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- Today
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This one is much more than the sum of its parts. It is at once recognizable as a “perfume” of a familiar genre (spiced amber) and also evocative of the landscape in the poem, replete with dead grasses and leaves, and stiff, blackened seed heads. I don’t even really want to discuss notes here because none of them dominate, but I suppose the most important are the black amber and the khus on my skin. There was some combination up top that was momentarily unpleasant, probably the dead leaves with the chrysanthemum. But even that felt very reminiscent of a damp, dying landscape. The rest is straightforwardly gorgeous, deep but not overwhelming. I find this to be one of the driest (in terms of sweetness) amber blends from BPAL I have tried: a dark brown amber with almost bitter spicy, incense, and green elements. It is all melancholic beauty that is difficult to put into words. — My boyfriend immediately asked what I was wearing when I walked into the room he was in and told me he really liked it. So I guess there is a lot of throw right off the bat. He also said that it reminded him of magazine perfume strips from the 90s (?). Maybe CK Obsession ?
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Clean, sexy, soapy mountain man straight out of a Hallmark Christmas movie. This scent comes out of the imp strong and stays that way on skin, pleasant and refreshing. I would much rather smell it on Chad Michael Murray but it's not too bad on me, either!
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i love the art for this and i covet that dress. anyhoo it opens with red musk and something animalic, which is the black velvet note perhaps (?) it's oud-y. i then get some amber and maybe champaca but it's not all that floral.another reviewer mentioned nag champa and i totally smell it now. however this is mostly animalic oud on me that doesn't want to calm down. i get no rose and maybe a tiny bit of champaca? i think this would be gorgeous on someone else but it's not working for me.
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i definitely get wine/grapes at first along with the "organza" fabric sort of note. later i get some background notes but they aren't too obvious. the grape is strong here for me and the lilac is overpowered by grape. kinda wish this didn't have the grape/wine aspect....i think it'd work better for me as it's just not my cup of tea.
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My favorite destash partner was kind enough to slip in a decant of this with a recent order, along with a note stating that it I would probably like this even though I usually try to avoid rose notes. I am so glad I got the chance to try it! Overall there is not too much transformation between notes on my skin during drydown, but the combined effect of them is very pleasant and familiar as several of them seem to have been present in other BPAL scents I have tried. The lace and rose here are very reminiscent of Carved Wooden Bridal Shop, ethereal and faint behind the marshmallow musk. The cream isn't heady, more light than heavy. I can detect a bit of the same white satin here as in White Satin Hearse, a little shiny and bright, but nicely blended along with the other notes so that it doesn't dominate the scent. The oakmoss is incredibly subtle, not really popping in to make an appearance until fully dried down. On my skin, low throw and good longevity of about 8 hours. Mr. Smells, not prone to engaging in the testing process unprompted, leaned in for a sniff and said "this one doesn't smell like candles" (!) then came back again a few minutes later for a rare second whiff and grunt of approval. I can see why other reviewers have likened this to a baby powder or lotion scent. There is something beautifully old fashioned about it, like you'd find it in a hand cream on the dressing table of a Bronte heroine. If I had to choose one scent to wear on a tour of the grand homes featured in BBC bonnet dramas, this would most definitely be it.
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Oh did I never review this?!? I bought a decant of this at a time when I wasn't into incense scents. I also don't think I was in the correct head space to really understand this scent, and I wasn't ready to really face it. Recently, I went to try it again and it became an instant favorite. This is my everyday scent now. It's a dark slinky incense that smells dangerous, and isn't sweet. AT ALL. I am a survivor. Other people of marginalized genders saved me and became my community. This scent absolutely resonates with strength and righteous anger rooted in love, protection and compassion in the face of injustice and oppression. I'm buying a bottle, and I'm glad I finally was brave enough to give this scent another try. I honestly get a bit overwhelmed with emotion reviewing this one. It's something very special.
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Simply lovely. The orris root and ambergris accord mark this as close cousin to Lace Lichen, and if you like that scent this will evoke very similar feelings of brightness and lightness in the open. Largely tea and bergamot to start, with an aromatic greenness from the angelica. After a half hour the frankincense begins to emerge as a soft wisp, increasing in dominance as the top notes recede but never becoming terribly strong. The orris root stays subtle and not very powdery at all. This is a delicate, romantic scent, not cloying but charmingly feminine, perfect for times or places where a lighter scent touch is desired or appropriate. I would call this very safe for work or enclosed spaces 15 minutes after application as it stays close to skin in the drydown and thereafter. Lasts with appreciable detection for about 4-5 hours. Most definitely one of my favorites from The Prophet series that I have tried thus far, appropriate for almost any season or circumstance.
- Yesterday
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Dead Leaves, Scorched Clove, and Red Cedar
puellacaerulea replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Halloweenie
This one starts out very clove-forward, with hints of cedar and the dead leaves in the background. It takes time for the leaves to come out on this one -- as it dries down, it's mostly a deep, warm clove and clean, slightly sharp cedar. After drydown, crunchy dry leaves come out more, backed by faint cedar and clove. A more warm and woody take on the dead leaves, but I think I like the early clove-forward stages more than the drydown stage. Will keep my decant either way. -
this opens with voluptuous white flowers...i think it's a spicier tuberose, but could be gardenia. luckily, i love those notes so i like this. i get something a bit papery/vinyl like from the ink and paper notes i guess. i think there may be some other subtler white florals here too-like moonflower or phlox. after awhile i get a slight spiciness, but i can't quite place it-maybe pink pepper? there is also something a bit sweet here...above reviewers mentioned red musk, but if it is it's quite subtle on me, because i didn;t read it as that. i'm not sure, anyway this is a pretty floral and i will keep my decant.
- Last week
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Black Butterfly Moon: Vanilla-Infused Frankincense and Raspberry
Assimbya replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
There's something about this one which just isn't working with my skin chemistry, and I don't know why - the combination of notes comes off as peculiarly artificial in a way that I find pretty off-putting, partially like candy and partially, with the woody frankincense and sweet vanilla, like a commercial room spray. Probably it's my skin's dislike of BPAL's red fruit notes, except I didn't know whether raspberry would be counted among them. Alas! -
I really love this one; it's elegant and dark and gothy without being heavy, overpowering, or cloying. @VioletChaos's description of this as 'goth girl' feels right on target. I'm wearing it right now to rewatch some episodes of Penny Dreadful, and it feels like a perfect match, and not only because there's a pivotal scene involving orchids. 💜 I definitely agree with previous reviews that this one morphs quite a lot! Wet on me it's dark, juicy blackberry with just a hint of myrrh and floral, but as it dries the blackberry fades and the orchid note becomes central, with that dry, sophisticated edge that I find BPAL's orchid note always has; it mixes with a sharp, potent myrrh, thin enough to be slightly bitter as it grounds and blanches the florals. I can definitely track the tea rose (and I adore BPAL's tea rose note), and maybe a hint of tuberose if I look for it, but I would call the orchid the main floral note of this one. When I first wore this I thought I wasn't getting the vanilla at all, but now that it's rested for a while I think I can identify very dry, somewhat smoky, not at all sweet vanilla, which I imagine will get even better as this ages further. Black musk encircles all of it like a cloud, but isn't possibly to pick out quite individually. This feels in the same scent-family as some of the Carmillas from last year, but with a particular complexity all of its own; I'm glad that I blind bottled it, and will be delighted to continue wearing this one.
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Have owned the imp for a long time. Such an interesting scent. On my skin it smells like herbs and patchouli. I fell asleep with the scent on and had one of the best sleeps I've had in a while. There is something comforting about it. When I woke up in the morning, it smelled soft, which could be the moss that was in there... No wait... I think it could be cinnamon. Yeah, it must be cinnamon and herbs. I'm liking it so far. It's not something to wear for a sexy night out with a loved one. I would wear this one for just chilling at home while studying or something
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Blood Moon: Clove and Sweet Incense
SmellsPrettyGood2Me replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
I had a huge flashback when I opened this bottle; it was 2000 and I was in NYC's Chinatown with my then-boyfriend Patrick, his mom, stepdad and stepsister. As we stepped into one of the markets looking for some of the jasmine tea that his mom loved so much, our nostrils were assaulted by a combination of spices and incense. It is one of those very specific life experiences where nothing else before or since has combined to so precisely remind me of that moment. I had to put the bottle aside, have a cry, and come back to it another day. Young Smells did not know how much her life (and the world around her) would change less than 12 months after that experience. Both in bottle and on-skin there is something Chinese 5 Spice-y about this, where I could swear I also get anise and maybe even some nutmeg underneath the clove. My skin is prone to taking a dab of clove and turning it into an olfactory tornado, and that's precisely what happened here. Not for the faint of heart, this duet precedes you as you enter a room ("did you make a cup of tea?") and does not let you forget it. I'm not a licorice fan, and that undertone didn't really please me. Huge sillage and loooooong longevity at 8+ hours, which goes to show how much skin chemistry can be different for all of us in this game. (What ever happened to Patrick, you ask? We broke up after he cheated on me with a fellow exchange student during a semester abroad in Paris after 9/11, he then became an accountant and eventually he married someone else and moved to Minnesota. His mom died during COVID, and she's the one I cried for. She was a classy lady and I liked her a lot.) Destash for me, probably lovely for someone who loves licorice and has less emotional baggage tied to these scent notes. -
An immediately positive impression as soon as I caught the first whiff! Lightly sweet (maybe slightly honeyed) liquid wax and a surprisingly jammy fig in the bottle with no smoke but a hint of some powdery resins deep underneath. First dab brings that beeswax out front and center and it warms up quite nicely on the skin. This must be the "Good" part of the equation? Honestly, it's quite cozy! About 10 minutes in the vetiver starts to creep out more and more, taking the scent the slightest touch deeper and darker. Still no smoke, but maybe there is a bit of cypress brightness intermingled in there? The myrrh and fig (which almost seems a bit stewed) are a terrific combination that are anchoring this in pleasant territory. Jammy, with a creamy resinousness that is beautiful to wear. At around the two hour mark, things take a turn. The beeswax has lost a lot of it's liquidity, cooling and hardening. Something gnarled, woody, and earthy emerges and starts fighting with the fig for supremacy. The powdery myrrh has completely vanished. What happened here?? Has the "Evil" come out to play? I'm desperately and deeply huffing, looking for that lovely sweetness that seems to be fading by the moment. By hour 3, all I can smell is something resembling an ash pile, and then it's gone. I'm not sure if this transition was intentional, or if my skin chemistry just ruined the scent the longer it had hold of it. I would wear the bliss of the first two hours often if somehow I could hang onto it! This is a perfect candidate for a scent locket trial as it is truly stunning to start off. I hope others are able to enjoy the journey more fully on themselves.
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Testing an imp of unknown age and provenance. I find it very bright, not dark. I can only think of soap. I want to say Irish Springs? (I usually get "soap" from BPAL fragrances that have an ozone note). I imagine that the lemony part of what I am smelling is frankincense. This is not for me.
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idk what took me so long to get around to Voodoo but I love it. I am testing from an imp of unspecified age but it's got me wanting to upgrade to a bottle. I'm definitely not getting cola or fizz, it's pretty straightforwardly what it says on the tin in terms of notes. big dark booming base of myrrh/patch/vetiver and then the way the lime and pine punch it up is so so good. I suppose I may have hesitated due to almond, but ultimately I'm glad to have that drop of sweetness in there with the vanilla to smooth it all over. great weartime on this, too, it just keeps going.
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I'm testing an imp that is likely 2 years old (and stored well). Compared to other dirt scents I have tried across several brands, this is mellow. Earthy, with a sweet medicinal quality that brings to mind thyme or marjoram. I get just whiff of that familiar BPAL (red) wine note, which always brings to mind the ring of sticky, dried wine left at the bottom of a glass left sitting for a couple hours. Oddly grounding. Doesn't last very long (but I did test only on my wrist). I cannot imagine when I would wear this, but it is fun to test.
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This is incredible. It's got strong throw and smells like a Pumpkin Butterscotch candle. I don't get a lot of ale but I do notice the slightest hint of "wooliness" which is probably the blanket. I do get a tiny bit of steeped tea, too, even though that's not in the notes. Real glad I blind-bottled this; got compliments all day while wearing.
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I have cherished the 2019 version of Mictecacihuatl and I am surprised I never reviewed it! (Copal, precious woods, warm spices, agave nectar, cigar tobacco, and roses.) in the bottle it's quite an intoxicating potion, sweet and dark, and this stays true for the initial application of the oil on my skin. as it warms up the tobacco and copal really pop and the scent develops a rich golden quality. I feel like it used to have a bit more rose to it, but apparently I've had this six whole years now?! I do get a scattering of mature petals once the oil dries. it's as if you could take a whole altar, top to table legs, and process it into a rich paste to paint on your skin for a ceremony. I love it so much.
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2008 and 2025 versions. I adore the 2008 version. It’s light wet rose with a hint of sweetness and something warm and delicately spicy. Quite similar to Day of the Skulls which I also love. The 2025 version is heavily sweet and spicy, almost exactly like Sugar Skull. I’m getting booze soaked dried fruit, sticky toffee and burnt sugar. In fact it’s so similar I’m wondering if there was a mix up at the Lab.
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if you enjoy the lab's headier jasmine notes, this one is gorgeous! and as you get deeper into the weartime, jasmine graciously allows a tattered vanillic element to emerge. it's not unlike a scenario in which the Black Butterfly Moon: Vanilla and Tobacco Flower duet got papered over with jasmine, they smell like siblings to me. I really like it.
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2025 version This is a subtle stunner, I am instantly in love. I am a fan of dead leaves, first of all, but while sweater/cashmere/wool can be hit or miss, the wool note here is perfection in concert with the ambergris. It's impossibly warm and comforting. Magic!
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Lightning Moon: Black Lilac and Black Tea
SmellsPrettyGood2Me replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
She's shifty! Grassy tannins with a waft of floral lilac in the bottle become completely transformed into something darker on skin. There is a blooming bergamot brightness in the wet open that I really like! Not at all sugared and much more of a booming floral than tea for the first hour. I do feel like maybe this combo would be a bit more smooth with a third note to draw down the sharpness of the lilac a bit, maybe some amber or sandalwood. As such I agree with other reviewers who have suggested layering it, because as a standalone scent, while I like it, it's missing a bottom note to anchor it and bring some gravitas. Medium sillage on my skin and a long lasting performance of 8+ detectable hours. I have a Black Amber SN from another house that I think will help make it a great trio of notes for winter wear. -
Dead leaves has marigold in a chokehold and it looked like the fight was over but WHAT'S THAT?? BY GOD IT'S ROSE WITH A STEEL CHAIR!!! Unfortunately rose teams up with dead leaves and marigold is tag teamed into oblivion. I like this quite a bit as an interesting autumn rose. A bottle will be contemplated.
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This is such a lovely bookish scent where the leather isn't super stompy... the leather here is soft, well-worn, and behaves quite well with the other notes. Great snuggly scent for a dreary day, that's for sure! I got a decant out of curiosity and so glad that I did! Everything is well blended imo. Not gonna lie, I wanted more beeswax but then this wouldn't be the book scent as advertised lol.
