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BPAL Madness!

blu°

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Everything posted by blu°

  1. blu°

    Carnaval Diabolique

    Some citrussy blends remind me of something out of a Lush shop. Antonino did so, especially with the vetiver and lavendar added, and Carnaval Diabolique does the same to me. That's not bad. I looove that smell. It reminds me so much of a certain Lush product, I want to say... but I couldn't name which one... Avobath? Sexy Peel? Something like that. When I first tried CD a few days ago, I had that Lush citrussy burst in the beginning sadly followed by the impression that black musk would once again ruin a scent for me... The scent seemed to turn somewhat dull after dry down and I thought I wouldn't like the beginning enough for CD to become a favourite. However, not sure if it's due to a hormonal change or something in the last few days, today I'm wearing it again, and I LOVE it. Very much so. It has now dried for some hours, and turned considerably murkier, but it's still a gorgeous scent. Very warm, a tad sweet, a tad bitter, a tad smoky. Dig it a lot and will probably get a bottle at a certain point of time while the Carnaval is around.
  2. To me Talvikuu and Nocnitsa are nothing alike except that both may have some sort of evergreen mixed in. Nocnitsa doesn't have a snow note. The scent feels rather darkish brown, with sprinkles of dark green and a bit of red maybe. It's earthy and warm with a tinge of something fruity in the background, not cold and crisp like Talvikuu.
  3. For soft oakmoss blends maybe try: Titania (fruity) or Cathode (minty) I also would add Midnight to the group of Fae-alikes. Whitechapel is a lovely white musk with floral and citrus, that you might enjoy. Other soft scents that come to mind: Yemaya, Glasgow, Prague, Psyche
  4. Queen is sort of a spicy O variant, also Bengal. Bengal might be the less dry one of the two. You might also want to try La Petite Mort, or possibly Les Bijoux, although that one is quite rose-y. Coyote and The Lion had similar ambers on me, but as i suppose it's the amber turning powdery on your skin, you might rather want to skip those. ETA: Osun is a herbal O variant. Very honey-ish
  5. Voodoo to me wasn't similar to Snake Oil at all, might be a question of skin chemistry, though. Much less sensual, rather hectic and much greener than Snake Oil.
  6. blu°

    The High Priest Not To Be Described

    This is quite nice, but VERY light on me. It's a kind of pink-pastelled fuchsia incense type in my mind. Very soft, almost powdery. It doesn't have a lot of throw, and seems to fade really quickly, but then will surprise with sudden whiffs as I move. I'd file this together with blends like The Cracked Bell or The Bloody Sword, but it's softer and less cold than those two, without a strong metal note - though there might be a dribble of dragon's blood hidden in the Priest. I'll have to wear this a couple of times more to decide whether it is bottle-worthy. It would already be on my list, if it wasn't so very light. I like my scents to be a little more noticeable than this.
  7. blu°

    Glasgow

    Maybe my nose is going crazy... but this reminds me of some note in Kweku Anansi. Could there be blackberry or heather in Anansi? Of course, this is not dark or heavy, or earthy, but still there seems to be a common fizzy kind of note in both. I love Anansi, and Glasgow is gorgeous on me as well. It's soft and juicy, fresh petals, a bit of air, a delicate sweetness. Love it. End of message.
  8. blu°

    Red Devil

    I tried this last night after spending the day with The Tell-Tale Heart plus a little Bloodlust later, so maybe that's why I didn't get any spices or dragon's blood from Red Devil. What it smelled like to me was lotus and something like gardenia or jasmine (at a certain point, I was reminded of Oneiroi, so maybe it was rather jasmine than gardenia). I'll have to try this again, to see if I get any spices or dragon's blood. So far, I don't think this will ever be a bottle. I might keep the imp, though, as it's nice to have a variety of Voodoo blends at hand.
  9. I really had been hoping, I would be part of the minority, too, but alas... la Mme is one of the loveliest blends I've smelled so far. It really doesn't remind so much of either Snake Oil or Snake Charmer on my skin, though, but rather makes me think of the Thanatos/Séance/Ouija-posse. It's got this very woodsy quality, probably from the patchouli leaf, and has a similar kind of red-pink the way I perceive it. It's really a lot more woodsy, smooth but fizzy than the other Snake family scents. Definitely refined and quite feminine. The patchouli leaf is just gorgeous, and the whole scent triggers some early childhood memory for me that I can't quite put my finger on. Whatever, it's great, even more so as I don't usually wear plum well. When I sniff this close to my skin, I can smell the plum clashing with my chemistry a bit, but not too much so, and the throw is delicious. Also, the wear length for me isn't all that bad. I put some on (ok, I slathered some on... lower arms, cleavage, neck) around 11 in the morning, and I can still smell it, especially when I move, now at a quarter to 7 pm. This will definitely be a bottle purchase, I might even get two actually. Very well done, Beth! ETA: I almost forgot: At some point I got this vivid fizzy juicy candy scent, which I think was pomegranate, probably in combination with the musk and patchouli. ETA yet another time: Is it possible that the vanilla in here is rather like the one in Antique Lace than the one in Snake Oil? Elsewise, it could be the woodsy patchouli and red musk softening it or something. But it's very soft and subdued for me.
  10. blu°

    Hemlock

    This infamous herb has a long, complex history: it has been used in spells of death and destruction, was a principal component in traditional witches' flying ointments, and was the poison used to put the philosopher Socrates to death. We have created a dark, profound herbal blend to personify and honor this wicked little plant. This is a LOT like Belladonna. At the moment I couldn't tell the difference, since it's been a while since I last wore Belladonna. Hemlock might be a bit more lemony and herbal. However, they share the green colour, and I'm convinced it's woodruff that tints these oils green and gives that slightly sweet, elusive background note. I'm quite baffled at that I'm obviously the only reviewer who ever had that idea.
  11. Late answer, but since nobody else did it: Port-au-Prince is very similar to Baron Samedi in my opinion. The only GC scent that instantly reminded me of Gypsy Queen was Alice. They must share the exact same combination of florals or something. It's that combination plus milk and honey in Alice, and with romany incense and candle smoke in Gypsy Queen.
  12. blu°

    Hetairae

    In the imp this was honey and maybe clove and a bit herbal. Applied I still smell honey, and it's a bit powdery already, bit sweet, dark... I'm scared this might turn stale because of the honey-clove combo. Then the patchouli, which I think must be black patchouli, kicks in... earthy and dry. I like that the patchouli takes some of the sweetness, but don't like how dry everything gets. Thankfully, a bit later the fig appears, lush and a bit juicy. And that's where it stays from then on for me. A warm, brown, slightly powdery and dry scent with drops of sweet fig to round it out. I can't really detect any ylang ylang, but I guess it's there together with the fig lifting the scent out of the realms of spicy dark dustiness. It's quite nice, very figgy and I love fig, still dark and earthy. I'm not sure, it's very me, but I'll hang on to the imp and see how I like it on other occasions.
  13. blu°

    Bess

    This is a nice one. It's quite naturally smelling somehow. I'm not sure I could identify any notes, since my nose often has a blank spot where the receptors for "rosemary" are supposed to be, but I like it quite a lot. It somehow reminds me of Lush's Black Toothgel, only this is more yellow/orange in feel, a bit more citrussy. The toothgel always makes me think either "babies' dummy" or "condom", so that probably translates to latex. And, while that doesn't sound like a pleasant scent association, it strangely is something I enjoy a lot. The effect is not that strong with Bess, but I do get it in here, too. It also reminds some kind of sun protection lotion, but really, it smells quite natural, not too sweet, not too fruity, not too floral. Just nice. And I wouldn't have thought that neither.
  14. blu°

    Delirium

    Hm. I found this to be sort of herbally, and I cannot quite explain that, except maybe its something about the rose variant. Seems to be the old lady one, indeed. I'd have imagined delirium to be much fruitier/juicier and sweeter, but it isn't any of these. It's rather herbally sharp. Slightly bitter. Kind of weird. Not my type of scent at all.
  15. blu°

    Grog

    In the imp Grog smelled like slightly buttery sweet rum to me. Applied (and I was quite generous with appyling), the butter took over and I thought I'd ruined my day, as I had to hurry to work and no time was left to wash it off again. I put some of The Apothecary in my hair to lift me out of that thick butteriness and left the house. Alas, the scent changed, thank goodness. The butteriness faded a little and left me with a more sugary, cooky like scent. I really enjoyed that stage. It was warm and sweet, slightly spicy, but not greasy and thick anymore. Still some hours later, I got a strong blast of thick vetiver and maybe a bit of tobacco. At that point it certainly leaned more to the masculine side, still being quite wearable for a female, though. Altogether, I'm not sure that I'd wear this a lot. I should probably try again when the weather is more crisp in late autumn or winter. Grog doesn't really go well with the current heat outside IMO. Throwing a glance at the reviews above: I never at any time got any fruits from it, but then my nose isn't all that good neither, so I might just not have noticed them.
  16. blu°

    Different smells/colors, same perfume

    I've got two bottles of Devil's Night and they are exactly like yours. One is slightly cookie-ish and clean smelling, a bit like Buck Moon, and the other one reminds me strongly of Samhain. I like both, so I don't mind them being a bit different from each other at all. As for Wanda (see some posts above), I received a new imp in the meantime, which smells just like my previous imp.
  17. blu°

    Alice

    Curiouser and curiouser. Milk and honey with rose, carnation and bergamot. This is a surprise, as I really thought, I wouldn't be able to wear a milk and honey perfume. I won't do a proper review, just wanted to say, that this is a lot like Gypsy Queen light, with the blueish grey candle smoke being replaced by a beige-white-golden milk and honey. It also reminds BNever's Keep it Fluffy perfume. While I didn't wear KIF well, Alice seems to work. I'm still afraid, the milk and honey might turn sour/off on my skin, but so far, everything's just fine. What I get is a sweet, fizzy and a bit sparkly creaminess. The rose in here is fresh and pure, the carnation slightly spicy, and the bergamot citrussy fresh. Everything layered above that honeyed milk base. It's indeed very curious, very girly. I like it.
  18. blu°

    Iago

    I wore this for the second time today. Liked it the first time but didn't find time to review then. What I get from my Iago imp (which is a decant from a swap, so the oil may have had some time to age already), is a very warm, sensual leather and dark soft musk with a little bit of vetiver. It's the perfect leather scent for me right now. While many of the other leather scents were smelling like new leather or a shop that sells leather things (read: slightly chemical) to me, Iago is just a worn leather jacket. I find it to be really comforting, as well as strengthening. I feel self-confident and quite powerful when I wear it. I'm especially delighted that the musk in this doesn't turn into my grand-uncle's bathroom again, nor is the vetiver heavy enough to resemble motor-oil. The musk and vetiver just add that feeling of warmth, ruggedness, and softness due to years of wearing to the leather. I don't think Iago is especially masculine. It's rather perfectly gender-neutral. I see a similarity to Haunted, as well. Both are warm, dark skin scents with a glow. Iago is a bit darker. As I just discovered that I really like this kind of scent lately, I'll be placing an order for a bottle as soon as the lab will have settled in one place again.
  19. blu°

    Gaueko

    I can't believe I never reviewed Gaueko. It was one of my first imps about a good year ago when my BPAL obsession was still in its beginnings. I liked it, but wasn't sure at the time whether I liked it enough to get a bottle. I occasionally will, as I've just tucked out the imp again and it's incredibly delicious and gorgious. While I'm not doing too well with most of the lab's wooden notes when they are the main component, I've found to love everything that is described as a "blackened" or "black" wood. Maybe the blackened wood is the similarity I get between Gaueko and Danse Macabre, as I cannot really account for that similarity elsewise. As I suppose I wrote in my Danse Macabre review, both have a sunbaked driftwood feeling to me, are dark and breezy while at the same time promoting the feeling of the sun having shone on mediterranean earth and herbs all day long before nightfall. Gaueko is a bit lighter and breezier than Danse Macabre which leans more to the earthy side, but the above imagery is dead on for both on my skin. Gaueko especially makes me think of holidays, it has a certain wilde beach smell to it, too. I just love how it's breezy and incensey and dark without being harsh and overly dry. Edited a little for beauty. Fefe na Efe Intinaa...
  20. blu°

    The Chariot

    So, I hate anise with a passion, and I'm wary of Lotus, but still had to try The Chariot, since I've known it to be connected to the numerology of my birthday. So, today I don't have to go nowhere, and it struck me as a good opportunity to test it without having to feel uncomfortable among people, wearing the "wrong" perfume and all that. Ok, from the imp it smells definitely of anise - and lotus, same when it hits my skin. Cross-checking the reviews, I seem to detect some white wine or champagne notes as well. After some 15 minutes to half an hour, the lotus has lost its warm sticky bubblegumminess, and the anise has grown softer. They actually make for an interesting combination. The effect to me is that it smells "clean". Chalky, herby, sugar dusted and breezy. It's not all that bad in the end. I'm not sure if I'd wear this as a perfume, but I'm not as repulsed by it as I had feared. I'll definitely keep my imp to ponder about what the card means for me and my life from time to time.
  21. blu°

    Antony

    In the vial this was herby, when freshly applied, it immediately created a feeling of warmth. Like deep warmth. ('Snuggly' is a word that comes to my semi-accurate cerebral English vocabulary input thingy.) Yet the next moment there was a sudden higher pitched and almost juicy green smell. Although this is a masculine blend for me, too, I don't think it smells all that cologney. I do get that hint of anise, which I think is a fake due to the combination of that peppery spiciness frankincense sometimes has on my skin, and the sage (and ambergris?). When first applied I smelled a lot more high fresh green (yes, almost citrusy) notes, than now after it's settled a bit (app. 15 minutes). The scent has shifted to the spicy side, with that foggy density of frankincense smoke. That seems to mellow down, because still a bit later I'm finally hit with a definite hint of warm thick leather harnish. I never smelt any, but Antony smells exactly like it would in my mind now. lol There's also a rich meadow ground that many feet have trampled over, it's heated yet humid, with clusters of damp grasses in the sun. It really reminds pre fire weapon wars, but rather on the end of a victorious day, torn, but knowing to be alive the warrior hero returns home to tell his family they are safe... I feel so stupid writing this. This is not me, that's teh perfume. I'll simply pretend that it's a small village that this man went to war for a just cause for. That he knows everyone he's been fighting and killing others for or whatever makes the difference for me. Despite that it has me seriously worrying about my attitude towards war, this feels very safe, alive, grounded and warm, a bit like someone who protects you. I'm not well educated in Roman history (I read something online some weeks ago, but have forgotten most details). However, this could well be the scent of someone who leads a war against a super-power city that he had been a part of before. There's strength and confidence in the own capacities, or maybe even more so motives and ambitions. It's very down to the ground, though. Well, I'm getting carried away. This is a gorgeous blend, try it! On yourself or your boy or your girl. I never paid much attention to it when combining my imp wishlists, but it's a definite winner for me.
  22. blu°

    Paris

    I tried Paris half-heartedly last night and was hit with surprise. I really hadn't thought I'd like this, and was only testing it because.... because I hadn't yet, and I chose the time because I expected to hate it and wouldn't want to meet upon people while confirming my expectations testing it. However, turns out it is just lovely. I later slathered before actually going to sleep and woke up covered in a glorious soft spicy sugary sexy scent cloud this morning. At first it is a bit adstringent, and piercingly sharp, but then mellows out pretty fast. The lotus does remind of bubblegum a little, but it's a perception-associations issue and it isn't too hard for me to turn that off. Paris is slightly sweet, hazy, sparkling, veiled, spicy, very elegant and quite sensual IMHO. I'll yet have to wear it outside to see how people react on it, but I swear it is dead sexy on me. I usually don't like spicy scents too much, neither pure lavender, neither lotus, but somehow Paris maintains a balance in between all of these components that makes me appreciate every single one in its own beauty. The combination also really seems to work well with my skin. So, if you think you hate lotus, don't like spicy scents much and are wary about strong lavendar, you should still give Paris a chance. I'm still perplexed by how this is soo much better than I had thought it would be.
  23. blu°

    Languor

    I'm surprised by how much I like this, as I had thought, I'd have come off the narcissus scents. Maybe it's the influence of spring/early summer that makes me appreciate them again. Languor isn't mainly about the narcissus, but I'm having difficulties with identifying its components. I'm not sure what paperwhite smells like, for example. The overall effect is of a softly spiced, warm, lush floral oriental. It's a bit incensey, a bit creamy, a bit sweet. I like the way the tuberose interacts with the other florals in here. I usually don't like tuberose/gardenia, but the little bit that I can smell in Languor fits really well with the rest of the scent and doesn't overpower at all. I do get some kind of candle wax smell, too. Besides that, I think it is mainly about the opium for me. It makes me want to do a side-by-side comparative test with Darkness. I'm sorry, I can't seem to give a good description of this, maybe it's just still too early in the morning to do proper reviews.
  24. blu°

    Shub-Niggurath

    Opposed to almost everyone else, who says this isn't all that foody, I was immediately reminded of cooking asian food, roasting fresh ginger, making a coconutmilk-ginger-spicy sauce for rice and vegetables, when sniffing the imp. It was a nice smell, but seemed a bit of a very unusual perfume to wear. Actually the most foody BPAL I've ever smelled, not foody like sweets and dessert, but foody like an Indian dish. Fresh, I get the same impression. Sweet fresh ginger, roasting, with something molassy in the background. It's a bit as if you roasted ginger in a pan with brown sugar, getting caramelized ginger, but at the same time having the fresh ginger smell from cutting it still on your fingers. The molassy part then faded a bit and the scent turned fresher, sharper, with a breeze. Lovely Ginger in this. I don't usually wear spicy scents well, they always turn way to dry, and a bit dull/bland on my skin, like they didn't come alive or something. This, however, is quite nice. The ginger is really fresh and biting, but there's something sweet, something darker in the background. Whatever else spices are in Shub Niggurath, do turn dusty again, but in a nice way, mixing with the sharpness of the gingers. Despite the resemblance to Indian food, it's got some elegance, and is quite feminine and lovely. It feels almost like a floral in that it's sort of delicate and breezy, yet full-bodied and a bit sweet, in a fresh way. Like, it doesn't smell like a floral, but it has something that isn't typically spicy, nor resiney, nor fruity, nor woody... I quite like it, not sure, if I would have gotten a bottle had I first tried this when it was still around. While I wouldn't buy it for a horrendous amount of money on Ebay, I probably wouldn't reject if somebody offered me a bottle in a swap (as unlikely as that is). I find this a very comforting and cozy scent. I'll yet have to wear this during day-time. I never really understand a scent from testing at home alone. Before I close the review, I want to add that, now, after a while, I get some sweet resin or amber with it. Somebody mentioned vanilla, and I can see that as well. Shub-Niggurath is actually turning more and more beautiful, and I find myself thinking that I just might change my mind and spend a lot of money for a bottle if I should ever have the chance. Sort of wish I hadn't tried it, now. Sorry for confuddled review, my head's a mess today.
  25. blu°

    Blood Kiss

    Blood Kiss is not a scent I can wear, as far as my first testing shows. I, too, get tobacco from this and/or chocolate. Both have the tendency to smell like stale cornflakes on my skin. Dry, dusty, bland, pretty unpleasing. Chocolate more so than tobacco, and this is closer to chocolate than to tobacco. Very dusty and stale. This first impression is then followed by a rush of cherry (topnote?). Not a black juicy cherry, but a candied bright red one, slightly artificial smelling to my nose. The cherry is quite strong for a short while but fades back. Later on, if I try hard, I can identify honey and red wine, but that's about it. The weird stale chocolate/tobacco/cornflake stays throughout wearing, unfortunately. I can see that this would be nice on somebody else, but alas, not on me. If you are among those who have similar problems with tobacco and/or chocolate notes, chances are you get the same problems with Blood Kiss. I very much suspect that it contains notes used in chocolate bouquets (probably clove, vetiver, vanilla, honey?) and am wondering whether tobacco notes are actually bouquets as well.
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