Apple

Reviving this thread to see if there are any coffee and smoke scents, like drinking coffee by a campfire type. Unfortunately, Miskatonic University smells mostly like popcorn, rich sweet popcorn, no coffee any suggestions?

Sadly, I don't think so. Coffee seems to be an oddly neglected note in the BPAL catalogue, and more recent blends containing it have been limited editions:

In the GC, I think there's only Miskatonic University (which, as you noted, is very sweet and buttery) and Mata Hari (which is very floral, so much so that I can't smell any coffee):

One blend that doesn't list coffee as a note but that definitely gives me a coffee shop vibe is Centzon Totochtin:

It smells like chocolate-covered cherry flavored coffee brewing. And, of course, there's the elusive Coffee Bean single-note... If you could find some of that, you could layer it with a smoky scent like Rumplestilzchen. Unfortunately, I fear that finding a sufficient supply is probably not practical (and maybe not even possible). Similarly, Pinched with Four Aces is pretty hard to get.

Of the more attainable blends, the MVJBA: Summer Summoning Spectacular might work (if the "pancake residue" doesn't amp on you) or maybe Bah! layered with something smoky.

ETA: I forgot about Bah! and Pinched.

I haven't yet bought anything from BPAL, but I am definitely planning to. I was just wondering if anyone knew if there was a scent that smelled like a tea called Lady Grey Tea. I absolutely LOVE the smell of that kind of tea. I have absolutely no idea how to identify certain kind of smells, so I'm just hoping one of you already knows what kind of tea I'm talking about lol. Thanx so much.

If you're referring to the Twinings brand, I know the tea you're talking about. The ingredients are: black tea, orange peel, lemon peel, and citrus flavoring. The "citrus flavoring" is probably bergamot, which is what gives Earl Grey tea its distinctive flavor.

With that in mind, I'd recommend Severin:

On my skin, it was all bergamot with no leather and very little tea - sort of like a super Earl Grey. You might also like:

With the exception of Gennivre and Theodosius, those are all available as imps from the Lab.

Two caveats: 1.) I have trouble distinguishing between the different types of lilies (e.g., Lily of the Valley vs. calla lily), and 2.) lily is one of the many floral notes that I tend to amp, and so it comes roaring out after touching my skin... and then usually turns quite soapy.

Keeping those caveats in mind, the strongest lily scent I've encountered has been La Mort Qui Danse:

On me, it was sharp, soapy, assertive, and unmistakably LILY! A softer, gentler but still pure lily scent for me was Tiger Lily (this one actually reminded me more of Lily of the Valley, even though they're not in the description):

Other lily scents that I've tried include:

I've never tried them, but several reviews of Black Lily (Rappaccini's Garden) and Love-In-Idleness (Rappaccini's Garden) mention Lily of the Valley, and Swan Maiden looks promising as well:

Just resurrecting this to say that the Dark Delicacies scent Mutant Hot-Rodders from Hell High sounds like it would really fit the bill:

This is one interesting blend that morphs quite a bit. In the imp, it's sharp and almost metallic. As soon as it hits my skin, it becomes slightly lemony and medicinal, and then - BAM! - jasmine. Because I am a jasmine amper/distorter/hater, I sigh. Jasmine is usually the kiss of death for me, and I figure French Creole is a lost cause. But then something unusual happens, and the jasmine-like note (maybe it's ylang-ylang?) starts to back down... and I can actually smell other notes! Intriguing notes. Spicy notes. Sweet-creamy-cinnamon-vanilla-powder-Play-Doh notes that bring to mind Morocco and Hod (although it takes several hours for those notes to come to the fore). At some point I think I get a whiff of rose (also usually a doom note for me, so maybe it's actually geranium here?), but it is fleeting.

I'm guessing the base is a combination of carnation, cassia, vanilla, and red sandalwood, maybe some musk... with some astringent herbs (sage?) and flowers (ylang-ylang? geranium?) that form the top notes. At any rate, it is surprisingly wearable in all but the jasmine/ylang-ylang phase, which is blessedly brief.

I've only tested it once, so I cannot attest to its efficacy as a Voodoo oil. I'll be sure to report back if I notice my luck taking a turn for the better!

(FYI - There is an unreleased but available TAL version of French Creole that is supposed to have the same effects, and the reviews indicate that the two smell similar.)

I woody scents, and these are the woodiest winners for me:

I'll be watching this topic with interest!

As a newcomer to BPAL, I have made a decision to enable my dear fiancé. He loves Polo by Ralph Lauren, and I found the notes. Someone on this thread said Scarecrow is just like it, but he didn't seem to think the description I read him matched.

 

Here we go (there are LOTS of notes here...):

 

Topnotes: Pine, lavendar, juniper, artemisia, bergamot, cumin, basil.

 

Middle notes: Coriander, marjoram, jasmin, carnation, geranium, thyme, & rose

 

Base notes: Oakmoss, patchouli, leather, cedar, amber, musk, frankinsense

 

(I figure if he finds something he likes, he can order a 5 ml bottle and I can get the imps! MWA HAHAHAHA)

 

He liked that it smelled "outdoorsy." I have imps of Bewitched and The Jersey Devil, which he was kind of meh on.

Polo was very popular when I was in high school, and I remember it being a sharp, "green" masculine fragrance (probably from that pine top note). BPAL blends that have reminded me of Polo include:

Other ones that might be worth trying:

And here is a thread that might be of interest:

Forest and Woods Scents (with & without evergreens)

OHHH I just realized something creepy/endearing. If I'm dating a guy who wants to smell like a mechanics garage and I find that sexy, what does that mean considering my Dad smelled like this my whole life? Maybe I shouldn't think about it too much... It's not like he's a mechanic, and I didn't meet him while scoping out the jiffy lube, but he does work on his own car? Ok enough, I'm just going to go with it cause it feels right.

It probably has more to do with comforting/familiar smells and early associations with masculinity than it does with a creepy unresolved Oedipal/Electra complex. I think you're probably okay.

There are a couple of other threads that relate to this one:

I want to smell like dirt! Dirt, Earth, Soil recommendations

Forest and Woods Scents (with & without evergreens)

Quirkiest, most bizarre oils

Evocative scents that don't smell like perfume

My votes for most natural/lifelike go to:

A Blade of Grass (Halloweenie LE) - grass

Agnes Nutter - gunpowder/sparklers

Aureus - the lumber section at Home Depot

Badger (Yule LE) - cedar and dirt/moss

Bliss - brownies

Brom Bones (Halloweenie LE) - LEATHER

Centzon Totochtin - chocolate-covered cherry flavored coffee

Graveyard Dirt (Halloweenie LE) - the scent of moss and mushrooms

Miskatonic University - Irish cream flavored coffee

Perversion - coconut flavored pipe tobacco

Severin - Earl Grey tea (i.e., bergamot)

Twenty-One - gin/juniper

I know these blends don't contain pumpkin, but the spices bring to mind pumpkin pie and might do the trick (and they're easier to get a hold of than some of the LEs that have been mentioned previously):

I amp vanilla, and so Saw-Scaled Viper is very much a foody scent on me. I'm imagining it would smell less vanillic and sweet on a man, and probably come across as more gender-neutral. Shub-Niggurath lacks that strong vanilla and dries down to more of a masculine clove-y scent on me.

Just thought I'd throw those out there!

Seconding all the vetiver recommendations and adding some new ones:

And even though the name sounds right, I would advise against Mechanical Phoenix. To me, it smells citrusy fresh, very similar to CK One... not dark or dank at all. I haven't tried Toad (2008 LE, Wind in the Willows); that one might be worth checking out.

ETA: Ah yes, seconding the recommendation for Scarecrow! That one definitely has a gasoline-type smell to it and would probably be great layered with a vetiver-heavy blend.

Edit #2: Or maybe the Dark Delicacies scent Mutant Hot-Rodders from Hell High?

I haven't tried it, but it sounds awesome!

It sounds like some of these might be up your alley:

You also might like some of the Ars Moriendi blends; they're mostly non-sweet florals. In particular, Zombi is rose and dirt/moss. The Illyria section also has a lot of floral scents - lighter, softer ones (although there's a handful of sweet florals in there, too). Maybe Queen Gertrude or Ophelia? Personally, I think Oberon is a very feminine scent, and the patchouli lends the slightest hint of earthiness to the blend that might give you a sense of dirt, while the bergamot (a citrus note) lends a splash of sunshine.

These are all general catalogue scents that are available as individual sample-sized "imps" from the Lab. A Salon scent (not available as an individual imp) to look into is:

If you don't mind tracking down a decant of a past limited edition scent, you might enjoy:

You might want to stay away from scents that contain vanilla, benzoin, tonka, berries or other fruits, honey, and red musk. Those notes often contribute a sense of sweetness. Lotus goes sweet and bubblegum-like on a lot of people, so you might want to steer clear of that note for the moment, too.

Florals are not really my thing, but there are plenty of floral lovers here who I am sure will help out!

I love every chypre sub-category. For the moment, I'm searching for super sensual oriental chypres, the kind of big scent with a huge sillage that you remember for long

In that case, do try Omen. I think you would also like Pollution and possibly Crowley. I've not tried Faiza, but that would be my other recommendation.

If you're interested in sensual, big scents with huge throw, you might also want to check out some of the red musk scents, for example:

And a lot of The Salon blends are more traditionally "perfumey," and you might enjoy their complexity.

The Conjure Bag/Voodoo oils are available as imps (they're at the bottom of the Bewitching Brews section on the BPAL site), but the Twilight Alchemy Lab oils are not.

For general catalogue scents that available as individual imps from the Lab that are also icy and fresh, maybe consider:

My first thought was Omen, but it might be too sweet/rich (I find it very similar to Estee Lauder's Youth Dew, which is more of an Oriental than a chypre):

Other general catalogue scents that are available as individual imps from the Lab that might be worth checking out:

As mentioned above, Pollution is described as a chypre. but it's not available in imp form (although you could probably find a sample-sized decant here on the forum):

The following blends also are not available as individual imps from the Lab, but you might want to track down decants (I haven't tried all of these and wouldn't describe them all as chypres, but a lot will depend on how they interact with your skin chemistry):

I don't like Snake Oil. I don't like cinnamon. Vanilla is touch and go. I have sensitive skin. Saw-Scaled Viper should have been an utter disaster on me.

But... it wasn't.

The first couple of times I tried it, I could smell the Snake Oil strongly and it really put me off. But then something changed, either in the oil or in my perception of it. Now when I put it on, the cinnamon and cassia blast out accompanied by a cake/cookie-like note (but not the usual BPAL "butter" note) that when combined smell like real, honest-to-goodness gingersnaps. If you made gingersnaps with more spices than flour, that is.

I like the gingersnap phase, but it's not my favorite part of this scent's evolution. My favorite part is after an hour or two, when it smells like the most glorious, natural vanilla. Not plastic, not powder, not the weird wintergreen scent I sometimes get from vanilla. Just a rich, true vanilla with a hint of gentle spice in the background. It's luxurious and edible smelling while remaining sensual. Gorgeous. Wearing this makes me feel happy and comfy, and I wore it a lot over the holidays.

The only bad thing about it is that I have to limit where I apply it to my wrists and my hair. On the crooks of my elbows and my neck it burned like crazy and left red welts.

It sounds like some of the Conjure Bag/Voodoo blends might be most appropriate:

I can't attest to their efficacy and I don't know how they smell, but others here have reported good results. If she wants to take things to the next level by using consecrated oils with intent, some of the Twilight Alchemy Lab oils might be what she's looking for:

Again, I can't attest to their efficacy or how they smell, but there's a separate area for Twilight Alchemy Lab chatter where you can learn more, if you're interested.

Reviving this thread because I am obsessed with beeswax lately. Engine 93 and Ichabod Crane are fab, any other new ones that fit the bill?

Hanerot Halalu is getting raves from beeswax lovers... but it's not going to be available much longer!

Also, Chanukkiyah from last year is lovely (but may be too sweet for some - there is a very pronounced sugar note):

No one's said Sri Lanka? No one? Gorgeous sweet ever so slightly incensey sandalwood.

Sri Lanka is my favorite sandalwood scent.

I also like Anne Bonny and Cathedral. (I tend to prefer red sandalwood, which seems "woodier" to me.)

Hey hey, well i'm on the job hunt looking for something in the journalistic or writing field (on the side im an author aswell but i haven't managed to reap money from that occupation yet). Anyway i was thinking something very soft and clean... any help for me? lol

My favorite soft, clean scents are:

You might want to check out the recommendations in the first half of this thread, which was originally about seeking light, clean floral scents. You might also find some winners in the "Light, gentle, subtle scents" thread. Some others that I consider soft and clean and appropriate for professional settings (these are unlikely to offend anyone's noses):

It's kinda spicy muted citrus at first, with the leather coming through after a little bit. It winds up spicy/leather/woodsy.

It's a men's fragrance, but I'd consider it more unisex.

 

The best I can explain the fragrance after awhile on the skin - a little pepper, sandalwood, a bit of leather, and... carnation. I know carnation isn't on the list, but that's the closest I can come to the spicy scent.

Hmmn... the carnation note adds a few more possibilities:

Some people find the spiciness of carnation to be similar to clove, and with that in mind, Ahania's suggestion of Dracul might be good. Also:

And there's a peppered leather scent in the Carnaval:

If you and he like the leather note in Dirty English, I would definitely get some De Sade. Most people perceive it as a black leather single note, and you might like it by itself or layered with some of these other blends. Maybe get him an imp pack and let him experiment? Based on the notes and your description, I might go with:

Azathoth

De Sade

The Bow & Crown of Conquest

The High Priest Not to be Described

Severin

Titus Andronicus

Hopefully someone who's actually smelled Dirty English will pipe up!

I've not tried Dirty English before; could you describe the scent? The list of notes sounds divine, but I'm curious about what the overall effect of the combination is. Is it citrusy? Spicy? Leathery? Woody? Citrusy-spicy-leathery-woody? Sweet? Sharp? Clean? Manly? Gender-neutral?

The blend with the most notes in common seems to be Nephilim:

Nephilim (Diabolus) - Holy frankincense and hyssop in union with earthy fig, defiled by black patchouli and vetiver, with a chaotic infusion of lavender, cardamom, tamarind, rosemary, oakmoss and cypress.

The citrus-leather combo suggests Severin:

Severin (Ars Amatoria) - Dry black teas, Earl Gray, and leather.

And the "peppered mandarin" suggests Tweedledee:

Tweedledee (Mad Tea Party) - Kumquat, white pepper, white tea and orange blossom.

For cardamom and wood, Bezoar from the Carnaval Diabolique is a must-have:

Bezoar (Carnaval Diabolique) - Copaiba balsam, Tolu balsam, hay absolute, cardamom, and hiba wood.

And Wilde is a gorgeous citrus-y scent that might fit the bill:

Wilde (Bewitching Brews) - A sophisticated traditional gentleman’s cologne, with just the slightest taint of patchouli’s passion, tonka bean’s decadence, the philanthropy of bergamot, moss’ cynicism, the sharp wit of lavender, and the hopeless romantic longing of jasmine and thyme.

Spider might work, too:

Spider (Anansi Boys) - White ginger, artemesia, vetiver, nutmeg, King mandarin, bergamot, and lime.

If those are too light, he might want to try layering them with some deeper scents like:

With the exceptions of Bezoar, Clémence, Spider, and Two Monsters, these are all GC scents that are available in imp-form from the Lab.

I'm very curious about this... do report back with his results!

Yes! Thank you SO much Apple! Those all sound marvelous (and yours and Juushika's lists were already pretty spot on for not having any more to go on!) Awesome! (Maybe BPAL will at least teach me about scents if nothing else - I'd never thought about dividing scents out like this before - but it does seem to make more sense than what the big brand names in the department stores do at least!)

 

Now I've just got to decide which ones to try first! I do know I'm definately trying Severin - I'd never thought of leather in a scent - but it makes me (reading about it) think about Captain Mal from Firefly and his Browncoat - but beyond that I'm so torn on the others!

 

Just so many great ones to choose from - but at least I've got a smaller list to work from than the entire list of what is sold! (and I'll have to go through to find out which ones aren't sold in imps of course too)

YAY! You're very welcome. The ones I listed are all available in imp form, and the only one from Juushika's list that isn't "impable" is Ivanushka (and if you're interested in that one, you can probably find some on the swaps/sales boards here).

Severin is a great choice, and I think you would really like Titania, too. Good luck narrowing down your choices!

Ok a few thoughts

 

1) Absolute nos - Fresia (sp?), anything remotely smelling like baby powder, tabacco, pumpkin, bananas (I'd really doubt there'd be any that smell like bananas but just incase!), incense and related smells, Coconut...

 

and we might better stick to no Coffee because while I like the smell of certain coffees - I've also got a really bad gag reflex to the smell of others (like what my old suitemate in college used to stink the bathroom up with - I'd have to hold by nose in the bathroom after she fixed her coffee to keep from being sick!)

 

2) I had some tangerine spray I LOVED a long time ago - no brand name - smelled just like (the also long since gone) Tangerine version of Fruitopia... I also like lime... and I used to love Pearberry Bath and Body Works (though my current favorite is Black Tea and Current)

 

3) Other smells I like - Wine, english breakfast tea, spearmint

 

4) Things that would be ok - but not as main scent or too strong - roses, carnations, probably lilys, vanilla

Got it! From my original list up above, I think you might like:

Baneberry

Bewitched

Cheshire Cat

Croquet

Prague

Rosalind

Severin

Titania

Undertow

You might also consider:

I think you would probably like most of the BPAL tea blends. With the exception of Dorian (which was like being hit upside the head with a vanilla two-by-four), I have found most of them very light. If you don't like incense, I would avoid scents that list red musk as a note; a lot of people (myself included) find red musk to be very incense-y.

The aversion to baby powder is shared by many here, and there are several notes that seem to go powdery on some people. The most common ones seem to be certain musks, amber and some other resins, honey, and vanilla. Now, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try blends with these notes (they might all be lovely on your skin); rather, if you find certain blends turning to powder on your skin, you might look to see if there's a common note.

Thanks (I'm personally still confused - but I think its me - because my problem is - some of the stiny-ist perfumes I've ever smelled that bothered me... were Florals... so I don't tend to think of them as that light necessarily... (I think what I'd really like is something strong but diluted if that makes any sense - a lot of what people in the stores try to convince me of as light scents are just... ugh!)

Hmmn... maybe you should tell us what kinds of scents you like out in the world, that you might like to smell on yourself? Not perfume smells, but things like fresh laundry or lemonade or baking brownies or incense or ripe berries or the ocean or a library or chai tea or leather or coconut or tobacco or roses or wet dirt... those kinds of smells.

With BPAL you can control how strong a blend is by diluting it with a neutral carrier oil (e.g., jojoba oil) or alcohol. So, if we know what kinds of smells you like, we can direct you to blends that smell like that, and you can make them as light as you wish.

For the record, blends in the general catalogue that have struck me as light/faint/delicate even at full strength include: