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BPAL Madness!

phoenix1558

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  • Content Count

    55
  • Joined

  • Last visited

About phoenix1558

  • Rank
    implet

Location

  • Location
    New York
  • Country
    United States

Contact Methods

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  • Website URL
    http://

Profile Information

  • Pronouns
    Female
  • Mood
    Quixotic

BPAL

  • Favorite Scents
    Scorpio, Snake Oil, Samhain, Dragon Musk, Queen of Sheba, Hecate, O, Malediction, and-go figure-Lady of Shalott.

Astrology

  • Astrological Info
    Gemini, Leo, and Scorpio mostly. I'm a conflicted, arrogant, pervert.
  • Chinese Zodiac Sign
    Pig
  • Western Zodiac Sign
    Gemini
  1. phoenix1558

    Theoi Nomioi

    If Skadi is the winter forest goddess, Theoi Nomioi is her spring sister. Early spring, as the woods begin to shake off their snow and welcome the sun. I put them both on at the same time. The early cold spruce is there in both of them, but Skadi has those sharper, crisper berries whereas TN has a bit more snowy, clear scent. After a few minutes, Skadi remains true blue, cold, crisp, sharp but TN is changing. There's still the spruce on top, but emerging is some watery spring brook, then grasses, wind, a hint of flowers (chamomile, perhaps?), something a tinge nutty, and something else a wee softer, like maybe a kiss of honey. This says Spring to me; a rebirth, the land just waking up from winter, but before it moves into the heavy warm heat of summer. It's lovely. Wild, and yet gentle. I'm suddenly thinking I could break down the 4 seasons of nature into BPAL scents and they'd evoke some sense of continuity; Skadi in deep winter, TN for spring, Leo 07 for hot late summer, and Samhain for fall. This scent is a wonderful homage to the wild beauty of our national parks.
  2. phoenix1558

    The Death of Autumn

    Sadly, I never appreciated The Death of Autumn, until now, when the bottle is almost finished. I've got a wee bit left, and I plan to revel in it for its few remaining days. In earlier times, it smelt of smokey burnt leaves and something dead like. Now it's gloriously filled with a brief a hint of leaves then full on amber and clove. Maybe it's just that these are the last scents left alive in a very old bottle. But their rich, darkly sweet, revelries righteously call forth the time of the season as Fall moves into Thanksgiving and beyond. Swirling leaves, early nights, apple spices, and cloves kindly offering their scent in a potpourri. It's taken me years, but now I see its glorious late season beauty.
  3. phoenix1558

    Witch Dance

    Witch Dance was an, oh so pleasant surprise last year, even at first sniff. Warm, spicy, musky, heady goodness with a hint of something sharper lurking within. And it reminded me of something, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it at the time. This autumn, pulling out the bottle from my seasonal stash after they've aged a year, it struck me like a lightning bolt what Witch Dance reminded me of: the old, original, mid-80s classic Fendi. When Fendi first came out (and I'm not talking the later, reformulated, watered down versions before discontinuance), it was this magnificently strong, spicy, musky, and something citrusy, femme fatale scent. And I loved it and wore it for several years. Witch Dance now thoroughly evokes that Fendi headiness. And of course the name is much better, too! All this makes me even happier to own a bottle.
  4. phoenix1558

    Dark Pumpkin Mead

    Alas, and clearly in a minority here, this was the first BPAL bottle I've ever bought that I immediately knew would not work. I love honey. And maple. I thought it'd be a winner. But, alas, twas not meant to be. Someone above mentioned honey stout. Another mentioned yeast. And yes, they both ring a bell of recognition to my nose. This is a VERY dark, yeasty-malty-foody smell to me, as if I spilled a sweetened Guinness on myself and waited several weeks before washing. Don't get me wrong, I love Guinness, but don't want to smell like it. Ixnay this as a perfume, but it does make a surprisingly lovely, richly sweet and incensey room scent, as the tealight candle heat picks up the swirling maple undercurrent and carries it, with the honey and meady scent, further and richer than it did on my skin. So-yay-all is not lost!
  5. phoenix1558

    Elegy IX: The Autumnal

    Right out of the bottle, The Autumnal reminded me of the magnificent Samhain, with its fir, patchouli, spicy kick. And I adore Samhain, thinking it Beth's most evocative, complicated scent yet, as it sashays, swirls, brews, morphs from one end to the other of its note spectrum. First strikingly piney, then patchouli kicking in, then cloves, then apples, on and on into infinity. If you're a Samhain fan, you know what I'm talking about. Trouble with Samhain, at least for me, is that I can't wear it everywhere (like to work!)because it's just SO intense a fragrance that I fear scaring small children, and your average muggle on the street. So I save it for special autumn occasions and leisure time, where I can happily stuff my wrist up my nose and revel in its complicated witchiness. What does this have to do with Elegy IX: The Autumnal, you righteously ask? Well, I'm smelling in Autumnal that same complicated, magnificent evolution that is Samhain: the piney kick, the swirling patchouli, the Fall spices-but with a touch of that plum and honey mellowing it a bit, adding a sweetness to it that makes it a little less dried leaves and more autumn fruit. Less apple spice and more grapes. And this makes it a phenomenal substitute for Samhain in a less intensely dark scent. I'm thrilled I got a bottle of The Autumnal, because when the weenies came out, I'd seriously contemplated getting a backup of Samhain right off the bat, just in case (the horror!) it takes a break Halloween 2012. But now I know I can alternate between the two, I'll save my Samhain for those Fall, high-holy days, and rely on The Autumnal for more casual use. A solid two thumbs up from me on this provocative autumnal scent.
  6. phoenix1558

    dark/thick/sludge-like?

    Malediction. A REALLY thick, oozy patchouli resin straight from the lab. It's like Carlie Simon's song in the old Heinz 57 sauce commercial....anticipation ha! I just found my old imp of Malediction.. it's pretty dark and mega-thick! Thanks for the reminder Cheers! It's also got a scent to match, though, so fair warning!
  7. phoenix1558

    dark/thick/sludge-like?

    Malediction. A REALLY thick, oozy patchouli resin straight from the lab. It's like Carlie Simon's song in the old Heinz 57 sauce commercial....anticipation
  8. phoenix1558

    Goblin

    If Malediction and Black Pearl met each other in some smoky little club one night, while drinking absinthe as they listened to French existential poetry and awaited John Coltrane's arrival, and then spied each other across the crowded room, and one thing led to another, Goblin would be their love child. There's enough of the happy coconut from Black Pearl to sweeten the patchoulli a bit and mellow it out for public consumption, but not enough that it turns into some tropical drink. And yet this baby is full out patchoulli also; dirty, earthy, dark, and uber sexy in its own patchoulli way. For patchoulli lovers only. But if you do love your patchoulli, this is magnificant.
  9. phoenix1558

    Nefertiti

    Iris, some spicy sandlewood, some tempering green notes....I'm sniffing, and sniffing, and sniffing, and thinking, 'man, I've smelled this before. I've WORN this before.' My mental memory banks are going full tilt, sparks are flying, trying to access long stored files. Lovely, very feminine scent. The flower shop mentioned is apt also, in a good way. A flower shop with some incense sticks burning. Very nice. Damn, what was that perfume? Scent memories flying through the synapses now. Good memories. College memories. 'Oh, yeah, that night' -naughty memories! Then it comes to me. Eureka!!! Ralph Lauren...the original Lauren formulation in the red bottle from the late 70s
  10. phoenix1558

    Malediction

    Oh my! Yes, indeedy, this is the incense scent wafting around the home of Mr. & Mrs. Lucifer. Perhaps they give the great hall a spray of this also, before guests arrive for dinner. It's majestic, in a very dark, and earthy way. And addicting. I keep sticking my wrist up to my nose, reveling in the patchouli, cedar, dirt strength of this scent. It reminds me, in a good way, of summer evening folk concerts that were held in the woods years ago. And since I've not actually dined at the Lucifers and can't say for sure whether it is indeed their signature room scent, this is the only personal scent memory I have here.
  11. phoenix1558

    Queen

    The queen certainly does influence everyone differently! At first it smelled strongly of sweet almonds on me, a la Bastet. Then the spicy pepper and woods took over in such strength that my nose was twitching. After 30 minutes, I could smell a spicy floral and some soft honey. Very nice, very sultry. At this stage, it almost reminds me of YSL Opium, although this could just be my own personal scent memory. I used to use Opium back in the dark ages when it first came out for those nights when I was on the prowl, so the association fits. Overall, this is a very forthright, strong, powerful scent. I'd imagine it would definitely leave its mark on anyone who comes near. I'm really liking it, but I"m not sure I'd wear it in an office. Not unless it's the holiday Christmas party, and there's a copier nearby
  12. phoenix1558

    Prague

    Easter in a bottle! White florals like lilly and lily of the valley with a hint of something herbal and green in the background. Very delicate and lovely, if you like spring flowers. It reminds me of Laura Ashley #1 perfume.
  13. phoenix1558

    Hecate

    Ah, Hecate. A Paean to the great goddess herself. And what a song of praise it is. Like Hecate, the perfume evokes the three realms-life, death, and the doorways between the worlds. In the bottle, and fresh on the skin-almost overpowering, sweet Amoretto almond. But with a subtle hint of something bitter lurking in the background here and there-almost peppery. As if imprinting one's fate into the fabric of joyous birth. 20 minutes in-the darker world comes into focus. An almost animalic, soapy combination of myrrh and dark musk. Sensuous, yet sombre. The death of the sweet amoretto and the awakening of the next phase. Much later-the almond returns, softening the musk, merging the two worlds into one. The animal scent of the musk with the sweet spicey almonds. Perhaps the goddess has opened the doors of perception? I was drawn to this scent from the name alone, and bought a bottle unsniffed. And I'm really glad I did. It's a magnificant, mutable perfume.
  14. phoenix1558

    Queen of Sheba

    At first, a glorious burst of sweet almond on my skin. I almost wish it remained like this, but the scent changes, like the seductress she is. Later-some strong rose element with dark musk. Even later-one second there's the rose. The next second it is spicy, honey almond, similar to those burnt sugar almonds. I can see why Solomon was enchanted with her! Imagery-Middle Eastern bazaars, feminine charm, and power.
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