Spacekitty

I'm looking for something similar to Avon's discontinued Far Away Sensual Embrace. A friend of mine has hoarded bottles over the years, but is now running low. And it's ALL she ever wears. I was hoping to find a BPAL blend that is similar, but so far all I've come up with is other commercial perfumes.

Far Away Sensual Embrace is described as an Oriental Floral with notes of camellia, passion flower, amber, hibiscus, orchid and vanilla.

I think Cacharel's Amor Amor is similar scent-wise (by memory only, I can't compare as I no longer have Amor Amor), but the notes are pretty different.

Amor Amor is described as a fruity floral. The main notes are: pink grapefruit, mandarin, blood orange, Malati Flower (Malati is a very fragrant Indonesian Jasmine Sambac), lily-of-the-valley, white musk, sandalwood, vanilla and ambergris.

I also think Valentino V has a similar vibe, but also not so similar note-wise.

V is a woody, floral oriental with heliotrope, rose, and orange blossom, pink grapefruit, green fig, freesia, amber, mysore sandalwood, cedar and musk.

I'd be happy with recs that are of a similar tone - they don't need to have the exact same notes. But I would prefer to find her some BPAL rather than another designer fragrance.

 

 

I did a search, but came up empty. So I apologize if someone has asked this before and I couldn't find it.

 

Saint-Germain (St Germain) - I am dying for more or a recipe that is similar. Can anyone help?

I never would have thought this one would be so difficult to find!

Okay, I haven't been around for like, two years so I've missed a lot.

 

What's Dia and where can I find it?? I've literally looked everywhere.

Can I still get Harigata II?? I can put it in my cart but it was offered so long ago...

What about Tiki Princess - and what happened to the Atomic Lounge section?? I can't get in there. I thought they were GCs. Were they DC'd?

Where can I find Paduan Killer Swarm and Roses Pearls Diamonds?? I've never heard of either.

 

HELP!

 

I never ever thought I'd be so lost here. And with coconut blends, no less!

 

(To put my 2cents in... I love The Star. It's my fave coconut blend. I have a 10mL of it. However, it's SO limey that I can't wear it too much or get really sick of it. I need something more chillax and smooth... like suntan lotion but... not.)

Um, I don't want to compare apples to oranges (or big etailer perfumer to little etailer perfumer), but to me this scent - with its theme and components says, "If you steal from betray me, I'll steal from betray you - only I'll do it better so don't F with me".

 

Mort de Cesar is a wonderfully woody/spicy/sweet blend. It's dark and angry and hot and... violent. But beautiful the way a fire or electrical storm or well-choreographed kung-fu fight is violent and beautiful.

 

On me the clove is the most prominent, but not in the way that Three Witches was where it was almost one dimensional because there was so much spice and not much else. This one is definitely multi-dimensional (God, Beth just keeps getting better and better at her trade) and multi-layered. Every note plays off each other beautifully. I keep visualizing a three-dimensional equalizer, with the all the blend's components moving up and down and back and forth, helping each other and pushing each other around.

 

I'm not a huge fan of heavy spice scents, but this is incredible. This is what I was hoping Minotaur was going to be.

Was anyone else hoping this would be like Lush Karma?

Sadly, it's not (though I'm still looking for a smell-alike if anyone has any suggestions). Though it is nice, it's just a little too violet and not enough patchouli for me. It's still in the early stages, though, so I'll update after an hour or two.

I will say, though, that this is NOT Children's Tylenol "orange flavor" orange that most orange and orange blossom scents turn into for me. This stays pretty straight up citrus orange. Which is a total relief and a welcome change.

This is my mom's super delicious, super rich, super easy dump cake. I'm not kidding.

 

Recipe:

* 1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling

* 1 (15 ounce) can crushed pineapple

* 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

* 1 cup butter

 

1. Pour pie filling into bottom of a lightly greased pan, and on top of that pour the pineapple.

2. Sprinkle dry cake mix on top of pineapple.

3. Slice butter or margarine over cake mix.

4. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes.

 

Serve warm with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream on top.

Or just wear Drink Me.

The first time I tried it, I hated it. Mostly because my expectations were really high. I love the imagery and the very idea of the scent. I was hoping this was going to be my signature scent. Other than just being really disappointed, I don't even remember what it was that I hated about it. I actually don't think my nose was experienced or sophisticated enough then to wade through the complexity of this blend. So it was a total shock to me when it showed up again in this update and it screamed out to me to try it again. And I can't tell you how happy I am that I tossed the dice again - and with another whole bottle, no less!

 

It's so complex and multi-layered. It's the scent I could live in. It's what my fantasy world smells like. It's what my dreams smell like. It's comfy and mysterious and familiar and hazy and exotic and gawdy and shiny and swank and unusual and fascinating and jaded all at the same time. It's what I have lived my life trying to achieve: simultaneous high and low class.

 

When I think about how I want to smell in the morning or before I go out or whatever, this is not a scent that would come to mind. When I shop for perfumes or oils, this is not something I would pick out as a "treat" for myself or something I "wish" for. This is the scent I must wear. There is no question as to whether it's "me" or not or whether it fits an occasion. It's like, the perfect backdrop for my life.

 

This will become my signature scent. I want this scent to follow me everywhere. I want it around me everywhere I go.

 

I will be ordering more bottles of this. No question.

 

(FYI - My mom's signature scent - the scent of my childhood, the scent I attribute to her and to "comfort" and "love" - was YSL Opium.)

Thank god!

Or, rather, Thank Bill the Lab Rat!

 

I just got this from him on behalf of Customer Service at the Lab:

 

It won’t be a problem, you order will certainly be honored. Thank you for your inquiry!

Okay, so I have a question about PayPal.

 

Usually I just go to PP, fill out my order, it goes through, and within minutes the money has transfered from my bank account to PP to the lab.

 

THIS time, however, I get an email saying my payment has been "initialized," and that it can take 3 to 4 days for me e-check to clear. On my main PP page, it still says the two payments I made yesterday are "uncleared"....

 

What did I do wrong? If the money doesn't get to the lab on time (I made an order of Pirate Moon stuff!), did I miss my chance, even though I placed the order yesterday? It says the expected clearing time is October 2! How do I get my account to go back to doing direct transfers? WILL I EVER GET SMELLIES AGAIN? The horror! D:

 

The same thing happened to me! I didn't mean for it to come out of the bank - I had funds!

 

Anyway, the Lab isn't responding to my frantic emails.

 

Can someone please help us? I'm considering placing another order (And it's a $200 order!) and putting it on my credit card just to make sure the order goes through before the Moons and LEs are taken down.

I've got another one (because I just tried it for the first time)!

 

Island by Michael Kors : Caliban

 

(But Caliban is MUCH better!)

I totally get Lolita Lempicka when I wear Australian Copperhead.

As others have said - Xiuhtecuhtli is very Thierry Mugler Angel

Imp smells like Chopard's Casmir (on me - on my friend Imp smells like Angel)

I get Issey Miyake L'eau D'Issey with Urania.

Carnaval Diabolique is similar to Fresh's Sugar scents.

Whip is the BPAL rose that's closest to Stella's rose on me.

 

Dragon Moon had a very Jil Sander/LaCoste "feel" to me.

Midway was a much more complex and multi-dimensional Aquolina Pink Sugar.

And Venom was totally Poison.

This is hilarious. This smells exactly like my basement tiki bar (or like me after 5 hours of mixing cocktails). It's fresh juices and booze.

 

I LOVE THIS!

As I took my first sniff I started to breathe in and just instinctively opened my nostrils wider to get a bigger taste - making me look exactly like the bottle label. It made me chuckle as the bottle is sitting across from me on my desk, staring me down.

 

This is a big BIG scent. Big and heavy and hot and ballsy. I wouldn't say it's masculine (although I will be trying this on the dude later)... but it's got a nice big shot of testosterone. I like sixthsentinel's use of the word "threatening". It's that, but I also get a little bit of a confrontation. Instead of just, "Don't F with me" - it's also a little bit of, "Come on, F with me - I DARE YOU".

 

It's sexy (obviously), and dark and heavy (like other reviewers have said). But one word that keeps beating around in my brain - and I apologize - is 'PENETRATING'. To me, this is a club scent. This is the kind of BPAL scent I would have hated in the first year of my BPAL experience when I was more into foodie vanillas and fruity florals (not that I'm NOT into those anymore. I've just since branched out.), but now - holy balls - all this resin is making my heart skip.

I was holding my breath on this one. I HAD to love it. My husband and I were married on April Fools, so the day holds a lot of meaning for us.

 

This scent, sorry, is just so fricking CUTE. It's bright and cheery and duh, springy (of course), but it's just so damned adorable. Like a little stuffed turtle -or jellyfish- you just want to give it a big hug. It's bottled giddiness and silliness and cuddles. (Which totally sums up our marriage. ) It's a little sweet, but mostly just bright and floral and sunny and fun. This is a mood-enhancer. I simply can't see myself wearing this and feeling blue.

 

So YAY! This is beyond all my expectations and desires. This is perfectly April Fools. Me LOVEY!

Okay so...

 

What about a rec for a 70's-style black & white wrap dress paired with bright red 60's-style bangles and beads? It's like, Diane MOD Furstenberg. (oh lord.)

 

I was thinking Vixen, but maybe that's too obvious a choice?

Hm. I never thought I'd get this excited about a clean scent, but I absolutely adore Ibis.

 

Firstoff, I can't pick out notes. To me, it's just sweet (not "candy sweet" or "foodie sweet") and fresh. And clean.... sort of. It's def gender neutral. I will be testing this theory out on the husband later, but I suspect this will work out JUST FINE on him.

 

It is the perfect scent for those ghastly summer days when your makeup migrates, your hair goes flat and your clothes start sticking to you - after a mere 10 minute car ride to work. You look and feel gross and it's not even 8am. BUT... at least you smell fresh!

 

Secondly, this LASTS! It almost intensifies throughout the day. It's much stronger now - five hours after application - than it was when it was wet. SO AWESOME.

 

I rarely do the "can't stop sniffing my arms" thing (especially at work - where I should be working and not sniffing my arms or uh.. not.. writing.. perfume.. reviews). But seriously, I love this.

 

I must get a bottle of this. Or two. Minnesota summers suck worse than the winters.

 

And to quickly defend my Snake Oil choice... isn't giving Snake Oil to a BPAL virgin in the rule book somewhere?

 

I don't know... I HATED snake oil for the first couple of years I came to love bpal. I like it now, especially as a base to make other things last longer, but it took a while to acquire a love for it. I also was floored to find the patchouli scents that have NOT been mentioned here, smelled NOTHING like the patchouli I know and love. Beth uses it for a lot of different blends, but it is only true to form in the ones I have seen mentioned here.

 

YOU TOO?? When I first tried SO I was like, "What's the big deal?!?" But then it totally grew on me and now I couldn't live without it. And, it is the perfect base for cocktailing/layering (hence the Snake Pit).

Wow, everyone! Thank you!

 

I find it very interesting what "real" patchouli lovers enjoy (compared to someone like me who only really likes patchouli when it's well-blended). I have tried the Coiled Serpent a few times and I just can't get into it, but I'll dig around and see if I can find one for her. From your recs today and from the recs from previous patchouli topics, it remains high on the must-haves list for patchouli fans.

 

I do have Masquerade, Malice and Malediction... and Mr. Jacquel so I'll have to reconsider those. Crap. You guys are making this more difficult! LOL!

 

And to quickly defend my Snake Oil choice... isn't giving Snake Oil to a BPAL virgin in the rule book somewhere?

I'm trying to enable a friend who pretty much only wears patchouli oil. Every day. I'm hoping to give her the most diverse bunch of BPAL patchouli blends I can. And, as wonderful as they are, I don't want to give her too many similar-smelling smutty, sexy, spicy blends. (I'm just not sure she'd be able to tell the difference.) To prevent overwhelming her, I think I'd like to keep it around 10 imps.

 

I went through the patchouli recs topics and found that these were the top ten forum faves (in order of most recommended, cause I'm a dork):

 

Sin

Vixen

Anne Bonny

Depraved

Urd

Tez

Snake Oil

Imp

Greed

Ravenous/Vechernyaya (tied)

 

The only two I don't have are Greed & Vechernyaya. But I do have:

 

Lust

The Caterpillar

Voodoo

Wanton

Tweedledum

and Bloodlust (Which, oddly, wasn't mentioned in any of the patchouli recs topics, but I love it so there. )

 

I also have Asp Viper, Mme. Moriarty, Smut, Snake Charmer and Luperci - all LEs that *I* think are fun and interesting patchouli blends - but I'm hesitant to give them to her knowing many of them are no longer available.

 

So... how would you choose? I think I only need help filling the last 5 or 6 spots because I'm pretty sure Snake Oil, Sin, Vixen, Tez and Imp are going in for sure.

 

Thanks!

Jesus. This one just jumped out of the bottle at me and started smacking me repeatedly over the head with musk. Good for me - musks like me.

 

But then it quickly turns from MUSK! to Old Lady and then Headshop on me - which is weird because there's no "traditional" old lady/headshop notes listed: heady florals, patchouli, incense, etc. - it stays that way for over an hour. Are these the unguents? Must be.

 

Another change happens. Fast and strange.

 

I start to get slight intermittent wafts of the caramel over the hippie smell but that might just be the power of suggestion and/or my imagination. It doesn't last long. It's replaced by the very sharp and sickly honey note that never works on me and then turns into something distinctly woody - fresh woody like trying to tear a stubborn young branch off an old tree.

 

At two hours it's green and herbal and incensey..... and then the musk reappears, soft and sweet.

 

I never get Smut. (I luuuurve Smut so I was hoping to get it's little sister.) I never get O. Luperci, maybe. But this is totally a Love scent to me. It's very complex and I admire it, but I don't think I can wear it.

Wow. WOW.

 

With lightning speed, this one shot to the top of my favorites list.

 

This is one of those blends I'm terrified to describe. I just know that I love it and any words I use will not do it justice. The visual I get is one that will not conjure up anything remotely appealing (something similar to how habuchan labeled it), so I won't share that. And I can't pick out a single note because on my skin they all just meld together as one perfect scent.

 

It's warm, yet bright. It's sexy, yet comforting. It's mysterious and mystifying.

 

I love it. LOOOVE it. This will not be my only bottle of this.

My grandma passed away just over a year ago. Upon her request, my husband and I bought her house when she died. So I think about her a lot. I'm typing this in the room I used to sleep in when my parents were away. I'm currently in the process of installing a shower in the bathroom because my grandma never took showers - only baths. And she would only use one bar of soap - Sweetheart soap.

 

She scoured the earth to find those soft pink oval bars long after they'd been taken off the market. My first memory of her is of her giving me baths with Sweetheart Soap. The first gift I can remember her giving me was Sweetheart Soap. The first lecture she gave me was about how important it is to care for your skin and how Sweetheart Soap was so gentle.

 

I don't know what the notes or components are in this blend. What I do know is that Dove's Heart is Sweetheart Soap. It is the scent of my grandma. I miss her very much. I think of her everyday in this house... but her scent is fading, being replaced by ours.

 

Dove's Heart is much more than just a perfume oil to me. It's a million memories, it's comfort, it's a hug, it's a warm bath, it's part of my childhood.

 

Thank you Beth.

Crap. CRAP!

 

This one hurt. As soon as I read the description, I LOVED the idea of this one and one sniff from the cap made me think I was right to buy a bottle.

 

But then I tried it on my skin. At first, flowers. The carnation was easy - it was the boldest. Then jasmine - sharp jasmine. Thankfully, I don't mind jasmine. I smelled something sweet - which I assumed to be the vanilla flower. I could sense, if not smell, the lavender. I'm not a huge fan, but it just kind of wisped through the rest. When the amber finally started to warm it was so lovely, they blended so nicely, so uniquely. Except... something in the background - something sharp and weird started coming on stronger and stronger...

 

Pickles. PICKLES? And salty chips. Like salt and vinegar chips, but more sour. Yeahbutnobut nailed it when she said crisps and brine. After about 15 minutes all I get is Old Dutch Dill Pickle Chips.

 

I really need to stop my habit of buying any scent with the word "crystalline" in the description. Most of them work, but the ones that don't are dreadful.

Oh gosh. My first review in AGES. After almost three years, I'm actually writing my second review!!! LOL!

 

Here goes:

 

I received CT III: CCCXC in a swap in exchange for CT III: II (which, to my nose was grass and chocolate). The other reviewers said it was similar to Dial soap. I totally get that. At first.

 

I'd describe CCCXC as a warm, but fresh herbal musk. I believe there's a touch of citrus or tea but mainly something herbal or light floral - and possibly grass.

 

Clean, sweet, soft, unisex.

 

So basically, yeah: Dial soap.

 

But then... after about 10 minutes a weak anise note comes out. It kind of sings above the herbal sweetness and makes it so much more unique than it starts. But it's so faint sometimes I think I'm imagining it.

 

On me, this blend just isn't bold enough. And while I love the anisey/spicey note, my skin just barely registers it. On someone else - someone whose skin works with anise and spice - I bet this would be really lovely.

 

Last reviewed by Reedsong.

This is totally helping me think of ways to pimp the BPAL! For some reason it's been hard to sell to people.

 

Me: I know how much you love Jo Malone products. I think you'll LOVE this scent - it reminds me of her - and your - style.

Victim: You want me to wear something called Embalming Fluid?!

Me: Okay, how about Sudha Segara - it's ginger & milk. Simple. Elegant. Totally Jo.

Victim: Why would I want to smell like a cigar?

 

 

Also, I don't think I posted this yet, but a while back I was searching for a scent similar to Issey Miyake's L'eau d'Issey. I found it - House of Mirrors!

 

(Sorry, tart. I know this isn't what you meant but I can't think of anything now.)