ChaosKitty

I'd really like to find a perfect smokey lavender scent, an oil version of Serge Luten's Gris Clair. It's notes are

lavender, amber, tonka bean, iris, dry wood, and incense.

 

From a review of Gris Clair: "Cool dryness and sweet smokiness compete for prominence all throughout the development of Gris Clair. It starts with a cold, indeed “clear gray” accord of lavender, which makes me think about expensive, classic men’s after shaves and colognes. In a moment however, an unexpectedly sweet accord of amber and tonka bean appears; without reminding me of any fruit in particular, it somehow manages to convey a vague, abstract fruitiness. It is an enjoyable stage, but the best part of Gris Clair is undoubtedly the promised dry wood and “burned incense”. When these two notes come into play, Gris Clair acquires the wonderful depth and richness one associates with the best Lutens’s creations. At this point, all the notes are apparent on my skin at once: the chilly lavender, the honeyed amber, the smoldering ashes of wood and incense."

 

 

 

Jammies suggested Gaueko, Naeelah suggested the Erebos room spray, and sarahlaughs suggested TKO for lavender/vanilla and Liz for vanilla/smoke.

 

Anyone else care to weigh in?

Lysander (Lilac musk, tonka, wood violet, and urbane lime rind, with a Venus-kissed tangle of myrtle, blackberry leaf, and benzoin). Totally. It's gorgeous.

Edit to add: Lavender isn't in the list of components, but (IMO) they do combine to give it a very lavender-y scent; one that's very soft and smoky, and without that "sharp" note that lavender tends to have when it is an ingredient.

Ever since I started buying BPAL, I've been on the lookout for that 'perfect' rose scent. Something sweet, nothing dark or too green. I've tried Maiden, Persephone and Kurukulla, and they all end up morphing into the same weird fruity-rose scent. Bleh. Then I tried Pink Snowballs, and it was PERFECT. For for like 30 seconds, until it turned to play-doh. Stupid skin chemistry.

 

I'm thinking of hunting down a decant of Hope and Victoria, but if anyone has any suggestions of a scent ... that would be great. Thanks!

I thought I couldn't wear any rose at all, it always turned either too green or too old-lady on me. I'd say give Hope a try, it's one of the few blends I've discovered I can wear. It stays very close to the sugared-rose scent description, and seems closer to a really lovely dried-rose potpourri than a greenish or dark rose. Another one I think is fantastic is Pumpkin II '09, and also Pumpkin V '08. The pumpkin doesn't smell too foody, and it rounds out the rose in a way that's just fantastic.

Is there anything that smells like a granny smith apple just when it's cut? Not an impression of it but really something that smells exactly like a freshly cut granny smith?

That's what The Apple of Sodom smelled like to me. It does have some herbal notes, but to me the apple seemed the most prominent.

I don't think Athens has been mentioned, that's a very purple scent to me. So's Makhanitis, Mlle Lilith, Queen Alice, Lilith, and Marie (because of the prominent violet).

I just used up my last Lush Dreamtime Bath Melt, and God I love this stuff, but until I get more income it's going to be either Lush OR BPAL, and tbh, five Euros is a little much right now just to be taking a bath. Still, I love Dreamtime! Does anyone know of a BPAL oil that smells similar? Lush lists lavender and chamomile as ingredients, but it's not *just* that and I can't identify any other notes. I searched the lab's site for those two notes, and the oils I found listed that have both are ones I've tried (I'm a fan of lavender and chamomile). But they only complement Dreamtime and don't smell anything like it. Has anyone tried an oil and found it to be similar, or found a way to layer a couple? I'd be glad for any recs!

I normally am able to pick out notes in perfume blends, but this one baffles me. There is no note I recognize, no floral, no musk, no resin or anything else I can identify. What it does smell like is going outside on a warm spring night in the country, just after a rainstorm that has washed the air, that "clean" smell in the atmosphere. It sounds like a paradox, this is somehow genius, but it's a scent I know I won't wear, it is too "blue" and airy. Not airy-light, mind you, it is a very dark scent...but like dark night air. Nnff. Perplexed ChaosKitty is perplexed!

I'm doing homework for a friend (as a way of enabling as well). Her favorite scent was discontinued from wherever it was that she was getting it, and the notes were caramel, orchid, and musk. I was wondering if there's anything similar? I'm finding lots of recs for caramel and spice, but not so much caramel and florals.

The Arrival at the Sabbath and Homage to the Devil, maybe? The description lists: Bourbon vanilla, benzoin, caramel, Mysore sandalwood, aged black patchouli, carnation, and iris florentina.

I can smell all of the notes from start to finish, though the overall impression is that of orange blossom honey. Not what I was expecting, but I like it - a LOT!

I got my imp in a swap, and the scent turned out to be just as delicious as it sounded. At first it smelled strongly of cherry marzipan. That slowly receeded and the mahagony and woods appeared. Now, a half hour later it smells like deep red wood sweetened by black fruits, cozy and warm - it smells like *more* and will be another item on the ever-expanding wish list.

I thought I would love this because I love fruit blended with patchouli, and I did love it! Initially the peach was stronger and very sweet. Later the patchouli was more prominent, but with the peach, musk and amber sweetening and lightening it. This was an immediate favorite and will go on my wishlist, since I only have an imp of imp.

I was hoping this would be a good sleep-time scent because of the lavender and jasmine, and it is! Wet, the scent reminded me a bit of TKO, sweet, milky lavender. Later, I could smell the honeysuckle alongside the lavender and just a hint of jasmine - which is good, since jasmine normally starts to smell like a soiled nappy on my skin. Here, it didn't, and so far it's perfect. This will go into my collection of bedtime scents, and I can never get enough of those.

I received an imp of this in a swap today, and already know I need a bottle. Wet, it smelled primarily of tonka and something sort of like maple syrup, the same maple syrup scent I love in Al-Azif, with a bit of floral underneath. It still lingers when it's dry and blends with the scent of sweet florals and woods. I adore this!

I tried this on without reading the composition, and I could have sworn it was roses instead of lilies. However that wasn't the dominating note, it was cherry and almonds (though I don't see any of those in the scent description). Later it dried down to a lovely cherry-floral, and now I recognize it as lily too. I like this a LOT, which surprises me because I normally can't stand lilies, but they absolutely work in this scent.

My first review on the site - *bites nails*...

Definitely floral, as the other reviewers have said. Wet and in the bottle, I first smelled the tangerine and a soft amber or musk. After it's been on my skin a while, the jasmine was extremely predominant (not good, since it always seems to turn into a dirty-nappy reek on me). However, twenty minutes or so later, it settled back into the other notes and this turned extremely pleasant! I do want a second imp, but I don't think I need a whole bottle.

Melisande, the Puppet Mistress.