[jhash]

I've checked the other threads but nothing seemed to be exactly what I was looking for. I have checked the Masculine thread, and I have checked all of the sweet, and spicy threads.

I'm a college guy who on a daily basis tends to mix Dorian and Snake Oil. I can't explain it, but Dorian works really well with my chemistry, its sweet but never sugary, never feminine. However I really need a spiciness or a heat to it, so I always add to smallest amount of Snake Oil. On my skin, Snake Oil is extremely overpowering and burning. There is nothing sweet about it, its almost eye-watering if I wear the normal amount I would with any other scent. However, I layer it with Dorian and they balance each other out almost perfectly.

Since I like the sweetness of Dorian, I've been hesitant to try other BPAL scents because I couldn't seem to find a balance of spicy, sweet and masculine.

All the imps I seem to get with my orders are just horrible on my skin.
I usually ignore the gender, and just go with my nose and skin and see what works but here's a short list of instant turn-offs and no-goes

Jezebel (too fruity)
Lady Macbeth (smells like rotting fruit and lemons)
Hollywood Babylon (also like rotting fruit)
Velvet
Love me (too sweet, no depth)
So basically, fruit scents are just a strict no on my skin. I love them on other people, but if I put it on my skin, I smell like I'm..decaying. Or they remind me of my diabetic father's breath.

Hemlock wasn't too bad, but it smelled far too mint like, and cool, which doesn't work. I need warm scents.

I like warm, but strictly warm scents just explode on my skin. They're amplified and unwearable unless I blend them, or dab and then wash it off (no joke, it will still linger for hours).

So far, I'm thinking I'll try Bow and Crown of Conquest, and I really want to try Cathedral because I don't have any incense or resin in my collection yet, and I know resin scents works well on me.

But are there any other suggestions? Or confirmations that Bow and Crown would work for me?

Thank you for any assistance.

PS- Not sure if this will help or not but I'm a typical Sagittarius, Metal Horse. Which I think is why warmth works on me, but is so easily amplified.

[csabreo]

One of my first thoughts as soon as I read the title of the post without reading further was Bow and Crown of Conquest. It's almost exactly like Crowley to me, which dries down to a sweet, woody vanilla. For me, as a girl, it's a tad masculine, but not too much like cologne that I can't pull it off.

Another scent I'd look at would be Paladin. Immaculate white musk, sweet frankincense, bourbon vanilla, white leather, and shining armor. This one was very masculine on me, but with that sweet vanilla. The leather wasn't very dominant on me, or much of the 'shining armor' note. If you were going to get an imp pack to try a few scents, I'd definitely put in Bow and Crown of Conquest and Paladin.

[kaitan]

I agree w/the above poster on Bow & Crown and Paladin. Also:

They're not impable, though you should be able to track down decants on the forum here... but if you think a bit of incense might work well for you, I can recommend And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt and Philosopher in Meditation. They both have a kyphi note to them, kyphi being a traditional Egyptian incense that is a bit sweet/spicy, so might be exactly what you are looking for. I also love Cairo's kyphi, as far as impables go, though the aforementioned Salon blends I think have a little more depth to them (at least on my skin). Delphi is a lovely bay and honey wine on me, definitely a bit masculine but also with a kind of dry sweetness. Speaking of bay, Baron Samedi was another sweeter masculine blend that I've tried.

In conclusion (tl;dr ;))

And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt
Philosopher in Meditation
Cairo
Delphi
Baron Samedi

Good luck!!

ETA: I know Great Cry doesn't technically have Kyphi listed as a note, but the combination of notes in there came across kyphi-esque to my nose.

This post has been edited by kaitan: 24 June 2012 - 11:05 PM

[braybrigade]

I agree that Paladin is definitely one worth trying, if you like Dorian. Maybe Kill-Devil (Sugar cane, molasses, oak wood, and honey.) too, it reminded me of a darker, dirtier Dorian. A couple others I have enjoyed that lean masculine with a sweet/spicy edge:

No. 93 Engine
Balm of Gilead, benzoin, frankincense, balsam of peru, beeswax, saffron, galbanum, calamus, hyssop, mastic, lemon balm, and white sage.

(May be too warm from what you said, but you never know)

Dragon's Hide
Flame-kissed, warm, smooth, and highly protective. Dragon’s blood, leather and a hint of smoke.

Gnome
An explosive blend of effervescent golden ginger and black peppercorn with sarsaparilla, gurjum balsam, nutmeg, gear lubricant, and smoke.

Chaotic
A whirling mélange of multicolored musks with wasabi, rooibos, heliotrope, and mastic.

or perhaps one of these (though you'd have to track down decants on-forum, as the lab doesn't do imps of them)

Witchblade
Antediluvian, sacred metal, glowing red musk, blessed frankincense, and antiqued amber.

White Peacock
Teak, ebony wood, osmanthus, patchouli, red sandalwood, vanilla orchid, tonka bean, tobacco, wild musk, spikenard, and sugandh kokila.

[SadariEvenstar]

I like all the oils that my husband wears to have a sweetness to them and some of the ones that work best are Bow and Crown, Crowley, and Antikythera Mechanism.

[Circaea]

I agree with Bow and Crown, Cathedral and Antikythera Mechanism. Also, in case you're judging scents on what they're like when they're fresh, I just want to mention that they change over time, especially the resiny ones tend to soften and mellow, so you need to retry them in a couple of months to be sure.

You might also try Iago, Hellfire and Tombstone. Also - it's not a GC, but I always like to put in a good word for Hand of Glory, as something that's kind of manly and kind of sweet (beeswax, leather, smoke and spices.)

Jareth is a newer scent that has been called a manlier version of Dorian. I haven't tried it yet, so YMMV.

[jhash]

Circaea, on 24 June 2012 - 11:35 PM, said:

I agree with Bow and Crown, Cathedral and Antikythera Mechanism. Also, in case you're judging scents on what they're like when they're fresh, I just want to mention that they change over time, especially the resiny ones tend to soften and mellow, so you need to retry them in a couple of months to be sure.

Oh believe me, I know they change over time. All of the opinions I stated in my original post were after 3 different trial runs, even with the fruitier imp samples. I always gave them a chance, because I wanted to see if there were elements to them I was missing, or would come to like, etc.
For example, I love Pollution, and its great for 5 hours etc, I love it from the moment its on, and as it mellows, but after a month or so of wearing it, I realized all of my clothing smelled like a southern grandmother. The reason I tended to stay with Dorian was it mellowed but didnt leave a completely different scent on my clothing over time, and Snake Oil just calmed down, became less sharp.
My nose, and skin, just really disagrees with fruit and flower notes if they are bases (the flowery base notes are what kill me, top notes are okay within reason)

In general, Thank you everyone for your recommendations! From the sounds of it, I'll definitely be trying Bow and Crown next, and possibly looking into imps of the others. I usually don't order imps, I just try the random samples that come with my orders, but if I can compile a solid enough list and save up the money, I'll look into it. My college student self just has a hard time justifying spending 22 dollars on samples, that will probably make me want to spend another 70 on larger sizes.

[Circaea]

...And don't forget to check out the member sales forum, where you can get imps and decants for cheeeep - previously aged for your convenience. ("southern grandma" cracked me up! I had a friend who used to quote hers: "Well, isn't that elegant!") Good luck on your search!

This post has been edited by Circaea: 25 June 2012 - 12:45 AM

[AVATARfeline]

Hi,
Swapping is a great way to try out what you seek not only for obtaining impage but lovely bottles as well.
All you pay is the cost of postage. :D

[catalyst]

Aha, great topic.

I can't do vanilla or sweet food scents at all. Only a couple that have vanilla buried down in them have ever worked on me, the others are sickeningly sweet. Since you can do foods and vanilla, try Tombstone, which is cedar, sassafras, vanilla and balsam.

Since fruit or flowers don't work for you, it definitely narrows the list. What about aquatics? I could send you my imp of Toad Hall, which is hard but not impossible to get. It's an aquatic over a wood base. Mag Mell is a general catalog with aquatics and fresh herbs that I like a lot.

Speaking of wood, sandalwood is naturally sweet but still a masculine wood. I recommend The White Rider, Dragon's Bone, Magus and Violens. The Black Tower has sandalwood but also leather and a little bit of something fresh too, as well as a hint of wine. I love anything with leather in it, it's similar to sandalwood, in that it's masculine but with a natural sweetness or lightness. The Little Sparrow is mostly amber and sandalwood. Amber, frankincense and myrrh are another family of scents, resins with a natural sweetness, but dark enough to be masculine.

Lear is also bright and a little herbal, with a lot of cedar, which is both woody and sweet. Roadhouse is the fresh herbal category as well. If you like more of a dry herbal, try The Apothecary.

Hope this is helpful.

This post has been edited by catalyst: 25 June 2012 - 01:58 AM

[Helas]

I love sweet masculine scents as well. Off the top of my head:

The Black Rider (leather mixed with sweet black amber and tobacco)
Crowley (mostly patchouli vanilla with a hint of smoke)
Black Forest (pine and ambergris sweetened by amber)
Voodoo (resinous pine and vanilla)
Dee (leather and parchment, with an almost chocolate-like sweetness)
Smokestack (sweet, smoky vetiver)

And if you're willing to track down LEs:
Banshee Beat (androgynous, herbal patchouli vanilla)
Atlas (vetiver, coffee and vanilla, smells a bit like roasting marshmallows over a campfire)
The Night Hag Visiting the Lapland Witches (sweet, slightly spicy woodsmoke)
Body Remember (this one skews rather feminine to me, but it's very reminiscent of Dorian, which is also rather feminine on my skin)
Death Adder (Snake Oil mixed with vetiver and coconut)
Singing Moon (a sweet aquatic)

Most of my collection probably skews towards these sort of blends, actually XD

[HighPriestessIce]

Sweet, spicy and masculine resins are always right up my alley. I think definitely go The Bow and Crown of Conquest. You might also want to try Sin and Lust. If you can find them I think Western Diamondback or Knucklebones would work well. I also suggest Nanny Ashtoreth.

[Ilex]

Two ideas for you.

Sin: amber, sandalwood, black patchouli and cinnamon

And a LE, Gelt (it’s a yule scent, as might be expected with the name): Dry cocoa and golden amber

[thatbrownelf]

Sweet masculines are pretty much all I wear, and I'm female. :D I definitely agree with Bow and Crown of Conquest and Dee. You might want to try these as well:

GC
VILF (smoky leather, patchouli, teeny bit of vanilla)
Tombeur (sandalwood, Snake Oil, patchouli lavender--an absolute FAVE of mine)
Jareth (lilac, leather, vanilla--it's often called Dorian + leather)
Kubla Khan (leather + florals and grasses)

LE
Variety of Pleasing Amusements (honey, tobacco, leather)
White Peacock (patchouli, dark woods, vanilla)

This reminds me, I need to add a bottle of Crowley to my next order.

[jhash]

Catalyst: Aquatics can be hit or miss with me. Something like damp and woodsy is usually good, but 'cool' is usually bad. Aquatics are the kind where I have to definitely smell/try in person, because I've yet to find any kind of consistent trait with blends for me to be able to tell how it would work on me. Aquatics are just a category that I tend to stay away from, for that very reason.
However, in regards to the rest of your post, Sandalwood is one of my favourites, as are frankincense and myrrh.
Herbal are similarly hit and miss like aquatics but woods can be a favorite depending on the occasion.
Tombstone, and The Little Sparrow seem great. This is the second rec for Tombstone, so I'll definitely have to look into it more.

Helas: I had Crowley once, but the patchouli was a bit too much after a while. Which was disappointing, the same thing happened with Pollution. (Good Omens series is what brought me to BPAL. Aziraphale remains a favourite though. But not for everyday wearing. )
I have been looking into Dee and it definitely seems like a good option. So I'll probably add it to my list.
Black Forest, I like the sound of it. I just worry the pine may be too strong on me.

The Black Rider and The White Rider were both recommended, so does anyone have experience with both to better compare them? From reading descriptions The Black Rider seems more up my alley, but I'm curious about any further
opinions.

edit:
llex: Sin seemed great, up until the patchouli. But I'd have to test it to know for sure.
thatbrownelf: same thing,I tend to be sensitive to patchouli's ..lingering scent. So VILF and Tombeur I'm unsure of, but Jareth seems like a possibility.

This post has been edited by jhash: 25 June 2012 - 02:47 AM

[skyelyric]

If you can do woods, I'd try Aureus--there are no notes listed, but to me it's a warm, spicy, cedar-esque scent (I'll occasionally layer it with O, but that's likely an overboard combo for a man). Also, Coyote, which is dry grasses and musk is a very soft, sweet scent to me. And another favorite of mine is The Lion, which is spiced amber. I'll also third the rec for Tombstone, but I've had two imps of it, and one was rather distinctly rootbeer-y in scent. I don't mind this, but just a heads up that it can go that way.

[catalyst]

If you ever find bottles of The Little Sparrow or Le Pere Fouettard, I'll split them with you.

Also, check out Tzadikim Nistarim too.

This post has been edited by catalyst: 25 June 2012 - 03:32 AM

[Mellifluous]

I would suggest:
Tombstone - woodsy with a bit of vanilla sweetness (mostly cedar though)
Chimera - New bottles tend to be extra cinnamon-y, but give it a month or 3, and it will be a dark/sweet/spicy with out being too overboard with the spice.
Dragons Milk - Spicy/herbal dragons blood with a sweet resiny vanilla.
Brown Jenkins - Sandalwood, coconut husks, and incense. Its spicy, sweet, and fuzzy.

And although it may be harder, I totally agree with Helas - Banshee Beat! Patchouli is not a scent I normally gravitate to, but BB changed my mind on patch scents. The blend, on me, is almost entirely a black vanilla scent. There is the bit of hippy edge with the patch, but it is seriously burried under the vanilla and hemp in a way I never knew patch could be. :lol:

[calivianya]

You have some good recommendations here already, but I'll throw in my two cents. :)

Those kinds of scents are my absolute favorites. You should absolutely try The Bow and Crown of Conquest - it's delicious. I was going to suggest Cathedral too, but you beat me to it. Anne Bonny may be named after a female pirate, but that is also a very androgynous smell, and of course, you just have to try Dee. On a different note - if you thought Hemlock was nice but missing something, you might want to try Hemlock Honey. I think it may be too sweet for your taste, but the honey definitely warms it up a lot.

Jareth is the sexier, more manly version of Dorian. You should seriously try it. I'm also going to second Western Diamondback if you can track it down. If you really want to have an awful time finding stuff, try Silver-Haired Bat from this year's Bat's Day and Fetish.Goth from last year's. Both are good resin blends. Schwarzer Mond is also a huge winner for me, but it's also somewhat rare. I imagine it's a lot easier to track down than the Bat's Day scents, though.

[theredkilt]

I'd suggest Goblin: benzoin, patchouli and coconut!!! YUM :wub2:

[SophieCedar]

jhash, on 25 June 2012 - 02:41 AM, said:

The Black Rider and The White Rider were both recommended, so does anyone have experience with both to better compare them? From reading descriptions The Black Rider seems more up my alley, but I'm curious about any further
opinions.

I there! :wave:

Black Rider is strong but smooth dark musky leather. A small dab is recommended.
White Rider is not my favorite, but evokes accurately. The white leather is clean, slightly chemically. From what I'm reading about your skin chemistry, you may amp this one in a direction you'll not be pleased with.
Honestly I would recommend you give Red Rider a try along with Black Rider. Red Rider has that spicy appeal I think you're looking for, mixed with leather and moss. It's a very warm spicy scent!

Going back to your request for spicy/sweet/masculine scents, my perception is that you're looking for slight sweetness that's smoothed out and balanced with masculine notes, but you're prone to amping them crazily, right? I'll try to recommend some that have a medium to low throw, that in smaller amounts may not send you running for the sink: :lol: ;)

Gomorrah (love this one! It's evil and awesome)
Havana
Sri Lanka
Al-Azif
Santo Domingo
Brown Jenkin
Titus Andronicus
Blood Amber
Chimera (just a dab! I call this "not-snake-oil" because it's similar but I wear it on the days I don't want to wear SO hahaha)
Kill Devil (be careful with the amount on this one but it's lovely!)
Casanova
Golden Priapus
last but not least: Perversion.

Best of luck!! :D

[BoneBone24]

My no-go list is pretty similar to yours, so I'm guessing we have similar skin chemistry. If that's the case, I'd recommend:

Anubis (myrrh, storax, balsam, and embalming herbs) -- golden resins sweetened by citrus-y herbs

Port-au-Prince (buttered rum flavored with almond, bay, clove and sassafras) -- very sparkly-spicy



And I haven't tried any of these, but they might work for you based on the notes:

(4th-ing): Jareth (Ethereal lilac fougere and gleaming leather with ti leaf, tonka absolute, white musk, and oudh)

(5th-ing): Tombstone (vanilla, balsam and sassafras layered over Virginia cedar)

(2nd-ing): Perversion (Smoky rum and black tobacco with a whisper of steamy leather with a splash of crystalline chardonnay, layered over a sensual, sweet, and deceptively magnetic base of tonka)

Scales of Deprivation (lemon peel, white sage, frankincense, lavender fougere, sandalwood, vetiver and labdanum)

Incubus (Spectral white musk and the heart-stopping chill of sheared mint, fanned by caramel-touched body heat, and the diabolical sensuality of black musk, nicotiana, and sage)

This post has been edited by BoneBone24: 25 June 2012 - 01:22 PM

[Hillary]

My husband has a pretty decent "manly" BPAL collection. I would recommend Jareth, Crowley, Bow & Crown, Fenris Wolf, Dee, and Western Diamonback for starters :)

[surlygurl]

My first thought was Golden Priapus (Insatiable lust, unending vigor! A truly carnal, energetic men’s blend: vanilla and amber with juniper, rosewood and white pine)

followed by Voodoo, which I *love* ( A deep, powerful, resonant blend of myrrh, patchouli, vetiver, lime, vanilla, pine, almond and clove).

Scales of Deprivation isn't a vanilla sweet/spicy scent at all, but it's slightly sweet & herbal with a cool "hollowness", if that makes any sense (lemon peel, white sage, frankincense, lavender fougere, sandalwood, vetiver and labdanum). Gender neutral and gorgeous with the right skin chemistry.

And I 2nd the sales page!

[melrose]

I third or fourth Dee. I love Cathedral for its resins, also. My spreadsheet lists Cathedral as ''a less complex, less sweet Dee''.