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BPAL Madness!

Josh

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Everything posted by Josh

  1. Josh

    Bordello

    This smells identical to Runts candies.. really fruity yet slightly chalky hard candy. There's an incredibly faint Amaretto hanging around in the background but you'd never know it was there unless you were told it was.
  2. Josh

    The Phoenix

    Sea air, gunpowder, lime, salt-crusted wood, a splash of blood, and a dribble of Snake Oil. This smells like a mix of Port Royal, Jolly Roger and a freshly cut lime. Brighter than Port Royal or Plunder, sharper and more salt/lime than Jolly Roger or Black Pearl. I'm a little sad that I'm not picking up any Snake Oil as that is a personal favorite of mine, but I've had a great time exploring the pirate/sea scents lately and this is one of the best of that variety.
  3. Josh

    Troll

    This was recommended to me by Forspecial Plate and it does not disappoint. Troll is absolutely fantastic and shares similarities to Djinn but replaces the acrid harshness with an earthy spice (which I'm guessing is the cumin and black basil.) The clove almost has a nutty element to it and gives the scent a very "full bodied" feeling. I really love Troll.
  4. Josh

    Sed Non Satiata

    Perfectly said. This is a really nice mix of cognac and a nutty-honey over a murky patchouli and musk that smells very comfortable on my skin. Red Patchouli is quickly becoming one of my favorite notes.
  5. Josh

    Asphodel

    I'm not fond of florals and I knew I wouldn't like Asphodel even when I ordered the imp, but it has the best little one-liner description of any bpal oil and I also know it will be discontinued next month. It falls very much in line with a a straight forward floral. Smells like the heart of summer, girls having fun. I'm not sure exactly which flower is at play here but Asphodel smells a lot like stargazer lilies. Too vanilla to be sexy and too common to be invigorating. I can't see too much appeal here.
  6. Josh

    Dian's Bud

    From start to finish this smells like standard bar soap. I primarily get a cucumber/mint combo, much like that light green cucumber Dove soap. Scrubbed this one off after a couple of hours.
  7. Josh

    Dorian

    This was really nice at first. There was a warm, faded/glowing brown-orange-yellow "color" to this oil, slightly aged apples and weak tea. It was complimented on 3 times today (one saying it smelled "light and comforting" to her) and lasted most of the day but went to baby powder after some hours. I understand the hype behind this one.
  8. Josh

    Cobra Lily

    This was a freebie imp that I would have never ordered on my own. As soon as I put a dab on my wrist I envisioned a great wide open field of flowers at sunset... everything shaded a very mellow orange and subdued yellowish hue. This is a strikingly beautiful and serene oil that would be unquestionably amazing on the right girl. I smell it as pure lily with a very faint hint of cinnamon which really fleshes this scent out nicely. It is not something I would wear myself, but fortunately I know a very sweet girl who will smell like absolute heaven wearing this. (Though I must add that I do not understand the Lab's description of this at all? Sharp, heady and viciously carnivorous. <-- Did I get the right oil? To me this is the complete opposite of that description.)
  9. Josh

    Laudanum

    Rubber gloves (or a fresh balloon being inflated for the first time) and a spiciness not unlike root beer. This smells more like a modern day hospital or dentist office to me, like the rubber gloves of a dentist being right in your face as he works on your teeth. Very pungent and medicinal. Has left me woozy and with a slight headache.
  10. Josh

    Centzon Totochtin

    You know those little bottle shaped chocolates that are filled with a tiny bit of booze? Take one of the Malibu rum filled ones in your palm, close your fist and squeeze it until the chocolate and booze spurt through the foil and into your palm. Now raise said fist (still closed) right up to your nose and open your hand. Take a deep whiff. Centzon Totochtin smells 100% like that. Rum, rum, rum - and the bittersweetness of dark chocolate. I do not get any coffee or wine whatsoever here. A very foody/boozy scent. On me it is a very light and mild scent so I apply this in more liberal amounts. The imp won't last long but I don't see a big bottle of this in my future. Regardless, this is a great oil.
  11. Josh

    Djinn

    BEST. BPAL. SCENT. EVER. PERIOD. I was very close to not even trying this. Thank god for imp gluttony. Where to begin? This is replacing Wolf's Heart as my everyday, and this is why: I like oils that bring about a sense of confidence and self assurance. Whereas Wolf's Heart did this in a calm, almost brotherly way, Djinn does the exact opposite. If we were to humanize these scents, Wolf's Heart would be a warm, compassionate and forgiving soul. Djinn is the evil twin. Djinn has no soul, and that is his strength. He answers to nobody but himself. He's a loner. Smell: Djinn is pungent and creates a slight dryness/tickle in the back of my throat. This is a jet-black smell. I smell a million Decembers in here, cinnamon, and dark dryness. This oil brings out the sinister in me. I feel I can accomplish ANYTHING wearing this. Dare I say this makes me feel almost god-like? This oil has such a ferocious and unrelenting presence to it. This is a cologne for the most sinister, ruthless and unforgiving gentlemen around. It is the smell of der Übermensch; success by way of sheer force and raw power. Djinn will step on your toes, and as you wince he will take great pleasure in his mind but he will remain stone faced as he stares you down. Deviance multiplied by infinity. However, saying all of this, I am well aware that my tastes tend to be rather eclectic and I would consider myself a bit of a bad-natured human and not the "good person" most people aspire to be. If my description doesn't sound like you then this may not really be something you're into. The smell is almost vile, and it makes me feel like a million sins being channelled through my mind in a nanosecond. This stuff is FIERCE. You've been thoroughly warned!
  12. Josh

    Miskatonic University

    Wet: A mix of Coke Blak and butter popcorn Jelly Bellies with a slightly nutty element. This stuff is wonky when wet. Dry: Irish cream, dust and sophistication. Damn, this is one cozy scent. I'd never leave my office if it smelled like this.
  13. Josh

    El Dia de los Reyes

    This was the first bottle I reached for. Twisted the cap off. *deep inhale* It's just smile inducing. This is the ultimate chocolate oil. It bursts through the nasal cavity with pure, realistic cocoa mixed a very creamy coffee and a whisp of cinnamon. It's hard to believe something that smells this good and this real isn't edible. I have a big bottle of this stuff and while I probably won't wear it much, I have it sitting on the nook in my hallway and each time I walk through there I can't help but twist off the cap and take a deep breath of it. It's so right for this time of year. For me (and many others), chocolate is a very comforting and sedating smell. I'm really glad I bought this one.
  14. Josh

    Jazz Funeral

    Bittersweet bay rum, bourbon, and a host of funeral flowers with a touch of graveyard dirt, magnolia and Spanish Moss. This is a very pale translucent yellow oil with a remarkably thin consistency that is almost like water. Smell: A complex and spicy cinnamon over a bed of freshly cut wet grass with a faint hint of white wine in the background. Unfortunately I am not getting even the slightest trace of bourbon or rum. Or perhaps I'm mistaking the dryness of white wine w/ the boozy-ness of something else? This is truly a fantastic and unique oil. It has a certain "lightness" to it which is great considering the description of Jazz Funeral sounds far more dense and forboding than it really is. Not "me" enough to order a full bottle, but I'd recommend everyone give this a shot sooner or later.
  15. Josh

    Snake Oil

    This has been reviewed to death, so my review won't focus so much on the smell itself but my opinion of the smell. Make sense? Let me start by saying I'm VERY impressed with Snake Oil. I only ordered it because I had seen a few people mention it was the best selling bpal oil. If that's the case, I definitely see why. Snake Oil is massive in every way. The color is almost like that of soda filtered through sunlight. It is the thickest oil I've seen and it stains my skin copper. Love it. It feels rich and decadent. If there could be one scent to represent bpal as an entity, I would nominate Snake Oil. The smell is equally rich. There is so much going on here I'm a bit miffed on just how to decipher this one. It encompasses the gamut: calming yet sexy, feminine and masculine at once (which does not mean "gender neutral") - in this oil I simultaneously smell something distinctly feminine and something distinctly masculine, together. I cannot stop smelling my wrist. This is such a unique oil to me. Considering how thick and long-lasting this is I hope my imp will last a while, but when it runs out there is no question a 5ml will be ordered.
  16. Josh

    What scents are masculine? Gender-neutral?

    I too was looking for something like you described and so far I think Wolf's Heart is the best fit. I've taken to wearing it daily now (though I'm still ordering away in hopes of finding something even more to my liking.)
  17. Josh

    Antony

    A classic department store cologne aimed at the "manly man", despite coming off as more of a "boy trying to smell like a man." Antony, like Dee, reminds me of what the guys at high school doused themselves in back in the 80's. Very one dimensional in comparison to the rich complexity of something like Fenris Wolf. I'll be giving this imp away.
  18. Josh

    Dragon's Bone

    Dry floral/nutty/soapy. Zero sweetness, this is purely a dry and dusty toned scent. This is actually very unique, and fortunately (for me) the dragon's blood dissipates as soon as it leaves the imp. I didn't bother to try this imp 'til last (it was a freebie) as I abhor dragon's blood - the bedrock scent that emits from every gothy headshop in the world, but really this deserves its own category. What a pleasant surprise, easily my fav oil from this last batch. Whoever packed my order and threw this one in, I owe you.
  19. Josh

    Vampire Tears

    Sweet butter cream (cake?) underneath a kick of bold citrus. Very bright-yellow smelling.
  20. Josh

    What scents are masculine? Gender-neutral?

    You hit the nail on the head there. I had to scrub Dee off... on me it smelled pretty much identical to the cheap colognes that everyone at my high school wore... "department store masculinity" is the only way I could describe that one. Blick. I'm still learning as well and this thread looks like a great place to start.
  21. Josh

    Dracul

    Wet on wrist: Smells like a standard men's cologne (heavy musk) with a slight menthol/coolness to it - must be the mint. There is a faint sweetness on the fringe which adds some depth. Smells like something a Hollywood movie star would wear, not Dracul. Definitely masculine. One previous reviewer mentioned Old Spice, although I'd say this is a much more refined and complex version of that. Dry on wrist: It turned to baby powder. Dry on wrist (2 hours after application): Smells exactly like my first bottle of cologne that my stepfather gave me when I was a kid. The baby powder smell is sweet, and sweet does not work too well on me. Final verdict: Musk, spice and baby powder, masculine yet sweet. It's every father's scent - a more complex Old Spice. I'd suggest any other men reading here try this out as I'm in the minority in not liking this one too much, but I think I understand why so many others enjoy it.
  22. Josh

    Rome

    This was a complete surprise, one of three free imps that were thrown into my order. Wet on wrist: Sharp! Like a white razor made of tightly bound flowers just sliced through the back of my nose. This is hard for me to pinpoint, slightly more on the feminine side but I would feel fine wearing it as well. It smells like what I'd imagine a rich socialite would wear, yet it also has a synthetic medicinal flower scent, like something you'd find in your grandmother's bathroom cabinet. Dry on wrist: Smells exactly like Lysol. Dry on wrist (2 hours after application): This stuff has gone wonky on me. Smells like dry white wine spilled inside of a church. Synthetic floral, medicinal cream, not working. For some reason it has a New England feel to it? Final verdict: This is a very strange one. I bet on some people this stuff really comes alive. Not right for my skin, but it is a very interesting scent for sure.
  23. Josh

    Hellfire

    I read the reviews and almost bought a full sized bottle blindly since it seemed to be exactly what I would want. Instead I ordered an imp to start with. Wet on wrist: As lovely as the description sounded, it reminded me of when I was a child. Growing up we had 3 Mercedes Benz cars, each with leather interior, and my parents were chainsmokers. The smell was nauseating to me as a kid. Smoke and leather... why I never realized I probably wouldn't like this smell is beyond me. I am hit with an immediate headache. Dry on wrist: The sweetness, smokiness and leather are braiding in and out of each other. If only I grew up with parents who didn't smoke or own Mercedes Benz's, I'd be in heaven right now. Dry on wrist (2 hours after application): Now this is much more to my liking. The leather (and thus, my nostalgia inflicted headache) has faded and left a sweet, vanilla pipe + library scent, but the sweetness is not sickly or overdone. This is very warm, mellow and sedated - oozing all sorts of sinister sex. Final verdict: Really strong and smokey at first, but after 90 minutes it bloomed into a very dark and sensual scent. Excellent! I can't stop smelling my wrist. Very long lasting on me.
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