sunshinedaisybliss

I don't think there would have been many people more excited than me when Siilkybat Hair Gloss was announced. Sensual? Sugared? Patchouli? Oh yes, I thought... OH YESSSSSS. I ordered two bottles without a moment's hesitation.

 

But I have to say... oh no. OH, NO. Just no. For me, Silkybat is all just so wrong, and I'm very disappointed

 

First up - the patchouli here is not rich and warm and earthy - it's light, but sharp. Whatever the 'sugar' is, it's not mixing well with the patchouli at all - not to my nose - and overall this smells like one of those spray cleaners you use on your kitchen bench. I wouldn't really say it's 'sweet' - it smells like dry, dusty candy that's gone a bit off, and that's just a bad, bad match with the sharpness of the patchouli. I'm happy with its performance as a hair gloss - in that regard, it's just as good as all the other HGs from the Trading Post that I've tried so far - but... oh, the smell. I was hoping for a more sensual, sweet and rich version of Amber and Patchouli HG, which I lovelovelove, but... no. To me, Silkybat is not anything like the A&P gloss with its beautiful dusky amber and snuggly patchouli.

 

So I do believe I'm the first reviewer to not love this, but there you have it. For the record.. I got mine from the second batch - following the backorder from the initial orders. So perhaps there was a batch variation? I dunno, but I'm definitely not gettiing all the sexy sugared patchouli goodness that everyone else is talking about I don't know what I'm going to do with these two bottles, but I really can't see myself wearing this. I just don't dig walking around in a cloud of Ajax Spray n'Wipe.

Question for the patchouli lovers out there... which do you think would be better for me

 

Red or Black?

 

As most of you know I love foodie, gourmand scents the most, but LOVE Banshee Beat! So if I had to go with Red or Black what would you recommend?

 

You're going to get a mix of answers to that question, because patchouli is one of those notes that is very susceptible to skin chemistry

 

On me, red patchouli is warm, syrupy, sensuous and voluptuous... and black is more woody, earthy and dry, and often goes a little bitter or sharp on my skin. Red is snuggly, Black is gnarly. So if I had to choose, it would be red all the way (for example, I have... er... several bottles of the Sumatran Red Patchouli SN, but I only bought one of the Black Patch SN).

 

Knowing what kind of BPALs you like, I suspect it's probably the rich sticky vanilla that makes the patchouli in Banshee Beat work for you - which makes me think that the red variety will be more your thing because it's generally sweeter and warmer than black. I can't say I've ever really thought of patchouli as being 'gourmand', but if a patchouli were ever to be placed in that category then it would be the red.

 

But hey - that's just my opinion! Someone who loves black patchouli will probably be here any minute to smack me down

This is one of those smooth, creamy blends that I love so much... whenever I see 'golden amber', I know I'm in for a treat. I still have fond memories of my first dab of Feed Me & Fill Me With Pleasure, when I first experienced that beautiful luxurious vanilla amber... and this beautiful amber in Hesiod's reminds me very much of that - not in smell, but in feel. I really appreciate the BPALs that have only a small number of notes - I seem to have a lot of wins with three-note blends, and this is a definite winner.

 

If I had a criticism of this lovely blend, it would be that I find it a little too sweet. I do love oudh, but this isn't your regular kick-ass dark/smoky variety... it definitely has a sweet top note about it, which in combination with the robust bourbon vanilla is giving me an almost licorice-like smell. I mean... almost licorice, just on the verge - like hmm... is that licorice? Nah, it's not kinda thing. And that does mellow out after it's been on my skin for 10 minutes or so, and then a lovely woodsy tone comes out. This amber+vanilla+oudh combination is just divine.

 

I can see myself reaching for this on those days where I don't feel like drowning myself in my usual gnarly patchouli or dark voluptuous incense-y or resin-y BPALs - it still feels like all of those things, but a more snuggly and softer version of them. On me, Hesiod's Phoenix stays close to the skin, and doesn't have a lot of throw, but I can catch little whiffs of it around me. I think this one is going to be one of those BPALs that people go nuts trying to find a few years from now - it should age beautifully.

After a lot of research (i.e. review-reading), I decided to go with Temple of Dreams.

 

I see you've already made your decision, so I'm a bit late... but I would have recommended the Erebos atmospheric spray from BPTP (reviews here) - it's a beautiful lavender with soft vanilla and subtle florals, really beautiful and a must-try for lavender lovers. Because it's designed for a room scent rather than a skin scent, I think it would have been a better choice because BPAL oils don't always translate fragrance the same way they do on your skin when used in an oil burner. If you want to give it a try, I'm pretty sure you could find a goblin squirt of Erebos for sale on the forum (or post an ISO)

 

But - I have Temple of Dreams, and it is great too - I hope your friend loves it!

As an anti-floral person myself, I hear ya

 

You definitely need to try Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat - green tea, melon, mint, lime rind, and champagne grape with lemon balm, mullein, and toadflax - those notes may sound like an odd combination, but this is a beautiful fresh slightly-minty citrus/melon blend that's really lovely.

 

The whole Mad Tea Party line is probably one you should explore, as it has a lot of blends that fit your brief.

 

For warm/spicy vanilla - Morocco is the main one I'd recommend, but check through the whole Wanderlust line as it has some beauties.

 

And as others have said, the White/Red/Black Riders for sure.

 

For wild cards, I would recommend Depraved and Debauchery

I knew I was in for a treat when I slathered this on and saw that the oil was a rich dark brown colour - always a good sign

 

Oh Callidora, you vampy thang! There is not one note in here I don't like - everyone's a winner baby that's no lie (that's no lie) /Hot Chocolate (and if you get that musical reference, you are simultaneously awesome and ridiculous and I love you)

 

Of course the star of the show here for me is the gorgeous red patchouli - it lays down a warm bed of sumptuous velvet and beckons the blood musk to come lay its voluptuous body down on top. The myrrh sneaks in softly with the slithery sweetness of the benzoin dancing around between its swirls of smokey seduction - these two lovelies get on in there with the blood musk so beautifully that it's as if they were always meant to be together. The patchouli holds everyone close then lets the tobacco rain its soft flakes through the air, its warmth giving off a softly comforting glow. The cacao makes an appearance late in the game but it gets in there under the covers and snuggles right in, adding just the softest breath of warm spicy chocolate. Once everything's wrapped up together in Red Patchouli's velvet wonderland, the magic really starts to happen as the musk sexes up the place... I'm pretty sure these notes aren't just blending - they're fornicating.

 

This is the kind of perfume that makes men swoon, and should therefore be worn with caution - it is not one to slather before going to Tuesday night bingo with your Auntie Sarah. It reminds me very much of my other favourite BPAL vamp - Lucy, Kissed... it has that same lusty throbbing thing going on. It's definitely one of those 'wear if you dare' blends - I agree it's in the same family as Snake Charmer and Mme Moriarty, as the lovely VioletChaos mentioned. Callidora is the BPAL to reach for when you're wearing that naughty black underwear you save for special occasions. It's the BPAL you dab behind your ears when you know someone's going to be breathing there later. It's voluptuous and vampy, and completely seductive. It's Morticia Addams in a bottle.

Hm - thanks for the idea, Monday, but I don't think it's that. I've looked up reviews for Benevolent Triple Conjunction and they all mention lemon, which there isn't any trace of. Maybe I'm reading the last letters of the first word wrong. Any ideas for scents beginning Tri- ?! I guess I'll probably pop it in the "frimp as a mystery" pile!

 

Hmm.. the only thing I can think of is Tristan - from Stardust. The notes are redwood, tonka bean, white sandalwood, lemon peel, patchouli, rosewood, coriander, and crushed mint. ... I don't think I've tried it myself, but it doesn't sound like what you've described.

 

There's also Trick or Treat - but that's a full-on popcorn smell so that doesn't seem to match... and also The Triumph of Death - black patchouli, red sandalwood, dark musk, peru balsam, ambrette seed, vetiver, and ambergris accord - Trinket, which is like cherry cola - and Trick #2 - pomegranate, tobacco leaf, patchouli, wild berries, pine pitch, oak-aged vanilla, and pink pepper - that's about all I can come up with. Oh - there was a proto... Hermes Tri-something-or-other.

 

I hope you manage to figure it out!

It seems like generally every six imps come with about two frimps. I know it can vary, but that's been the average for me. Is there an average for frottles? Or a certain number (20, 30, 50?) of bottles that seems to be guaranteed to include at least one frottle?

 

You're right - it does seem that there is a proportionate amount of frimps with orders - around 2 x frimps per bottle... generally (of course, this varies). However frottles seem a bit more random. I've received a frottle with large orders, but also with not-so-big orders.

 

I really don't think there's any such thing as "guaranteed to include" - free *anything* is to be appreciated, not expected. I don't mean that as a personal thing aimed at you, aphrodite, but I just felt it's important to remember this

Oh dear... when my bottles first arrived and I de-lidded As Above, I was assaulted by a blast of almond. Yes, assaulted! Aww sheeit, I say to myself, this is not good. But I put my fears aside, for I am an intrepid BPALer! I know that notes who jump out of bottles up my nose don't always have the same vigour once they get on my skin. Like you - stupid almond... you think you're all that when you're safe in your little glass home, but let's see if you can stand your ground when I get you out

 

Sadly... I have to report that yes, the almond does stand its ground when it gets out. Really... this is all about the almond (which translates to cherry cough syrup on my skin) - way too much about the almond It's almond who ruined the original Haute Macabre blend for me... and it's doing it here too, damnit! And then peeking out behind the almond is the jasmine - a note that typically does not work for me (although the Moroccan variety is often an exception) - so at first all I get from As Above is an awful mix of almond + jasmine, which together smell like cherry-flavoured vomit. It takes about 20 minutes for that to go away, and then huzzah! Here comes the bourbon vanilla! There's the leather! And the white patchouli - quite ethereal here, very clean and fresh, with the oak bark very faintly at the very bottom of the note pile.

 

I dunno... this turns out almost OK in the end, but overall I'm just not digging it all that much. It's just a bit brash for my liking - the notes are kind of clanging against each other rather than blending harmoniously. Most of the time it's all just a bit of a soapy mess - like walking into a laundromat and breathing in the odour of the twenty different washing detergents and fabric softeners that have been used that day, combined with the remnants of eau de smelly socks.. Every now and then I get a waft of lovely soft woodsy leather with a touch of vanilla sweetness - and those moments are pure bliss - but then the cherry and jasmine come back and we're back to laundromat land.

This is so much like several other BPALs that I know and love - yet uniquely different. It's like Beth has gathered up all my favourite blends and somehow mixed them together to create something that smells hauntingly familiar yet intriguingly different.

 

I recognise the warm meaty sweetness of my beloved black coconut (soft here, like in Haragata II rather than gnarly like in Body, Remember), and oh hey there's my most-loved patch.. Sumatran Red, warm and luscious. I have a real thing for Beth's 'golden' blends, and here we've got golden musk swirled together with soft dusky amber - it's like having a snuggly golden moonbeam blanket wrapped around me. The green cardamom adds an interesting tang of slight spice (it's a little wasabi-like, to my nose) - it's not obviously spicy, but there's a nice soft almost-peppery tone in the background. The only thing that's not really winning me over here is the copal - it tends to lay a bit flat on my skin, and has a habit of smothering other notes, and unfortunately that's what I'm getting here - the copal itself is beautifully waxy and silky but it is dominating a little more than I'd like.

 

Overall, this blend has a lovely luminescence to it - a definite glow - it's quite soft and close to the skin... I really have to lean in close to get a good nose-full of it - more like the fragrance on your skin after applying a decadent body creme, rather than an obvious perfume - so it doesn't have quite the oomph that I was hoping for. But I do love how the richness of the black coconut + patchouli are lurking under the top layer of golden musk and amber, all under the cover of creamy copal. Over time, the musk + amber fade before the patchouli does, but the copal stays for the long haul.

 

Patchouli haters dislikers - do not fear this... it really isn't that 'stinky hippie' patch that people have trouble with... but if you love those elusive, lean-in-to-sniff-me soft golden-glow type blends then this is definitely worth a try.

First up - thank you to the very lovely bheansidhe for picking up a bottle of this for me at Dragon*Con

 

So as some of you may know, I am a big fan of patchouli. When the Sumatran Red Patchouli SN came out, I was more excited than Charlie Sheen at a strip club.. and I bought - err - a few bottles. Then lo and behold out comes East African Black! So of course, I had to give this one a try as well

 

In my experience with various patchouli oils - both BPAL and not - the black variety is not really my favourite, it usually goes a tad bitter on my skin. And so it is with this one - when I first slapped it on, I leaned in for a big whiff and got a nose full of sharp, bitter patchouli fumes. So I left it alone for a while... half an hour later, the acrid tones have mellowed out but the smokiness definitely remains and a nice earthy/woodsy vibe has developed. It's good, but I'm not loving it, and it lacks the impact that the Red has on me... this has far less throw. I do recognise this black patchouli from #OWS, and Goblin, and a couple of other blends too - and I loved it in the mix with those, but it's not so great on its own for me... it needs something to sweeten it up a bit. I know it's kind of unfair to compare the Red to the Black, since they're.. you know.. different and all - but I'm doing it anyway

 

For me, the Sumatran Red wins this race hands down - it's kickass but also warm and cuddly and voluptuous and smooth, where this East African Black is kickass in a slap-your-face harsh and sharp way. And whilst they definitely both have my beloved stinky hippy thing going on... Sumatran Red is the kind of hippy who takes you back to his cosy cabin in the forest to smoke some bowls, listen to Pink Floyd and make pancakes - East African Black is the kind of hippy who takes you back to his van in the trailer park, puts LSD in your hot chocolate and makes you listen to all his Beatles records played backwards.

I'm really digging these old photos for labels.

 

Yeah, me too - they are perfect for the weenies! Autumn Fancies is excellent.

 

I'm also loving the phobia labels.

 

Thanks for posting pics!!

Do the lunacy scents have a commonality? Like a shared note or something?

 

Quite a few lunacy blends have had "traditional lunar oils" or "lunar herbs" included in the notes, and if you cross-check a bunch of them you'll find certain notes make pretty frequent appearances, but as far as I know there's not any particular note or notes that appear in every lunacy blend.

 

But you will sometimes hear people saying that the lunacy blends never work for them, that "there's just something in them..." - which makes it sound like there actually is something they all have in common. But... I'm pretty sure there isn't... well, unless there's a secret lunacy ingredient that we don't know about

Dying to see Ooky, Goblin Market, etc...

 

@bpal posted on Twitter that all the BPAL weenies are now available at Dark Delicacies... so if anyone happens to be strolling by there, maybe they could get a pic of all the new labels!

I wore Snow White '04 last night. Nearly 10 years old and as lovely as ever

 

Hey! I wore my Snow White '04 today as well - and you're right, it's still completely gorgeous

 

I'm hoping all my best-loved BPALs will last longer than dirt. And I suspect they will

I would suggest you try to find a decant of Crowley - since you like Loviatar... Crowley has that same sort of rich/deep/dark devilish leather. The notes are: Infernal musk, red patchouli, lilac cologne, mahogany, lemon rind, oakmoss, leather, and vanilla husk - but don't let the lemon, lilac or vanilla put you off - I don't even notice them in there, it's all about the hot musky leather.

 

However - I do find that brand new Crowley lacks depth.. it's really only good for me after it's aged a couple of years. But it really is worth the wait! Or even better - look for a decant that has some age to it.

 

And I agree with the previous posters - SO is really a very minor element in Western Diamondback... however, it definitely is there. Again - look for aged WD, the leather gets more rich and dominant with age.

 

Another one you might like to try is Spanked - the notes are Whip leather, cardamom, patchouli, and bourbon so there's a touch of spiciness in there from the cardamom but it's a lovely deep/earthy leather blend. You'll be lucky to find any of the original version, because it's rarer than rocking horse poop, but luckily we had a Resurrected version a couple of years ago and that one is not so hard to find

 

edited to fix typos

Fresh pin and slushy/icy mint. It sweetens up a bit on drydown, but stays pretty much as it started out - icy pine.

 

This reminds me a lot of Skadi and other pine/ice-like blends.

Thank you to the beautiful Dark Alice for sending me a tester of this

 

When I first dabbed Burning Book on to my skin, and leaned in for a sniff, I kind of went :ack:because I got this acrid, chemical-ish, sharp nasty burnt smell that was rather unpleasant. It smelled kind of like a combination of burning wet socks and ink that's gone off. Thankfully, that lasted for only about four seconds, and then this lovely leather smell started to emerge - it's the lovely heady intoxicating leather I know from Brom Bones and Quincy Morris - fresh leather, rather than the soft suede-y type. I can see where people are getting the tobacco impression from, because I am definitely picking up something that has that slightly sweet and golden feel that I get from tobacco, so yeah - maybe there's tobacco in here somewhere.

 

Ten minutes in, and that initial richness I got from the leather has subsided and mellowed out a bit, and now I can sense something inky lurking under there - it's not an obvious INK smell (like, say, India Ink which was just too much ink and really quite nasty on me). There's also a lovely smokiness emerging.

 

After a full half-hour on my skin, everything has meshed in together beautifully and it's all very warm and sensuous - it's not giving me a lot of throw, but if I lean in and take a big whiff... it kind of makes my eyes roll back a little This is really quite beautiful, and now I wish I had tried to get a bottle when it was available... I just thought "Burning Book" was probably going to smell like burnt paper, and that didn't appeal to me at all, but here it is - all sexy leather, golden smokey tobacco and murky dusty inkiness and I love it.

 

I'm pretty sure Patrick Stewart has a country manor somewhere, and in that manor is an exquisite library in which a fire crackles quietly in the corner and every wall is packed to the ceiling with olde leather-bound tomes. And somewhere in the sprawling manliness of his library sits a couple of old, well-worn leather chairs that hold the scented remnants of cigars smoked, whiskey sipped, and corduroy trousers warmly pressed against their seats. I imagine Burning Book smells exactly like what would greet you upon throwing open the old oak doors and stepping inside Patrick Stewart's library.

OK.. I just have to quote this from Beth's prose:

 

 

Dude, I am enlightened. I AM SO FREAKING ENLIGHTENED THAT I AM A GLOWING ORB OF BLINDING LIGHT.

 

This is the patchouli to end all patchoulis – the one patchouli to rule them all. It's the kind of patchouli that makes dogs fart on command, startles old ladies, and makes babies cry. The kind of patchouli that even the stinkiest hippie would say is a bit too strong, then hang their head in shame and go home to have a good bath and a nice cup of tea. It's the kind of patchouli that if you put more than a drop or two on your skin, follows you around for hours and hours and leaves little remnants of itself in every atom of the air that surrounds you. This is not a patchouli for mild-mannered young ladies who are afraid of being noticed - this is a patchouli that enters the room before you do and says SMELL MY MAGNIFICENCE, MOTHAFUCKAS. Just like that, all in capitals, because Sumatran Red Patchouli doesn't give a shit if it offends people.

 

As soon as I took the lid off my bottle, I knew I was in for a treat as I felt the warm wafting gnarliness of hot feral patchouli hit my nostrils. Resisting the urge to just tip the bottle upside down on top of my head and let this liquid perfection drizzle down all over me, I gently dabbed a little bit on to my wrist, leaned in for a good sniff, and then had a moment of total bliss as this wondrous scent enveloped me completely. Wearing this is like getting a hug from a grizzly bear – it's warm, it's snuggly and cuddly, but it's also slightly terrifying.

 

I love that this patchouli is so warm and earthy and feral, but there's also a delicate smoky sweetness playing around in there. I don't mind a dirty patchouli, but this isn't really that fully dirty kind.. it's definitely more on the earthy/leathery end of the patchouli spectrum rather than the hempy/dirty side. For such a gnarly patch, it's actually very clean – if this were a liqueur, it would be right up on the top shelf... this is the good stuff, the real deal. Completely beautiful on its own, but a fantastic base for layering – so far I've tried it with Araña (amazing, glowing, gorgeous) and Gelt (unff, wanted to eat myself), and Spanked (don't try that one unless you want to be ravaged)... but the experiments will be never ending because this really is *the* perfect mixer.

 

So yeah, I love this Sumatran Red Patchouli – which, incidentally, actually smells just like my memories of walking around in Sumatra and Indonesia through the haze of incense that's always burning everywhere – but I suspect I should have bought more bottles. I am definitely wearing this the next time I travel back in time to 1969.

OK - who stole all the coffee and spices and incensey goodness out of my bottle, and just left me with Turkish Delight and rose?

 

I was really hoping for that thick, rich, gnarly coffee smell - you know the one, the type of coffee that when it's brewing the whole street knows about it. I was kinda hoping for not-too-much cardamom, because it tends to turn into eau de curry powder on me - so I guess it's good that I'm not finding any of that at all in here, and I reallyreallyreally wanted the buhur to give everything that gorgeous eastern incense-y tone. The one thing I didn't want - a rose explosion - is exactly what I got, although in the bottle I can smell the dark sweet coffee, the hint of spice, the swirl of incense smoke - it's my skin that's messing this up (as expected, because rose hates me and the feeling is mutual)

 

If the rose would just GTFO of the way for a moment, I know the coffee is there - I can *almost* smell it, but no... rose has to take over everything. Screw you, rose - I've had enough of you ruining all my BPALs. In here, the rose is making everything a bit cloying and overly foodyish - it's like sickly sweet sugared rose. BOO!

 

Overall, and very sadly, all I get for about an hour is Turkish Delight and rose... but then... but then!!! yes - the rose does finally calm down and let the coffee and buhur peek through... and this is when I think for a moment that maybe this will turn out OK. But even then, I don't really like it - the Turkish Delight smell is still there, and it's sweet in that urinal cake way which is never a good thing. But I stick with it, because I am stupid hopeful - and once I manage to make it through that unpleasant stage of feeling like I've been trapped in Barbara Cartland's bathroom, I find that it's dried down to a weird and equally cloying smell that gives me hints of stale coffee and baby powder. I'm just not sure this will end up being a keeper because although the rose mellows, it never really goes away and it's just not playing out very successfully on my skin. It's actually giving me a slight headache

 

edited to add label photo:

This room spray was made for me by Puddin' ... it's a one-of-a-kind, made-by-goblin-hand original - and as you can see by the description above, what's in here is a total mystery

Sweet Barking Cheese smells like sugar and spice and everything nice. It's how you want those candles labelled "Exotic Spice" to smell, but they never do. It's how your magic carpet would smell after you'd been for an evening flight down to a spice market in Kathmandu where you politely decline several tempting offers from three-fingered men with dark misaligned eyes trying to sell you tapestries, but end up bringing home a six-pack of incense, a falafel burger, a little dark brown puppy that you name Sheik Yerboodie because you're just hilarious like that, and seven sacks of mysterious spices said to aid digestion and hair growth.

It's sugary, but not sweet at all. It's spicy in a throbbing red/dark brown kind of way - definitely cinnamon, probably cassia, possibly a hint of ginger snuggled up in there somewhere.. and I think there might be a slight hint of a dark wood in here, maybe? I'm not sure what's responsible for the sweetness - I guess it's most likely a dark vanilla, but it's hard to tell. It reminds me very much of Monsterbait: Underbed, but without the cake base - it's also very similar to the Aphrodite Kypria atmo spray from last year's Lupers, but without the clean/sweetness of the Egyptian musk. This is one of those sprays that starts off lingering innocently in the room, but after ten minutes you feel it climbing up inside your nostrils like some deranged abseiler - poking and prodding until it's right up there like HEADING FOR YOUR EYE SOCKETS and you can feel it and it makes you sneeze but in the good-kind-of-sneeze-way which medical professionals claim is like an orgasm for your brain. This is the kind of spray that hides around corners, jumping out and kicking you in the balls when you least expect it - it's a naughty, naughty spray that can't be trusted. It *will* make people sneeze, and it might even make your eyes water just a little. Because.. did I mention it's spicy? Yeah, it's spicy. It's good


The bottle and original artwork by Puddin'



PS for prosperity - here's the link to the Sweet Barking Cheese giveaway and the story behind the spray

My original bottles of 2005 Midway had the same labels as the rest of the first Carnaval series (the labels that showed the name of the scent, series and the jester skull). It got the ferris wheel label during its second run in 2006, I believe, and then the resurrected label when it was brought back for a short time in 2007/2008.

 

Well far out, bean sprout! I didn't know there was an 'original' CN label style.. I don't think I've seen any of those in my travels! Thanks for the info, Little Bird

So I have the ferris wheel bottle, which must be the original, but the decant has a hint of night air before it settles into the sweet funnel cake smell. So weird! I love them both but I kind of like my decant a bit better.

 

I wonder if it is just batch variation or if there was a different oil that was decanted as Midway? I have another decant that smells exactly the same as the bottle described as the resurrected version, and one that isn't listed as either original or res.

 

Yep - your bottle is the original - nice! That's one of my favourite labels

 

I think sometimes decants get labelled just as 'Midway' without the 'Resurrected', so it's possible that your decant is the Res. version maybe? Also - I've heard people say that oil ages more quickly in a decant than in a bottle (something about the smaller volume, can't remember now what the reasoning was) so that might be why the oil in your decant smells different to the oil in your bottle? But then you said that your decant smells more 'right' than your bottle.. so, well - I don't know! Curious and curiouser

 

Anyways - as long as you like them all, then it's all good!

 

PS I remember reading somewhere that the old(er) BPALs were more prone to batch variation, because the Lab did more small-batch lots back before they had the large customer base they do today, but I'm not sure how true that is... and I can't say I've noticed it in any of the old/older BPALs that I own.

any known differences between original Midway and the resurrected version? I have a decant of the original that smells differently than the half bottle if the original I bought, and the decant matches the original description a bit more. any ideas?

 

I think they're either exactly the same, or very very similar - the original is more aged, obviously, so to me it smells less 'fresh' and the sweetness is more mellow - but the difference is subtle.

 

The labels are completely different though - if I remember correctly the original had a paper label with a big ferris wheel on it, and the resurrected version looks like this:

 

 

I was making up packages today, and saw this on someone's wishlist.. then remembered I had a half-decant of it! But I had never tried it, so before sending it off to its new home, I tried a little dab.

Yeah.. I can see why people find this one so alluring - it's a beautiful ghostly floral blend that dries down to a very soft memory of the gentle smell of walking through a garden of roses, lillies and clean white flowers. It's not a heady floral, nor is it sweet - it's more aloof and distant.. like it stands back from you slightly, so that you have to go find it.

It turns a little powdery on me, and slightly soapy, but retains its mystery beautifully.