blu°

Oh my - I have to wonder if my gifted imp of Vixen was mislabeled. It smells identical to Snake Oil on me. Identical. Strange. No, definitely not mislabeled. Vixen is very dark and orange-smelling. Heavy patchouli, ginger, and orange blossom, an incense-y, hot, and sticky sweet scent, not at all like something mainly neroli and petitgrain. I think maybe cuervosueno confused Vixen with something else. I'd say, just check out all the petitgrain blends, although there don't seem to be many. And none that combine petitgrain and neroli. I mostly see petitgrain as a component in complex scents, not necessarily fresh and green scents, neither. Looks like there's a Halloween LE from 2012, that has both neroli and petitgrain, but also warm pumpkin and sweet fruit and candy: Orange Pumpkin Floss (Pumpkin candyfloss with neroli, pink grapefruit, blood orange, and petitgrain.)

I've had a sample of this lying around for ages, and gave it a one-year-smoke-free new test today. It smells *very* similar to Xiuhtecuhtli to me. The same kind of soft musk + floral mix that I smell in Xiuhtecuhtli's base. The only difference - from memory without a side-to-side comparison - is that I perceice Xiuhtecuhtli as a pastel turqoise scent, while Egyptian Goddess is more of a white with light pastel yellows and pinks maybe, but more pearlescent white.

forum hickup double post

I've had a sample of this lying around for ages, and gave it a one-year-smoke-free new test today. It smells *very* similar to Xiuhtecuhtli to me. The same kind of soft musk + floral mix that I smell in Xiuhtecuhtli's base. The only difference - from memory without a side-to-side comparison - is that I perceice Xiuhtecuhtli as a pastel turqoise scent, while Egyptian Goddess is more of a white with light pastel yellows and pinks maybe, but more pearlescent white. (Cross-posting to "Looking for a BPAL that resembles a favorite perfume?")

I am not wearing Vain Sorceress at this very moment, but here's what I think about it after having worn it a couple of times: It smells haughty and vain, indeed, but also has a strong magical, sorcery vibe going on. Something mysterious and incense-y, possibly the combination of the heavy oriental florals with amber. It is very dominated by those big name regal florals and has a purple feel to it, without really getting there note wise (no berries, no plums, you get the idea). This smells much more haughty than my usual fare, but I find myself liking it a lot kinda despite myself. I think it's the grounding-softening light vanilla and that streak of mysterious incense that do it for me. I usually can't do jasmine, but this is ok. I love tuberose, though, and am ok with gardenia, so maybe they make the jasmine tag along and behave on my skin. While I really like it, my financial situation and the fact that I have enough perfume for three lifetimes are strong arguments against a bottle purchase, so I'll cherish my decant.

I absolutely adore this one, and am so glad that I found a bottle. It's the loveliest creamy marzipan incensey rose, just sweet and creamy enough without becoming heavily foody. The rosewood and rose add mystery/incense and pretty sparkle. They combine perfectly with the almond/rum. The almond and rum sort of form this uni-son sweet slightly spicy and creamy stream that the other notes seem to be transported by. I don't particularly smell the white sandalwood and white musk (or tonka for that matter). They are more of a line-softening, contrast-reducing, unifying element, I think. Like softening a drawing with those paper pens. The tonka might become more prominent on dry-down. I haven't examined this closely during that stage yet, so I can't say for certain, but my impression is that it might anchor the rosewood-rose-sandal-musk-combo later in the drydown. This is really, REALLY pretty. And quite delicious. And just perfect for the season, too. :love:

This scent is driving me crazy, because it reminds me of something or someone, and I can't figure out what/who. :/ That said, I really like it. Maybe because of the memory, since I usually can't stand chamomile, and only rarely am comfortable with snow/slush/ice notes and aquatics in general. Somehow, though, the chamomile, ice and grapes combine to something completely different and new in here. I can still detect the single notes, but the combination results in this very smooth, slightly strange clean-cold yet edgy and grounded thing. Maybe it's the perfume of some toy from my childhood? Or somebody I knew? It is strangely refreshing and fits in very well with the weather starting to be colder. I love it intermingling with the cold November air outside. The icy grape is perfect here, balancing the smooth, dense chamomile. If the grape were a tad stronger, I might find it too fruity and tangy, but it's really just perfect. I noticed that if I apply a bit more of the scent, it kind of doubles over and results in an illusion of licorice. I can't think of any BPAL scent that I could compare this to. It really is quite unique, IMO.

País de la Canela reminded me of a green bubble bar waaaaay back which in turn seemed to smell similar/alike to Jungle. The oil has been discontinued, though. And I am not interested in your first born.

There's some scent types that I associate with women of certain ages, and it's not necessarily the powdery rose ones - which I tend to like myself. One type reminds me of our neighbour when I was a kid in the early eighties. She was in her fourties then, I think, but might have been about my age now (37). The scent type makes me think of her and all-inclusive hotel trips to mass tourist places. It's very weird how all those associations get crammed in there. These are usually tropical-fruity-bold florals (angel's trumpet etc). Think bathing costume with built in pointed bra and big floral print in screaming colours. And big sunglasses. And then there's the type of scent that I often smell on the bus. It's a kind of white musk gone bad thing, where I can really make out the mature woman body scent intermingling. It must be a very popular perfume type because I smell it a lot, and most wearers don't seem to notice that they put on too much of it and that it doesn't work with their skin chemistry. (Of course, I might be the only one who thinks it doesn't work, scent perception and preference being as subjective as they are.) Personally, I got the impression, that this type of scent might smell good in small doses on a teenager and turns horrid on more mature women. That might be wrong, though, and the reasons for this scent-skin chem reaction might not have anything to do with age. It's just the association I get. Whenever I test a scent that does that thing on me, I am tempted to label it "old lady" scent, although I don't usually use that description when I do reviews on forum. Actually, the label in my mind is not really "old lady", but "old lady who doesn't know that that perfume doesn't work on her and is over-dosing". So, for me, too, it's more about the reaction of scent and skin chemistry that triggers that idea (but it got nothing to do with carnation).

London, definitely. It's the only one that translates as mainly tea rose to me from the ones you've listed (and the whole GC). I like Ouija and Viola, but they are more about a rosewood feel for me, a bit dusty, antique, slightly powdery. Euphrosyne is stronger on the other florals (gardenia?). Two, Five, and Seven really is all kinds of roses, and I cannot distinguish a tea rose note in it. Something else that smells strongly of tea rose to me is Glasgow. It doesn't list tea rose, but that's what I get. Tea rose and blackberry and something breezy-green.

I'd go for cinnamon or cocoa/chocolate. Cinnamon especially often makes me follow my nose straight into bakery and coffee shops. I suppose that's why they use cinnamon in bakery goods in the first place. Don't know if maybe Chimera is not masculine enough for you. I'd say it's gender-neutral, but a tad on the sweet side. Delicious cinnamon that makes heads turn. But also chocolate scents. I found The Seekim to be rather feminine, but opinions seem to differ and it is still available. Other than that, Wulric, the Wolfman from Carnaval Diabolique, which is supposed to come back, and Enyalios, which should be gone for good but might be found in swaps or on Ebay. From the GC: Velvet and Vice might be too feminine, maybe Velvet could still pass as gender-neutral. How Doth The Little Crocodile might work. Snake Oil should work, and if you can handle it, Boomslang (which for me is a bit too heavy and sweet). Also, WILF which is a bit woodsier and might work better for guys as far as Snake Oil versions are concerned. I've also liked the coffee-bitter wine combo in The Zadok Allen Vinyard (LE). Maybe Centzon Totochtin from the GC might work for you in a similar way (cocoa-wine).

Himerus and Ouija are lovely, too. I think there's also more of a rosewood than a straight rose note in Blasphemare Reliquary (Carnaval Diabolique, will be back to GC at some point in the future... probably), and Gothic Horror (Dark Delicacies, LE). The Magician from the Vampire Tarot has rosewood, too, but it's very heavy on the frankincense. ETA: Oh, and Viola, which I found similar to Ouija. I kept these two and Séance for a long time and couldn't make up my mind which one of them I liked best for a bottle. (Viola and Ouija lost, as they started to feel a tad too powdery to me later on. However, at some point I swapped out my Séance bottle, too, since I just didn't get along with that sliver of hazelnut in it.) Tristran is another lovely scent and also has a rosewood note, but it's not so prominent among the other notes. Redwood and leather are the main players here on my skin.

I think this is my favourite of the Weenies so far. Mind you, only did a short test after work today, and reapplied just now, so my opinion might still change... Anyway, it's cocoa and some dusty woodsy smell that might actually be the patchouli, and then something... something bright and a little sharp that gives it an edge. I think that would be the pepper. Weirdly, it lends a more feminine quality to the dusty cocoa-patch mix IMO. Ditto for the hay, which I don't get right now directly after application, but remember from earlier today. While the pepper adds some sparkle and zing, serving as a highlighter here, the hay smoothes out the edges and softens the scent, taking away some of the harshness of the other notes. I'm a bit worried about the hay maybe getting on my nerves later on. It's a note I don't usually like to smell on and around me for a long time, but so far it's ok in here. If I keep liking this so much after some more tests, I might have to look for a way to make some bottle money.

Uh, this one is a skin chemistry nightmare for me! Very soapy with something smelling off underneath it. I usually like the linen note, but in here it does a great job to amp the soapiness/off smelling part, so it's not making me happy at all. I think I was playing my luck, since there are several notes that don't usually work on me: jasmine, golden amber, honey, poppy, and if there's plum in those blackened fruit gums, that's another culprit for soapiness. Anyway, glad I got to test it. ETA: After about two or three hours the soapiness and off smelling note have worn off and I get a soft vanilla-linen floral that is quite nice.

Very nice. A warm, spicy scent. Goes on with a slightly cologney feel that weakens on drydown, but never gets completely lost. To me, it's definitely a masculine scent. While I enjoy wearing it, I know from experience that I tend to neglect wonderful scents that have a masculine vibe once I have bottles of them, so the decant will suffice for me. It reminds me of some other lovely masculine scent, but I can't for the life of me put my finger on it. Or maybe it reminds me of something else... Mad Meg maybe? Devil's Night? Maybe it's the woodsmoke note from Devil's Night. Gah, I'm sorry, my memory is so bad... It might also remind me of Geek a little, or maybe The Wild Men of Jezirat Al Tennyn? Anyway, I can only repeat, it's a lovely warm and spicy scent backed up by a trace of the cypress and pine lending some dark green shadows to it. Not a fresh, blueish green, but a somewhat older brownish green. Outdoorsy but cozy.

I agree with previous posters that this gets much more pleasant after some weeks of aging. When I first got my bottles, the scent was very sharp and strong on the tea note. Now after some weeks, I got it out for testing again, and the tea blends much better with the vanilla-cotton base, more like a breath over those other notes. It still has a bright feel, but is much softer and more well rounded.

Mad Meg (Salon, I think one of the Retail Onlys, not sure, though) is kinda similar to both Death of Autumn and Chant d'Automne. ETA: looked it up, Mad Meg is in the GC Salon exhibit III.

I get something similar from scents with teakwood in them, especially Glowing Vulva At Ryogoku Bridge (hard to find), although it's more subtle than Krishna Musk, which for me, personally, is a bit too strong on the musk. Also, Lucifer (retail only Salon blend). Darker than both, but the teak comes through, and it's that same thing. (to my nose at least) You might also like to check out vanilla-cream blends, especially with added sandalwood and/or teak, maybe oud, maybe saffron.

Come To Me really works for me. It's subtle, not overly perfumey, pretty gender-neutral. A somewhat chalky, herbal voodoo-y one. It makes me feel confident in myself and attractive in a not overly sexual way. I also got some good results with some TALs. Charisma is great, but also Mantle of Venus and Arabian Nights. Arabian Nights might be a bit heavy. The first two are lighter in feel IMO.

This won't help, but the long since discontinued Corazón reminded me of The Soft Touch a lot, like... years ago.

Bewitched might work.

Like other reviewers, I much prefer the aged version of Black Death. I've had it for about a year, too, and actually just got it out of my swap box to test again. I remember it being dark, resinous and somewhat blunt/flat in total, without the depth or layers that I love in scents like this. Now that it's had time to mature, it feels much more rounded. There's a very smooth background. Kinda like a glossy sweet but hard caramel candy. Not very sweet, just lightly. I mostly have that glossy, sticky-to-the-bite, hard surface of the candy in mind, and the colour maybe. I really can smell the orange peel this time. I had forgotten that there were fruit notes in here, and thought I was going crazy because I kept wondering where that smell of freshly peeled oranges came from. You know, the way your hands smell after you've been peeling them? Realizing this does sound as if this was very foody, let me adjust: Black Death is dark, and woody-herbal and has this thing going on, that makes me think of resins, even though none are listed. Not frankincense or myrrh, but maybe labdanum or other less throw-y resins. This comes out of the swap box for now.

I think this discussion has been beaten to death before, and the lab's statement always was that while BPAL oils are not made from exclusively essential oils, they ARE made from only natural ingredients, in part using other extraction methods, e.g. with sources that don't yield essential oils. I'm not sure about the other e-tailers. This site lists a number of extraction methods. Although they seem to call all end results "essential oils", I think other sources would differ in the terminology used.

I actually like this one. It's bitter at first, but after some time the moss brings out some sweetness. It's a very natural scent. I don't think it is overly masculine at all, but then, I only ever get the man's cologne effect from ozones and certain aquatics. This ends up smelling like woodsmoke. Very pleasant.

Ok, I've tested this several times, and it is another forum favourite that seems not to work for me... It has an emptiness that I felt also in scents like Signor Dildo, like a lacking heart or something... The vanilla/floral vanilla feels a bit too insubstantial to me, while at the same time being muddled by something that I can't quite put my finger on. It might be the saffron. I think I've got a blind spot where the scent receptors for saffron should be working, so I'm not sure it is it what I don't like in here. What I seem to get in Celeste is some kind of liquorice or leather underneath the insubstantial vanilla-cotton. This morning I put on a sweater that I had worn when testing Celeste a few days back, and it's definitely not a skin chemistry thing, because the scent on the sweater is just as disquieting to me. Disquieting is a good work. It's not actually unpleasant, but I don't feel quite right smelling it on me or my clothes.