of years ago. I miss it so much. I could cry when I think about it. The scents that remind me the most of home are Sea of Glass and Tempest, but Tempest sounds closer to what you want since it has a very definite "green" feeling to me, while Sea of Glass is a bit more floral. Tempest definitely reminds me of afternoons spent sitting on my favorite bench under the cypress tree at the water's edge, watching the fog roll in. Maybe it will do the same for you.

:P

OMG, thank you, glass_cat! I will have to hunt down an imp of Tempest and try that. One would think that with a few hundred imps, I might have it, but of course not :D I can't even believe how much I miss Pacific Grove.................I wonder if your favorite bench was the same as mine :D

 

It sure could have been! I used to work as a vet tech at an animal hospital in Pacific Grove and would often take my lunch break by the water. My bench was the one that was a little bit off the dirt bike/walking trail, right under a cypress tree and right at the edge of this cliff-like drop-off. I liked how the trees kind of cut you off a little bit from the trail behind you, so you felt like you had some privacy to just sit by yourself. Best place ever to sit and watch the fog or read a book!!

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I love Monterey (I'm a California native myself). I used to visit Monterey once a month with my dad.

 

Caliban seems to fruity to be oceany to me. I didn't get a beachy scent from that at all. But I may just have weird chemistry. I agree that a very carefully blended violet can evoke the sea.

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I've been on a tropical kick lately - must be the freezing weather outside. Macchu Picchu is one of my all-time favorites, Pele is great but fades to nothing on my skin, I like Santo Domingo a lot, but Manila isn't one of my favorites.

 

Any suggestions for what I should try next? :P

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I love, love, love tropical scents!

 

I love Pele also and it layers well. The Star is a great one (coconut and lime), also Caliban (one of my abolute favorites). I also absolutely love Jolly Roger, Sea of Glass, and Olokun. Obatala is nice (more of a toasted coconut, if irc).

And this thread might help:

 

http://www.bpal.org/index.php?showtopic=12...amp;hl=tropical

Edited by Femme_Fatale

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A lot of the reviews of Vasakasajja are calling it tropical, and having tried a decant, I would agree. It's exotic floral-fruity love. also, Black Pearl is a wonderful, warm beachy scent.

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Obatala smells like a day at the beach -- sunscreen and heavy cream. I'd definitely also second the recommendation for Black Pearl.

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swank - you must try this!

the hamptons - see above!

21

grog

juke joint

pumpkin patch - the pomegranite one

f5 smells of lime to me. margaritas maybe :P

 

and for non-alcoholic days:

kumiho

dormouse

embalming fluid

mata hari - smells coffeeish to me

gluttony - smells like a hazelnut coffee i once had

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