thelaurenator

Beautiful. It smells like honey and saffron... I love it. I just wish this came in more attractive packaging. At least in a plastic tube or something? The plastic bag was insultingly unattractive and inconvenient, especially for the price!

I must have gotten a bottle heavy on vanilla orchid, because this is allllll vanilla orchid on me with some underlying saffron. It smells quite like Regan did on me, only slightly sweeter and more interesting because of the saffron. Exactly what I hoped it would smell like!

Well, this definitely has that famous BPAL aquatic note, but, believe it or not, it's very subdued. I agree with plainjean; this DOES smell like a rain storm in the summer in Florida. It really reminds me of wet pavement smell, only with a dry, crackly saffron note. As it dries down, it becomes more perfumey, and the aquatic note fades even more into the background. I wish there was more nepalese amber in this scent, as it's my favorite note, but I also love saffron and the saffron is really key in this blend. I haven't smelled anything like this in the entire BPAL catalog; it's very unique.

This is nice, but on my skin the prominent note is rhubarb. It smells very similar to tart, lemony note except a bit more sweet and "red" smelling, if that makes any sense. I was hoping for more nepalese amber, but nope. This is pure rhubarb and musk. However, the musk smells like a white or pale musk, not like a swoony dark musk. It's pretty, just not what I was hoping for. Oh well!

I agree with most of the other reviewers that The Lights of Men's Lives smells like very very sweet vanilla-scented candles in the bottle. But, when I put it on my skin, I get a REALLY strong smokey note, which is weird because most reviewers aren't getting much smoke. I think I amp smoke usually, so I'm not surprised... but I'm really loving the creamy warmth of the beeswax with the smell of smoke.

This isn't my ideal smokey scent, but it's still really, really pretty.

Oh, this is just GORGEOUS.

I tried the 05 version, and it didn't work for me. But this is to die for on my skin. It's much more feminine than the 05 version and the sweet amber combined with the foresty smokiness of it... it's just heavenly.

I want to roll around in this. I'm definitely going to need more than just my half-bottle.

Hm. This one was not what I was expecting, although after reading the reviews, it's pretty much how everyone else described it. Aquatic, cologne-y, very, very green. It smells like freshly cut grass covered in dew, with maybe some bonfire smoke wafting in some several blocks away. But the smoke note is FAINT. If this were just ever-so-slightly more smoky, and maybe with something a touch more feminine (amber, maybe?) this would be lovely. But, just on its own, it wasn't what I was looking for.

My initial reaction was something like, "Oh dear gods, this is like Drink Me only WORSE." It was BUTTER. A massive, artery-clogging onslaught of butter. But, I managed to wait it out, and the drydown was actually really pretty. The butteriness subsided a bit, and I could smell a really rich, sweet pumpkin and peach with a really nice strong clove. The peach really does give this scent a "glowing" feel. I like it.

What the hey, I'll take a turn.

 

Introverted and/but friendly. SAHM, elf lover, brown. Hippie but loves computers/technology. Writes fantasy, loves mythology/religions. Favorite animals are mollusks, crustaceans, turtles and tortoises. Can be loquacious but loves free/alone time to reflect. Motherly, pretty laid back, loves RPGs, my spouse, my kid. Love trickster deities, can't do chaste deities. Sun in Cancer, Moon in Libra, Aquarius rising I believe.

 

And on a perfume related note, dislike white flower smells.

 

I think I did this correctly...*drinks more coffee*

I'm thinking Lyonesse for you! It has a kind of watery feel without being a sharp aquatic, and I think the rich amber smells would satisfy the earthiness in you.

Okay everyone, do me if you can. I am straight up weird. I'm an INFJ, which is the rarest Myers-Briggs personality type (and trust me, I wish I weren't). I'm well-liked but an outcast at the same time. I'm deeply attracted to sensual and beautiful things. I love colors, smells, tastes, and sounds... I'm also an intellectual. I'm applying for a Ph.D. in history and women's studies this fall. I love art, and I love everything that is old-fashioned. I am obsessed with animals. I need a lot of "me" time each day and I hate crowds. I have an eclectic taste, scent-wise. I'll try anything. For me, it's about chemistry more than notes.

This is lovely. The bottle I have is super aged, and the lovely BPALer who sold it to me claims it has mellowed a lot with age. On, I get a cedar-y woodsmoke smell, and very, very subdued vetiver. It really smells great mixed with a more feminine perfume, and gives me a really nice perfumey bonfire scent. It has great throw, and I smell like I've just been to a bonfire out in the woods, which was exactly what I was looking for. I love this.

This smells like a beautiful Christmas candle! I get just the tiniest hint of milk here, which for me is good. The lab's milk note tends to smell like baby spit up on me, but not in this blend! I get a lot of rich fruit and cinnamon, candle wax, and the smell of a cool winter wind.

Ooooh I HATED this wet. Red musk is god awful on my skin-- it makes me smell like a prostitute, seriously. It smells trashy on my skin.

But the dry down is a totally different story. It's really, really lovely. I get just a hint of clove. It reminds me of classic, expensive orientals like Poison and Opium. It's got a lot of depth and richness.

Damn. This smells great in the vial-- clean cotton and fluffy marshmallow-- but the moment it hits my skin, I get vanilla play-doh.

Foody fail, yet again. Damn my skin chemistry!

On me, this is mostly a vanilla-y amber musk. It's light, though, with a hint of flowers. I like it. It reminds me of L'Estate, even though they smell nothing alike. I'd say they're the same genre-- lots of delicious, pale amber and musk and light flowers.

This might be bottle worthy...

Get your hands on some Snake Charmer if possible. Smells like an expensive French oriental. Personally, I like Coco by Chanel better so I didn't need both.

Belle Epoque smells french to me, as does the Salon Lucretia.

I love this. Lilac, lily and violets over a light sandalwood/musk base. Very very nice!

Bottle: Orange and vetiver

 

Wet: Sweet orange and vetiver.

 

Drying: Vetiver. Orange. Hint of anesthetic-ish licorice and medicinal cinnamon. In that order of strength.

 

Dry: Anise vetiver. Vetiver actually doesn't bother me, but I'm not getting much complexity from this scent. I also think it would smell better on a man than on me. I'm going to pass this along.

DITTO. The exact same stages happened to me, Wet to dry.

At first, wet, I got sweet orange and vetiver, a hint of cinnamon spice. I was thinking, "Hey, not bad! I kinda like it."

NOT so fast.

Then it turned, to nasty overpowering vetiver with some orange and the licorice started to come out along with the cinnamon. But it smelled very medicinal, oddly.

Dry, it was pure vetiver strengthened by medicinal black licorice. No orange or cinnamon to be found.

I am so sad this didn't work, because I think with either less vetiver or more orange, this would have been an amazing blend, but it seems to have failed on a lot of people.

I for one love florals... and if you love florals you will LOVE this blend. Gorgeous wildflowers and honey, just like the description says.

Yuuummmm!

On me this is sweet coconut milk and vanilla smothering tropical fruits (pineapple and passionfruit are what I smell most, no guava). I'm not getting any florals but I know they're there because they tame the sweetness and juiciness. This is a CREAMY, luscious scent. Instant fave!!

this is VERY much a sort of spiced apple potpourri/autumn yankee candle type smell. That said, it is very nice for what it is. Love the almond note-- that really makes this smell great.

This is mostly plum and pine on me... but then again I amp plum. I only detect the sheerest hint of florals.

Very crisp and wintery.

This is a lovely, delicate white floral melange with a hint of lemon. I adore it! It's very fresh and springy, not soapy or overpowering at all. But then again, I love tuberose.

TO. DIE. FOR. This scent is fantabulous. I get the honey musk loud and clear, and as well as the vanilla, green tea leaf and a blackberry note. This is a winner!

Mmmm, my favorite leather blend. Well, it's the only leather blend that works for me.. and it REALLY works.

Sweet vanilla cookies or wafers, black licorice, and leather. On one of my friends, this smells almost entirely like vanilla cookies and licorice. On me, it's mostly leather with licorice and just a hint of cookie.... and I like it better on me. It's a sexy blend that is totally unexpected.

Gorgeous. Foody, but it works.

Rich pastry with a lot of fig, beeswax and just the merest hint of pomegranate. Some of my favorite notes all rolled into one scent!