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BPAL Madness!

akiko

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Posts posted by akiko


  1. I was worried about the tobacco in this, because that always turns to stinky ashtray on me, but I had nothing to fear!

     

    In the vial, it smells sweet & spicy, cinnamony (enough so that I said, "oh, damn, this is going to irritate my skin," but there's no cinnamon). On my skin, this morphs: from the cinnamon-sweet smell to a slightly tobacco smell to a soft, spicy resin.

     

    I love you, Fire Phoenix!

  2. Gelt


    I'm a fan, I have to say.

     

    It gives an impression of Bliss, but it's got something a little deeper in it (the amber, I presume.) There's a brief plastic-y phase, but once it passes, it's back to a nice cocoa.

     

    Nice. I likes it.


  3. I can't decide if I like this one. It captures autumn well, but I'm not sure it's good on me.

     

    Imp: Apples. Caramel apples.

     

    Wet: Caramel apples. As it dries down. a more aquatic scent comes out, as well as the rotting leaves smell.

     

    Dry: The aquatic leaves smell comes and goes; I prefer it more when it goes. Right now, it's more caramel apple. Unfortunately, I think this is the same caramel note that goes plastic on me.


  4. 2008 version

     

    In the imp, this smells a lot more pine-y than 2007. After application, it starts out astringent pine with a touch of cider stuff. I don't really like it at that stage. As it dries, it becomes more of the scent I fell in love with in 2007's, but I just don't like it as much.

     

    I'd love it as a room scent, though. :P


  5. The first of this year's 'weenies to say "BUY ME IN A BOTTLE!"

     

    Imp: Apples. Red apples.

     

    Wet: Mulled cider. I smelled so much cinnamon that I worried it would make me itch, but it must have been a combination of other smells.

     

    Dry: It's a fall evening by the fire. I'm not getting smoke per se, mostly the cider and orangey-spice, but it evokes the fireplace.

     

    I need you in a bottle. Yes, I do.


  6. I liked the idea of this scent, so I got a decant. I still like the idea of the scent, but not so much on my skin.

     

    Imp: Smells like inside a barn, except without the icky horsey part.

     

    Wet: Apples, sweet grains.

     

    Dry: Apples fade out, sweetness comes to the fore. Turns plasticy, though.

     

    Verdict: Keeping my decant for now.


  7. Dusty black wool, tea with cream, black pepper, muguet, and beeswax candle drippings.


    This is the first of the Halloweenies I'm trying this year.

    Imp: Smells weird and slightly perfumey, but with a touch of sweetness.

    Wet: Sweetly floral.

    Dry: Honey (beeswax). I'm not getting the wool or pepper, though.

    I'll keep my decant, at least for a while, but I don't think I'll be needing a bottle.

    (edited to add lab description)

  8. This is like Madame Moriarty and War got together and made a sexy love child.

     

    Imp: Red musk sweetness with a kick of darkness.

     

    Wet: Sweet red musk, dark patchouli.

     

    Dry: The fruity sweetness of red musk mixed with the darkness of patchouli.

     

    I really like this.


  9. Oh, Inez, I want to like you. It's not you, it's me. It just isn't meant to be.

     

    Imp: Nice, soft, slightly powdery sweet with a hint of something spicy in it

     

    Wet: Sweet powder.

     

    Dry: I can get a hint of vanilla and amber, but mostly it's powdery. Must be the myrrh? *sigh*


  10. Cocoa? Where are you? Patchouli?

     

    Imp: Fruity sweet. I can't identify the fruit.

     

    Wet: Same. Very fruity.

     

    Dry: Reminiscent of Bordello or other plum blends, though I'm guessing it's peach and my nose is playing tricks on me.

     

    Nice enough, but nothing special.


  11. Oh poo, I wanted this to be awesome, since pomegranate is so very me.

     

    Imp: Sweetly floral - like Shadow Witch Orchid.

     

    Wet: Fruity floral, mostly plum - which generally goes candle/plasticy on me.

     

    Dry: Fruity? Seems to have faded.

     

    *sad* I wanted to need a bottle of this, but I guess I don't, really.


  12. Ooh. Clemence is like Samhain without the apple/honey sweetness.

     

    Imp: CLOVE! CINNAMON! (which is really carnation.)

     

    Wet: CLOVE! CINNAMON!

     

    Dry: See above. There's a hint of something sweet, but I can't place it. I need more of this, o yes.


  13. Mmm. Yet another caramel-sweet foom.

     

    Imp: Holy sweetness, Batman! Caramel and honey.

     

    Wet: Honey comes on strong, followed by caramel and cream.

     

    Dry: Caramel, cream, and maybe teak?

     

    I hope this stays nice and doesn't turn plasticy like caramel notes are wont to do on me.


  14. I think this was the Lady I was least interested in of the decants I ordered. Not surprisingly, I'm fairly ambivalent on it.

     

    Imp: Orangey, but with something else, maybe the musk.

     

    Wet: Orangey, musk makes an appearance, and there's an earthiness (the fig, I think.)

     

    Dry: Amber comes out to play, and the orange takes a back seat. The spices are mingled in the 'earthy' layer.

     

    Overall: Nice enough, but not Amazing.


  15. I love love love the spreadsheet - thank you, hackess!

     

    I have a truly dumb question, though. Is there anything about it that would make Google Docs barf? I'm not normally a total computer moron, but despite my efforts and those of every geek in my house, I can't get my copy of the spreadsheet to go up on Google Docs. As far as I can tell, it doesn't violate any of the Google Docs requirements for spreadsheets, but I could have missed something, I guess. Has anyone successfully stuck their copy of it up there? I'd like to be able to work on it from wherever.

     

    Thanks muchly.

    Far as I can tell, it's just too big for GDocs. I've tried uploading it, too, but it just dies. So I have a very abbreviated version, which is just what I've tried & what I want. With color coding, but I've been too lazy to keep up with that of late.

     

    If you've got the time & patience, though, you can copy-paste about 100 lines at a time, though it seems to have trouble interpreting blank space properly (I got some weird errors where the description was next to the wrong scent.)

     

    Alternatively, if you've got more patience and less time, you can sort and do separate tabs for each category (though that does wreak merry havoc with the discontinued sections) and then create a new tab on GDocs for each category.

     

    Good luck!


  16. Now you got me worried!

    It doesn't look red, just rough areas. I know that when I tried Sea Glass, my skin itched like crazy and I scratched it so much that it was raw. Then when I applied an oil after that it stung. I know, it's stupid, but when you are addicted you do stupid things.

    So now I avoid those aquatics or any oil that itches. So far I am safe with the ones I own like Snake Oil, Snake Charmer, Dan O Shee, Antique Lace, Morocco, Chry. Moon (seems okay so far), Gingerbread Poppet, Smut, Boomslang and Scherezade (have to retry to make sure) . I think it's the flower blends, except Chrys. Moon for some reason. Moon Rose also made me itch. I am applying alot of oil and maybe stay away from the oils until it clears, then try again with more caution.

    Well, if it becomes bad...there will be alot of good BPAL up for sale!!!!!!!!!!!

     

    If there are scents you really love but find you can't wear on your skin, you can always try them in your hair or in a scent locket, as well. :P

    There was another thread about skin irritation, and one person said not to apply right out of the shower, especially with the cinnamon ones (and others that are known for irritation.) Could help?

     

    I bought some grapeseed oil (I think...) to dilute Inferno in, because it raised a blister behind my ear. Which made me super sad, because it smelled so good. I haven't tried it yet, but I've been meaning to.

     

    I tested Pepper yesterday, right out of the shower (about 15 minutes, I'd say), and I got a red itchy line where I'd applied it. But when I reapplied it later, at lunch, it was fine. So I decided it was the open pores from showering thing.


  17. All I get is leather and cologne. No honey, no berries, no spices. Just leather & cologne. Though for once, the leather doesn't make me want to gag, so it must be a different leather than in Iago and Loviatar.

     

    I tried it on my SO, and it was OK on him. I'll try it again sometime in the future, I suppose. On him, not on me. It doesn't smell bad; it's just not for me.


  18. This is yummy! It's not exactly like I remember it from November, but, man, it's good.

     

    Imp: Some very sweet floral, and a fruity something.

     

    Wet: Initially, there's oranges, then as it dries, the flowers come back out.

     

    Dry: There's something with a kick to it, over a very sweet floral, which has to be the gardenia.

     

    Conclusion: This is another floral I can wear. It reminds me of War, but, I dunno, younger. Sweeter, but not more innocent. She's the cute girl next door who can kick your ass.


  19. I got a decant of this from a very wonderful forumite. THANK YOU!!

     

    Holy cat, this smells good. I'm not sure I like the appley smell on my skin, but the cinnamon and cloves are to DIE for. And for once the cinnamon didn't make me itch!

     

    This might be heresy, but I think I prefer Samhain a bit, though this is a very close second for "warm foody".


  20. I received a decant of this as a frimp in a swap! Oh, bless you, forumite.

     

    Imp: Smells like Snake Oil.

     

    Wet: Gets that ambery-musky-patchouli smell snake oil does, but it's not quite the same.

     

    Dry: Vanilla & amber & musk, maybe? I'm no good at note-picking. The first time I tried it I got some coconut, but not today. I hope it's not just a hormonal thing.


  21. I'm also getting lots of caramel, but I know I amp sweet liek whoa. It's somewhat more complex than straight caramel, but I can't pick out any other notes. I like it well enough that I'll keep the imp.

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