Court Analyst/Strategist

I keep this bottle around mainly for its name and element representation. Earth may be my strongest association (chartwise) but I sure do love some fire. Also, the Salamander is the being I feel the most close to out of all of the Elementals.

 

When first applied, I can detect a strong light purple floral present that's quite pretty, maybe violet, and a sharp astringent note matched by an undertone of soapiness. There's possibly something reminiscent of eucalyptus in here backing the blend as well. During drydown, this seems to become less complicated, but that could be my skin chemistry's finicky habits when reacting to notes that have a tendency to be soapy on me right from the get-go. The astringency fades considerably, softening the violet and the soapiness (which I should proabably make clear is not the violet itself) to a pleasant blend with a cool, mild eucalyptus note backing. If this were soap, it would be lovely to use, for that's exactly what it reminds me of past drydown, well-made violet soap with cool eucalyptus giving depth to the scent. The Salamander is not really something I would wear, but the scent is enjoyable enough, if unexpected.

 

Broadcasting Strength: 7.0/10. The blend stay around for a while on my skin at a good level of broadcasting power.

 

Rating(scent): 6.5/10. Not really something I would consider wearable, and not especially evocative of the element the blend represents... Perhaps it was the odd preferences of my skin chemistry in particular that just didn't do with this blend what I had hoped, except that I really did not buy this for use of a perfume, but for the use of focus on the representation of the Fire Elemental. When I first tried The Salamander, I was a even trifle diasappointed that the blend simply did not strike me as personifying the energy of the Elemental in question, in smell or otherwise. Still, I've kept the bottle around for a while now, but will likely just decant an imp and sell the rest eventually.

 

Court

In the Wet stage, Morella is soapy with sage at its edge. Unfortunately, the florals quickly set to work to do a number on this one and the iris takes over nearly entirely (my skin chemistry both hates and amps iris), and even mutates the orris (orris can be finicky on me also, but is usually the victim of another notes manipulation rather than being the culprit of turning itself into powder)! This is really too bad as I was looking forward to loving this blend. Drydown is strongly powdery soapiness, which I can find pretty interesting in minimal amounts, but this is almost completely powdery soap. I can detect the smallest drip of civet, and its surprisingly enjoyable. The civet gives depth to this scent rather than overwhelming it like the note usually seems so determined to do on my skin chemistry. A note of sage is still here, but is barely detectable unless I actively search for it in the sea of rampant iris and orris. Sadly, any notes I would otherwise enjoy in this one are too bogged down by the iris to recover this blend for me.

Broadcasting Strength: 6/10. Doesn't broadcast very far at all, but does linger for a couple of hours at a steady level of scent.

Rating (scent): 5/10. This one really had potential in my eyes, but the iris decided to be unkind to me and overwhelm the blend. However, I'd still reccomend this to people who's skin chemistries are not arch enemies of the iris, because I would have really found Morella to be a truly lovely blend if that note hadn't been there (or had been replaced by something else).

Court

Can anybody reccomend any scents that seem to immediately make you think of them as being 'red or brown' (also gold)? Many of my favorites give me the impression of being one variation or another of these colors and I'm looking to expand my red/brown collection of scents even further.

 

A few of my favorites:

 

Variations of Red:

 

Fenris Wolf

Bloodlust

 

Variations of brown:

 

Buck Moon

Luperci

Pit and the Pendulum

Fallen (more of a variation on a very light resinous color/gold variation than brown)

 

Thanks in advance for any help

 

Court

WAR

 

 

When I purchased War I did plan to do some focusing work with this blend, but finding the scent to be so masterfully and enjoyably blended was a definate plus. I have worn this twice now and am still trying to place what seems so 'familiar' about the scent of this oil. This applies very strongly in broadcasting strength, so I now know to be very careful with the amount I put on. At first(when applied to my arm), the scent is sharp, herbal and dry, and very dusty, but luckily War quickly mellows and changes for the better. The oil a few minutes after drydown has a dominant note that reminds me of parchment (not office grade paper, but aged, thick paper that's kind of taken on a yellow sheen and is crinkling with small tears at the edges) that has a faint undertone of dust. There's also some kind of tart note that swells and then mellows under the parchment scent and gives this oil a semi-heavy sweetness that's kind of... faded in feel, as if seeped into the very dust of the parchment. At first, I identified this sweetness as an orange scent, but now think that's somehow inaccurate...the note in question has a paler feel to it that's not quite citrus-like, but more reminiscent of cane sugar instead. I'm thinking that this light sweetness might be a type of musk, but this blend is so well-blended I'm having difficulty identifying where one note ends and another begins. I can also detect an herb's presence providing a distinct edge, but its in the background of the scent and I cannot for the life of me pinpoint it.

 

I won't rate the scent/perfume aspect of War by a scale of 1 to 10 like I normally would because this is a TAL blend and has more than the purpose of being a perfume, but suffice to say I love the smell. War also lasts all day; the first time I wore this I put the oil on in mid-afternoon and could still detect traces of it the next morning. The ingredients in this blend synchronize to radiate a vibrant warmth in tone when I'm wearing War that's incredibly invigorating and grounding, and I'm absolutely fascinated by this scent for some reason, its amazing. This is a nostalgic scent of contemplation for me, dry but warm and vivid with life.

 

Court

I associate well with many masculine-energy, earth based deities (The Horned God in particular) and I felt especially drawn to this oil so I purchased a 5ml immediately after the TAL website went up.

 

When first applied, this is dry, crumbling resins and thick herbal muskiness with a small, pleasant tinge of pine that actually smells like pine (and not a fake pine smell). As the blend dries, civet comes out and its almost unwearable at first but mellows within a short amount of time to a tolerable amount. My skin chemistry usually can't stand civet so this is really saying something that I actually enjoy this. The resins become background notes very quickly (and unfortunately, as I love resins) as does the pine, and the oil's end result is a lightly sweet, masculine forest-musk scent that seems to become very warm in feel where the oil is applied on my arm.

 

This is a blend that firmly personifies the attributes its supposed to and I feel quite comftable with wearing it overall. I can definately see myself anointing this from time to time for focus work on the fascinating nature of this oil, but this blend would no doubt be great for meditation or ritual work as well.

 

At first glance, Temple of the Horned God did seem similiar to the TAL Lord of the Forest in overall usage intent/personified energy of the blend (or did, anyway, before I purchased either, and was debating which was the most suitable of the two for me personally), but they are noticably enough different in scent design despite both oils definately being of the more animalistic variety. Lord of the Forest does have a lighter civet aspect than Temple of the Horned God, so those who loathe or are wary of civet (but still want to try one of the two blends) should take note. Lord of the Forest is a lighter scent in feel, leveled by resins and a sweetened musk overtone, while Temple of the Horned God is heavier, using raw musks as a base and relying more on herbs and dark green things.

 

Court

I was cautious to buy a bottle of The Tell-Tale Heart untried because of the cocoa mentioned in the description...so I purchased an imp.

 

The oil is similiar to the color of iced tea (but slightly redder) in the imp. The scent of the oil in the vial is primarily a dark cocoa note (not a light or foody cocoa note, but a deeper, freshly ground one) enveloped by a swirl of deep musk and something almost syrupy sweet. There's a tiny bit of Dragon's Blood resin somewhere in there that's noticable when sniffing the imp as well.

 

Wet, when first applied: This is a swollen, musky scent, suppressing a core of dark, ominous sweetness. The cocoa is a soft (but still un-foody and deep) background note lurking underneath the surface as if waiting to strike (Luckily, it never really does, the cocoa note stays a level and minor note throughout wear). There is a component in this scent that reminds me somehow of the distinct musk in Buck Moon, a soft, dusty blanketing note with a velvet-like texture to it that plays its part by keeping the blood musk and Dragon's Blood resin in check. The pepper stays too minor a player in this blend to really be noticable until I look for it. I'm a big fan of vetiver(t) in small amounts, and there is just enough in this blend for me to enjoy. I can't really find the allspice mentioned in the description, but I could just be not recognizing it for what it is. There's not much change in this scent from wet stage to drydown (something I've found common with several of the other Maelstrom scents I've tried), but that's not a bad thing. During drydown, the cocoa does soften and fall somewhat further into the background of the scent, but otherwise there's not much change at all.

 

Rating (score): 7.5/10. This is not what I'd been expecting at all (and that's a very good thing, since I had been expecting to be overwhelmed by the cocoa note). I'll be purchasing a single bottle. This is a scent I actually find quite enjoyable (and entirely wearable) as a perfume. Very unique, with a delightfully ominous nature lurking underneath its surface. This captures a very similiar mood to the one I had so hoped that The Masque would evoke (but unfortunately did not for me). Pulsingly deep, sweet and captivating with its sinister promise. So far, The Tell- Tale Heart is my second favorite Maelstrom of the five I've now tried.

 

Court

Strongly broadcasting oils that last a reasonable amount of time on my skin chemistry:

 

The Pit & the Pendulum, Midnight Mass (both resinous/incense)

Berenice (floral/linen/fresh)

Fenris Wolf (woody/resinous/musky)

Luperci (earthy/resinous)

Sed Non Satiata (musky/animalistic)

Bloodlust (spicy) This has much stronger throw than the others listed, and also lasts a much longer period of time.

 

Court

Wet, when first applied: The Pit & the Pendulum goes on based heavily in rich, darkly looming incense with a warm, resinous core touched by an edge of smooth wood. There is frankincense in here, as well as a note of bittersweet herb-like quality at the very edge of the scent that I can't recognize. I was surprised at the depth this scent holds over Midnight Mass, through I can see similiarities. I enjoyed Midnight Mass, but I love this. The main difference between this and Midnight Mass is that Midnight Mass applied and dried on my skin chemistry as a dominantly resinous scent with a minor incense component, and this is much more strongly incense-based and has much more leveled resinous components. The Pit & the Pendulum is what I would term as a much more atmospherically dark scent over Midnight Mass, and brings the color grey to mind, but a deep, pulsing grey with a darkened haze wrapping around it. There is something I find wistful about the mood of this scent. There's not much change from the wet stage to drydown, but I can say this scent does become smokier and the frankincense blooms slightly more deeply after its dried 10 minutes and onwards.

 

This seems a gender neutral scent to my nose, and I find it a much more wearable scent than Midnight Mass, mainly because I find The Pit & the Pendulum to have more harmony and depth to its notes.

 

Throw: 7/10. The Pit & the Pendulum first applies rather heavily but mellows and smooths within minutes. This is a scent that wafts, not one that overwhelms.

 

Overall Rating (score): 8.5/10. I predict this to become my signature incense scent. The Pit & the Pendulum is beautiful, elegant and atmospheric. I will definately be purchasing a second 5ml of this.

 

Court

This was the scent I had predicted I'd like the most out of all of the Maelstroms. Surprisingly, I found it to be the most dissonant on my skin chemistry of the three I've tried so far (The Pit & the Pendulum, The Masque and Berenice). I detect a strongly soapy component when the Masque is first applied, with sickly sweet honey underneath. I usually enjoy a bit of soapiness but this has taken over and warped any other notes present, including that honey. My skin usually enjoys honey very much...so I'm not 100% sure what happened to it...but I am aware that the notes of rose accord, clove and carnation sometimes warp other notes on me, so I'm guessing a bit of foul play from these notes might have been involved here. This is the second time I have tried this on my skin, the first being a few days ago (I had been on the very end of that time of the month at that point, so I waited a couple of days to do a retest due to finicky skin chemistry). The scent is actually developing much differently on my skin the second time around, its become much worse as a result! While the scent simply became discordant and unharmonious on my skin chemistry with my first application, the second try has led The Masque to become overwhelmed with warped soap.

 

Overall Rating (score): 3/10 (when first tested a few days ago, I would have given it a 5/10). I'll be swapping or selling the bottle, unfortunately. Luckily I do have the Pit & the Pendulum to console my sadness over my skin chemistry's failure regarding The Masque.

 

Court

The Cracked Bell dries to something I can only describe as soft, sweet incense smoke as somehow witnessed through the dissonant cloud of a static-like phenomena. There is a metallic sharpness to the scent in the background, but its so well blended into the rest that I cannot seem to place its identity no matter how many times I attempt to. That said, the scent is not an ominous or unsettling one; I actually find The Cracked Bell rather comforting. There's not much change to the scent from wet stage to drydown and onward.

 

This scent is truly gender-neutral. Its neither feminine nor masculine, althrough I definately wouldn't mind witnessing this one on a man; I find The Cracked Bell to be a very clever and attractive scent.

 

Throw: 7/10 (rating). This is a fairly light scent in broadcast, but the strength of the oil stays steady for a reasonable space of a few hours.

 

Overall: 8.5/10 (rating). I find this such a unique scent that I ordered three bottles of The Cracked Bell before the Yule update was removed from the site.

 

Court

I write quite alot, and I find rosewood to be a motivator and producer (as well as good for calming down and focusing, etc, which is also something I often need when switching from a chaotic day to sitting down to write).

Fenris Wolf has a good strong rosewood component in it. Ouija is another blend with a good note of rosewood, but Ouija was unfortunately so faint it disappeared on my skin chemistry in minutes.

 

I also find that I work well with scents with resinous or wood components to produce focus and productivity. I find Thanatos works pretty well for this purpose, and its a fairly light-weight scent (so as not to be distracting) with a touch of green to it. Its non-floral as well.

 

The Cracked Bell has been by far the best scent for musing purposes that I've found yet, but its an Limited Edition blend, unfortunately.

 

I hope you find something that works for you

 

Court

Wet, upon application: At first, this is earth, patchouli and to a much lesser extent juniper and something else, dirty and raw. This stage brings to mind the scent of digging up the roots beneath a ripe, healthy tree, althrough this is a far more complex scent than that as well as being a quite different one. There is musk framing the earth, and a sweetened, pliable root-like note, possibly the Sampson Root?

Dry, Luperci is a much more wearable blend for me. The patchouli mellows pleasingly so as to allow other notes to better come into focus and the root note takes center stage. There is an impression of oakmoss somewhere deep beyond the patchouli, and I'd wish he'd come out and play with the root but unfortunately that doesn't seem likely happen. The musk is still dominant, and the patchouli has become a mellow base player in this blend, creating a delightfully dirty bed for the root. Now, if this root note is indeed Sampson Root, I have found a new infatuation, but that is another story entirely. The sweetness that is blossoming in this blend is harder to pinpoint than either the patchouli or the root, for this tapered sweetness peaks out from a tangle of the patchouli itself, and seems to be the work of not one but two culprits. Perhaps the ambrette seed and honey? I'm not quite sure because they're mingled so completely. The juniper in this is now present in the background, caught behind the bed of patchouli but peaking defiantly outward.

I would categorize this blend as leaning towards masculine in feel, but entirely wearable to either gender.

Throw: 7.5/10(rating). Moderate to Very Good throw. Broadcasts well and the strength of the oil remains steady for a decent amount of time. Traces of the scent typically linger for a good 12 hours or more.

Overall: 8/10 (rating). This develops into a darkly primal romp of sweetened roots and embracing earth dripping with virile resins. I could very well see the Horned God wearing this, Luperci's end result is fantastic and intoxicatingly evocative of such a beautiful energy. I don't usually buy more than one bottle of an LE blend, but Luperci well deserves the honor. This scent is a very unique one, and I'll gladly cherish my two bottles, its quite wonderful.

Court

I have a 10ml of this. It is my all time favorite bpal scent. Every note in this blend resonates well with my skin chemistry. My only qualm with Fenris Wolf is that the blend could last longer and broadcast stronger.

 

In the bottle: Dominant red sandalwood.

 

Wet, when first applied: Heavy red sandalwood sweetened by rosewood. Red Musk tends to develop into a minor note on my skin chemistry in most blends, and the same rule applies here; the note is in the background but detectable. The amber stays a minor player as well.

 

Drydown(5 to 10+ minutes after application): Within minutes this has primarily become a sleekly dry wood with a raw sweetened depth to it provided by the rosewood. When I inhale it, the scent seems multi-faceted somehow, and much more complex than just the combination of notes listed in the description, as if there are layers beneath the smooth red surface that I can only speculate on. The red sandalwood and rosewood are still dominant, and wonderous in their masterfully singular blending. There is a sort of strength to the oil that has both masculine and feminine counterparts, and yet holds neither, a sexual, chaotic and powerful force. There is nothing to fear when wearing this blend.

 

I would consider this scent a gender neutral one leaning towards the masculine side of things in feel, but one that could be easily worn depending more on individual tastes and skin chemistries rather than gender.

 

Throw: 7/10 (rating). Throw is fairly moderate, but the scent stays steady in strength for several hours after application. Any longer and I have to reapply, through.

 

Overall: 9/10 (rating). This has been my unbeatably favorite bpal blend for a very long time. It is sexy, woody, animalistic, powerful and red and I never have grown tired of it. I strongly identify with the color red, and this suits me perfectly as Fenris Wolf is the by far the best embodiment of the color I have found yet in a bpal oil. If your skin chemistry loves red sandalwood or even wood note based blends, I would definately reccomend this.

 

[Edit: aged Fenris Wolf is even better, and lasts longer (through still not as long as I'd like). The rosewood in aged Fenris Wolf is the most exquisite rosewood I've found yet, and while the red musk is slightly discordant with a fresh bottle, the note integrates beautifully when its been aged for a while. Pure heaven for this rosewood lover.]

 

Court

Not an oil, but have you tried taking vitamin B-12? I recently started to every morning and it has really helped.

Along that line of thought, I have occasionally taken two a day (during period) of Evening Primrose oil, and this has really helped hellish cramps/ feelings of muscle weakness (and etc, from heavy flow). Helps quite a bit more than what Pamprin or similiar stuff on the market does, atleast in my case anyway.

 

Court

This scent was a thru Forum purchase in hopes of finding something with any similiar note to Buck Moon, but what I found was something quite different.

 

Before drydown(wet, when first applied):

A very dry, almost to the point of being dusty, grassy earth smell, like the scent of dirt being shovelled onto tired, sun-baked plains of tall, crisped grass.

 

5-10 minutes in: Something much sweeter becomes prominent, a dry sort of fruity smell that rounds into a mellow musk, and the dried grass and earth components become far less distinct. This scent is softening in throw rather quickly on me, but I can detect a faint glimpse of amber now becoming steady (where as it wasn't readily detectable before drydown).

 

This scent does indeed seem to be quite the morpher, but the final product just isn't what I was looking for: A soft, dried-sweet musk with a nearly fruity component to it that is pleasant and uncomplicated.

 

Throw: Minimal throw, I have to press my nose to my wrist to smell it after only about 30 minutes.

 

Verdict: 6.0/10.0 (score). It was a worthwhile experience to test this, but I think this little imp is going to make his way to the swap/gift pile.

 

Court

Fallen and Fenris Wolf (as well as a few others, but its a mixed bag) actually become enhanced on my skin chemistry during that time of the month, which is really the only thing I look forward to.

Both are great for relaxing (as best you can) while waiting for the two tylenols to kick in and foot 15% of the bill.

 

Court

Fenris Wolf makes me want to "pick myself up".

I am another who tends to drift towards more masculine or gender neutral bpal blends. Blends with red sandalwood should be of note as well. Red sandalwood = sex. Also, wood notes in general are something I equate this with.

 

Here's my favorites:

 

Scents that come off as kind of powerful/dominant (but still female) sexy:

 

Bloodlust and the aforementioned Fenris Wolf

 

Scents that are what I would consider a very sexy kind of androgynous:

 

Thanatos

The Cracked Bell (Okay, I have a very strange fascination with this blend, I find it so cleverly complex. There is this metallic tang to it that I could spend countless hours trying to figure out. Words cannot describe. This, to me, is the ultimate androgynously sexy scent )

 

Court

It depends on the guy. Mine thinks fruity/sweet scents are the best thing ever, with lavender hitting a nostalgiacly sexy button because when we first met, my usual scent was straight lavender. Either one makes him go oooh in a good way. I've checked out the thread Court Analyst/Strategist recomended, and it really highlights that guys vary. A lot.

 

Kalli

 

Yes, it really does seem to vary guy to guy, unfortunately. However, I have found that I work best towards the goal of 'inspiring lust' (I love that phrase now, thanks ) with scents that make me feel sexy/confident/etc and in other words fit me as a person so as to play up my individuality, so to speak. (if that makes any sense, I am feeling very absentminded and therefore slightly nonsensical today ).

 

Court

My kind of title, there

 

But check out this thread, 'Which scent knocks men off their feet?' http://www.bpal.org/index.php?showtopic=5655 . You may find something you like there.

 

I find my personal best bet for using bpal for this purpose is to go with spicy, woody or musky scents (some of my favorites being Bloodlust, The Cracked Bell, Fenris Wolf, Sed Non Satiata) but your milage may vary depending on your skin chemistry and scent preferences.

 

Do you have any perfumes you really enjoy? Are they musky/sweet/dark/pink (ie, what scents do you tend to gravitate to?). You'll want to pick a scent that suits you and your personality, so I'll be able to give you a more certain reccomendation from there if I know what types of perfume you usually work best with.

 

I hope that helps!

 

Court

Bloodlust is my ultimate cinnamon scent...I have tried several others with dominant cinnamon in them as I love the note but have found nothing to compare with my adoration of Bloodlust

 

I didn't think cinnamon would be a dominant note from the description but it is very much so on my skin chemistry(and is a very strong component in the bottle as well)

 

Court

I am another adorer of amber.

 

Let's see (I'm going to mainly list a few of the scents that have amber as a very dominant note on my skin chemistry):

 

Old Scratch (delightfully dirty amber --very heavy amber note)

Jacob's Ladder (resin backed, warm ambery goodness)

Fallen (florals and woods back up a solid amber note with a darkened edge)

 

Court

Fenris Wolf: Darkly complex and powerful(primarily deep woods, red musk and resin, through strangely, I often get whiffs of incense-like qualities when wearing, but that could be the result of nose-confusion regarding resins/woods. I love all things red and this is a wonderful embodiment of this color from the world of bpal! But perhaps I am biased because this is my favorite scent ).

 

I'd also second sed non satiata for strength of throw/notes. That sucker is a long- laster if I ever saw one, and the one time I slathered accidentally... whoa that was strong(good, but strong) . It lasted through a full day, night, part of a day again, and a shower if I remember correctly.

 

Bloodlust is incredibly intense and sexy, another of my favorites. However it usually last about twelve hours when I do wear it, and has few incense qualities/resins/woods on me. Its primarily a very spicy blend with a dark bite to it. When I layer it with Sin, it lasts hours longer at a much higher strength than Bloodlust alone. Sin alone lasts about half the time on my skin chemistry than Bloodlust typically does. I find the blend has a different(but still spicy) feel to it than Bloodlust, a far less primary red and more earthily toned feel, if that makes sense, but also a much less complex blend (althrough that's not neccesarily a bad thing, I find Sin layers well with alot of other bpal scents).

 

Scherezade, unfortunately, disappeared within minutes on my skin chemistry .

 

--------

 

Court

I find The Cracked Bell very balancing(sort of a confident calm inducing scent).

Doesn't hurt that I love to smell it.

Also,

Thanatos (peace of mind, it helps me come down from being upset and gets me back on solid ground when I feel very wary, emotionally spent or just in need of a boost when feeling discouraged in life, for whatever reason).

I would reccomend Thanatos the most for fitting the bill you're describing, through, as The Cracked Bell is now harder to come by.

 

I hope you find the perfect scent to help you through this rocky period in your life

 

Court

Does anybody have any reccomendations for a scent that they find is similiar to Red Moon?

 

Any help would be very apprceciated

 

Court

Lately, Thanatos. A few weeks ago my bad day scent aid was Fenris Wolf, and before that, The Cracked Bell. I go through scents in cycles

 

Court