TPOD

Perhaps Manhattan?

 

"Sexuality, power, confidence. A meeting of modern, sleek elegance and rich, passionate history: sheer amber, black leather, white mint, lemon peel, white tea, grapefruit, kush, teakwood and orchid."

On my initial application, I got nothing. Zip, zada, nada. Like I'd just bought a 5ml of water.

 

My nose must've been on hiatus, because I tried it a couple of days later and now I'm suffused with lemon candy happiness. I'm fond of sweet, citrus, fruit scents and I do like the lab's honey - so I bought this unsniffed and I'm happy I did so. It's not a very complicated scent, just light, sweet and clean. I don't really get the sex scent of the more notorious honey blends. It reminds me quite a bit of Aelopile, which is darker and heavier, but still lemony. This is a more feminine, playful version of Aelopile.

 

I'm going to get good use out of this in the spring and summer and I'm curious to see how it ages. I might need a backup bottle!

I've gotten recent unsolicited but very flattering compliments on Shub and Miller vs. California.

 

I have to admit, even I noticed they smelled particularly amazing.

Well, my date went really, really well. I ended up wearing TKO, mostly to settle my nerves. It worked.

 

I don't think he could even smell it because we sat across a table from one another for 4 hours and then bundled up in our winter coats.

 

But, there's definitely going to be a second date. Quoth the boy: "you're a delight"

Hmmmm. I need a suggestion for a first date. I want to smell fresh and clean and intriguing and a wee bit sexy, but not compete with the sushi . . .

Don't know if this is what your going for but if you want to smell clean and sexy, I would suggest Come To Me. It seems to get mixed responses on the bpal boards but it is fantastic for me. Just use the tiniest amount. It is so interesting because it is borderline sticky, bitter and tangy, but is so clean soap, lilly of the valley and almost pine smelling (on me atleast) and gets great responses I have found. I think it's amazing when used sparingly.

Ahhh, thank you. That actually sounds perfect. My notes say it smells soapy, but I'll dig it out and give it a try even though this is not the best time of month for me to be judging scents.

 

/snip

I just had a thought . . . would TKO be really weird? I love it so much and it would really help me be more relaxed. Anyone have feedback on TKO??

 

Honestly, my husband loves TKO. I mean LOVES. I mean, I-can't-wear-it-as-a-sleep-blend-if-I-actually-want-to-get-rest LOVES! If it makes you relaxed, and you like the scent, I say go for it!

 

Heh heh. That's exactly the kind of the thing I was looking for!

 

Thank you ladies!! I will let you know how it goes!

Yep, cat pee. The older this bottle gets, the worse it is. I can wear it, and the cat pee dissipates, but it's not worth it. Blech.

Hmmmm. I need a suggestion for a first date.

 

I've never met this guy, but I know he doesn't care for booze or tobacco smoke. He's not much of a meat eater, (not that there are a lot of meat scents, but you know), and we are going to meet for lunch (sushi). I want to smell fresh and clean and intriguing and a wee bit sexy, but not compete with the sushi . . .

 

I was actually thinking of a green scent like Hemlock which starts as Vicks vap-o-rub and ends as gorgeous green vanilla. But, I'm worried that'll be too strange. Normally I'm all about Chimera and O, woods and resins, but I think those are too warm and sensual for this. If it works out, I'll introduce him to them later.

 

I just had a thought . . . would TKO be really weird? I love it so much and it would really help me be more relaxed. Anyone have feedback on TKO??

Thanks to the lab for a frimp of The Unicorn

 

It's a clean, white floral that starts off with an effervescent bit of gin and tonic. It's not soapy at all.

 

During the drydown it reminds me a bit of Manhattan, without the wood and leather - it might be the more feminine version of that scent. It quickly fades to a light skin scent and then disappears entirely. It's as elusive as the mythical beast it portrays.

 

Lovely, but too fleeting.

Sadly, I have no Doc Constantine and can't get it in time. It's been on my radar for awhile though. Or Blood Moon. (Costume party is this weekend).

 

I had not thought about metal or smoke notes. Hmmmm. I think I have a Metal Phoenix decant and plenty of smoky scents to think about.

 

Thanks!

Okay, I'll go.

 

I'm going as a roller derby girl for halloween (yeah, I know it's passe, but whatever). I'll be the punky, sassy kind, not the sporty, shiny kind.

 

I need a scent that's powerfully, brutally feminine and edgy. And maybe sweaty and bloody. I don't have a lot of florals, but I have gobs of resins and foods. I'm not sure why, but I keep thinking of Doc Constantine's Sassafras Strengthener. Perhaps layered with something else?

I TKO and it's become a staple for me. I'm about to order my 4th bottle. I use it almost every night and I do think it helps me sleep. As much from the lavender as the comforting ritual of applying it. Pre-bpal I would have scoffed at the idea of wearing a perfume to bed, but now I've wised up and I'm sleeping better too! Most days when I wake up, I slightly regret having to shower, because the scent lingers a bit on my neck and wrists.

It's not too complex of a scent, it smells like fluffy purple marshmallows. It gets better, so much better, with age. The lavender loses the sharp edge and the vanilla becomes sweeter and softer. It's just glorious.

The herbal/grassy notes seem to be heading in the direction I'm thinking you want. Which brings Coyote to mind (The warmth of doeskin, dry plains grasses and soft, dusty woods warmed by amber and a downy, gentle coat of deep musk.) -- less 'perfumey' than The Lion, but still in the same family of warm, dry amber.

 

Ah, I've forgotten how much I adore Coyote. That's a good recommendation. I'm pleased that Manhattan gets so much love. It never seems to get much chatter.

Ok, I am so not that woman, but of the bpal I've tried, I'd say Manhattan best fits that description.

 

 

It's lovely and feminine, but not sweet or cloying. It's delicate, without much throw, but the leather just completely makes it transcendent and gives it an edge. I wear it when I need something that's not so blatantly resiny and incense of my normal blends. It always makes me feel confident too!

Wow! Wand caps. Hmmm. I have one bottle with a wand cap and it always surprises me that it's in there so I practically spill the bottle! Aged Dorian. It would be a tragedy!

 

I bought some glass rods from an aromatherapy place with some of my other decanting supplies. I stick an end of the wand in the bottle, apply here and there but always cleavage and hair. Then I wipe off the glass rod with a microfiber towel.

 

I found out recently that Wulric the Wolfman really requires a LOT of rolling. I made a decant, noticed it smelled a little bland and didn't look dark like I remembered. Lo and behold all the chocolately goodness had sunk way to the bottom and really had to be coaxed up. Same thing with Boomslang.

MeiLin - perfoom.com is great! I didn't make an account since I rather obsessively track my stuff with a personal database, but I prowled around looking at non-bpal scents I'd like to try . . .

 

It looks pretty enough IMO! Thank you so much!

Initially, this smells strongly of beer. Like I just dumped a whole mug on myself. After a bit, it settles down to a crisp, green that kind of reminds me of Roadhouse.

 

There's a very nostalgic undercurrent that I can't quite place. It could be a cleanser or a candy even. There is a bit of licorice there . . .

 

The throw is light, I have to sniff my arm quite closely. This is intriguing and I think the dog days of summer are perfect for trying out this scent.

 

Marge! Beer Me!

sigh. I adored the 'other' Tiger Lily, so I'm sorry but this review is largely a comparison to the other one. I know they're supposed to stand alone and one is not the substitute for the other, but I just can't separate them in my mind.

 

So, plain ol' Tiger Lily was saturated, indolent, thick, warm, peachy honeyed lilies with a lot of throw while Imperious Tiger Lily is cooler, fruitier more delicate and whimsical. Less throw. It just strikes me as a more candied, more youthful treatment of lily. Not really more imperious.

 

So, even if the concept goes a bit awry on my skin, I like them both. I wish Tiger Lily was still around, but this is a very nice lily scent.

The only scent that's ever smelled BLACK to me was Lunar Eclipse. At first I didn't like it (too charred), but now that it's aged, it's divine.

 

 

 

eta: I've never tried it, but I've imagined the Smiling Spider would be black too.  I expected the Obsidian Widow to be, but it just smelled like tinkle.  

 

 

Just this morning I tested Coyote and thought, "That's a really sweet scent." It's not foody in the least. It's sort of sweet and musky.

Coyote is GORGEOUS!!  

 

 

How about:  

 

Velvet Tiki (sweet tropical fruits & florals)

 

Block Buster (light and sweet, citrus-y)  

 

Van Van (sugared lemons) 

 

Prospero (sweet, fruited amber)

 

Jailbait (cinnamon & sweet fruits)

 

Nanny Ashtoreth (sweet leather (after the wood dies down))

 

Bewitched (hard to describe... but sweet)

 

Ravenous (smells like candy, but is overwhelmingly strong)

 

Maenad (bubblegummy)

 

Mania, Bon Vivant, Hollywood Babylon (strawberry sweet musk)

 

Dragon's Blood (sweet & floral)

 

I think O is possibly the ultimate sweet scent.  It's so perfect.  

 

 

 

 

This thread is so dangerous!  

 

I thought I saw a mention somewhere that the GC labels are changing?  It's been about 3 months since I bought a GC bottle so I'm wondering if they look different now? 

Yep! The discussion starts a few pages back in this thread. Here's a pic of the new Alice label.

 

eta: More here.

 

ah, thank you!  I purchased a GC on 3/9/09 and, in fact, it has the new label.  I remember thinking "Huh, that's cool"  but I thought it was just for that scent.  Now I feel silly.  And obviously I'm not buying enough GC stuff!!!

This thread is so dangerous!  

 

I thought I saw a mention somewhere that the GC labels are changing?  It's been about 3 months since I bought a GC bottle so I'm wondering if they look different now? 

 

 

I had this exact situation a year ago.  I figured I'd have plenty of time to move before my order showed up.  Naturally, that was the fastest turn around time I've ever had and my order was baking in my new black mailbox for who knows how many days.  Everything was fine, but I had a minor heart attack when I saw it!  

 

You can check the "I got my order" thread to give you an idea of how fast turn around times are.  Since you're ordering from the General Catalog instead of Limited Editions I'd say it'll probably ship fairly quickly.

 

 

I've not smelled the Arbonne fragrance, but she might like Sudha Segara. The ginger in it is very lemony to my nose; to me, it's a light, refreshing citrusy scent warmed by ginger:

 

Sudha Segara (Bewitching Brews) - Sweet milk and warm, healing ginger with a touch of golden honey and our blend of Ambrosia.

 

Ah, thank you!  I didn't consider that one, but I have an imp (somewhere??) so I'll have her sniff it and see what she thinks.

I'm looking for some citrus/ginger combos that aren't too orange-y.  My mom loves Arbonne's Citrus Ginger sugar scrub and I'm trying to replicate it for her.

 

I've never actually smelled it, which is obviously my first problem.  The ingredients include linalool and limonene and something that wikipedia tells me smells like a spicy lily of the valley.  Mom says it smells like ginger and lemons, but not floral.

 

Has anyone smelled this line and does it remind you of any particular (hopefully GC) BPAL???

 

 

I didn't expect to like VN.  I sniffed and lightly tested when I got my decant and thought it was kind of bland and unimpressive.

 

This morning I grabbed the decant as I ran out the door.  I'm not sure what she's been up to on her two week vacation, but VN has really 'developed'.  

 

As others have noted, there is a decided citrus vibe and clean musk.  I don't get any florals from it, which is a relief.  It's summery and light, not at all the dark, heavy, oppressive velvet I'd expect from a velvet blend.  Actually, unlike its namesake, VN is sophisticated, polite, demure and dare I say, tasteful.  

 

I'm contemplating a bottle because I could see wearing this often.    In a way, it reminds me of Manhattan, Tushnamatay, Van Van and maybe a bit of Zephyr.