Vega

The Carpathian Mountains (an old Halloweenie LE) smells like an alpine forest, although it might stray too much to the herbal-medicinal side.

 

The Snow Storm (Yule LE) is the quintessential evergreen forest. Yule (yes, that's its name - from the Yules LE catalogue) is the same evergreen forest, but colder.

Sniffed: Gentle and bright. Light resins mingled with fruity sweetness and dry floral.

 

On skin: This is one of those scents where I can distinguish all the individual notes, yet smell how they are combining into a more complex, well-blended perfume. Light frankincense (lighter than what I'm familiar with) forms the dry, resin-sweet base. Pineapple clearly contributes the juicy fruity sweetness; the florals are bright and "yellow", and I can distinguish the gentle, spicy brightness of my beloved Roman chamomile. The blend is rounded out with a breath of spice from cinnamon and a hint of herbal-ness from bay laurel. The resulting scent is dry, warm and sweet with a little spicy edge, and gets more airy with drydown, increasing in depth and body but still remaining light and gentle. Indeed, Solar Phoenix evokes a benevolent Sun, warm and life-giving, not at all scorching or harsh. Yeahbutnobut above captures it perfectly in her review: this is a lazy afternoon lying on the grass outdoors; a laid-back, happy Sun.

 

Colour impression is pure yellow-gold with a muted sheen. Solar Phoenix reminds me of Copper Phoenix, which is a similar resin/fruit/floral blend that is richer and more fruity. (I no longer have Copper Phoenix so can't do a comparison.)

 

Verdict: The more I test Solar Phoenix, the more I love it. I think it's a perfect scent for summer: it evokes the season, but is light enough to wear in hot weather. I think it has benefited from some aging, and will continue to age well. Thank you so much to my Switch Witch for gifting me a bottle!

Berry Moon 2011 has "brandy" listed in its notes. The notes list has lots of berries, but alcohol is definitely the dominant note here.

The Kingdom of Sweets (from the Nutcracker Yule a few years back) is all sugar and candy. I second Velvet Unicorn and Boo as well.

No one has recommended Joyful Moon? It is floral/vanilla sweet, and feels delicate, graceful, gentle and airy. I think it is the quintessential wedding scent.

 

When I think of a bride at a wedding, I guess I think of delicate and gentle floral/fruity scents, or scents with "white" or "pale" colour impressions. From the GC, I think Titania, Helena, Endymion and Amsterdam would be great.

Sniffed: Dark, heady roses deepened by myrrh, and the other notes.

 

On skin: Black rose is the showcase note, floating upon the solemn base of resins and guiacwood. If "black" is meant to evoke darkness, these are indeed the darkest, richest roses I've ever smelled in any BPAL perfume, And yet it remains warm and definitely feminine. Overall, Miss Jessell is full-bodied and gentle, deep dark roses mingling with gloomy resins... and a distinctly sharp, sour greenness. Reading the other reviews in this thread, it must be from guiacwood.

 

Alas, this completely spoils the blend. Miss Jessell is simple but evocative: calm, soft, melancholy, sunk into an enfolding gloom. --Then this wet, sour, freshly-broken-branch-greenness strikes a harshly dissonant chord amidst this harmony of rose and resins. The guiac seems to emerge more on warmer body parts, but even on cool skin it remains just out of reach, threatening to spoil the scent.

 

Colour impression is an exceedingly dark purple-black.

 

Verdict: What a pity, what a disappointment! Miss Jessell would've been such a wonderful blend, if guiacwood wasn't present. Then again, it may be delibrate: I haven't read The Turn of the Screw so I don't know anything about the character Miss Jessell, but if the scent is anything to go by, she is a melancholy, genteel, lovely lady with a biting or fickle side. Evocative, but sadly I won't be keeping my bottle.

Sniffed: A burst of dewy, juicy, pale-green sweetness, backed by a soft pale note strongly reminiscent of white musk.

 

On skin: There are many notes in Titania and I can't distinguish any single one: they are all blending together to make a glorious cornucopia of fruit and florals. Lush, heady-sweet, very wet and dewy, rounded without any sharp edges. These airy notes are anchored by a very soft base note that can only be white musk, even though it's not listed. This base note gives the blend a feeling of gloom and gentle darkness, that contrasts very well with the brighter florals. The sparkling juiciness burns off quickly with drydown, and it becomes musky and soft with fruity sweetness. It has significant sillage for such an airy scent. (Once I was also testing Iago on my other wrist, and that villain was quite drowned out by the faerie queen!)

 

I can only describe Titania as a green-white scent -- indeed, my colour impression is luminous moonstone glistening with water droplets. I'm reminded of Endymion, Helena and 51, and maybe Moonshine and Mist, all of which are similar dewy fruit-florals. (All long swapped so I can't compare them.)

 

 

Verdict: As with the other Illyria scents, Titania is perfect for its namesake: the Queen of the Faeries glimpsed by night, adorned with flowers and fruit, filled with laughter, regal yet gossamer. It's a lovely, complex fruity-floral perfume, quite perfect for summer. I happen to be greatly lacking in light, summery scents, so I'm definitely keeping my imp.

Another perfume with "globules" is Pomegranate IV (from Halloweenie 2011 I believe) -- it definitely comes from the cocoa note. I need to mix my bottle thoroughly prior to applying, otherwise the cocoa just sits on the bottom!

Another hot summer night Down Under, and I wore Kumari Kandam to bed. So cool and earthy. I definitely wear it more during hot weather, and I think it's my favourite summer scent.

Sniffed in imp, cinnamon floating over discreet green herbs. On skin, cinnamon screaming over vanished herbs. And that is all I can smell. Straight to swaps it goes!

I would add RPG Neutral, Ivanushka, and maybe Coyote.

You might like BPAL blends containing "chocolate peppermint" -- the chocolate/cocoa notes warm and contrast with cooler mint. (I went through a phase where I was crazy for choc/mint blends.) Monster Bait: Tokyo Stomp is the perfect specimen, where chocolate and mint contrast beautifully with each other. Dark Chocolate, Lime and Chocolate Mint (Lupercalia) is similar and also lovely. If you want something more complex, try WILF, which does have a mint touch, though it blends with all the other notes.

 

And I recommend Green Tree Viper too!

I tend to like scents that give a mental impression of the ocean rather than smelling like actual ocean/beach, but I second Calico Jack -- it smells like salt water spray on a ship's deck. I also recommend Caliban (from GC Illyria), which reminds me of the smell of wrack and driftwood cast up on the beach.

Sniffed: Nothing but dirty patchouli.

 

On skin: This is not the rooty, gentle, smooth patchouli of Banshee Beat that I like. This is the glowing, sharp, pungent patchouli that's also in Masquerade, Rakshasa and Omen -- the patchouli that I really don't like. The other three notes are contributing a breath of warm, foodie sweetness, but their voices are wholly drowned out by this dominating patchouli. Truly, there is nothing subtle about this scent: it's loud, brash and unashamed (and unwashed if I may add), quite appropriate for the Occupy Wall Street movement, even though patchouli is doing all the screaming. Over time the scent does settle a bit, and if I huff deeply I can reach down to some gritty tobacco and sweet vanilla and cocoa. But by that time the scent is thoroughly destroyed. Colour impression is dirt-brown with a pink touch.

 

Verdict: What a shame. These four notes sounded so very promising together, but the patchouli had to ruin everything. I won't be keeping this.

Sniffed: Leather upon vetiver. The black musk is so deep that I can't even smell it.

On skin: Iago is ferociously dominant, almost vulgar in the way it hits me over the head with its brazen notes. It's mostly a leather and vetiver show, with black musk the discreet base note. Burnt, acrid vetiver is initially prominent, but smoothens out in the drydown and mingles with the smooth, flat black leather note. And there the scent remains, dark and gritty and inorganic. Both notes are quite one-dimensional to my nose: black leather is flat and inorganic, vetiver is gritty and burnt. I get a visual impression of black leather, of both matte and shining varieties, layered next to each other.

Verdict: I never expected to like Iago, and certainly, it's way too inorganic, masculine and overpowering for me.

I'm in Australia, and today is an oven-hot day, high 30s Celsius (pushing 100F), can't get away from this heat that sucks all the moisture and energy out of you. *pants*

 

Unfortunately I have more warming than cooling scents, but I do have: Parsifal, Kumari Kandam, Green Tree Viper, Tokyo Stomp, Titania, Transeo, Water of Notre Dame. I guess these will have to tide me over the whole summer!

I don't like wine, but love plum.

 

Berry Moon 2011 gave off a whiff of berries before going all boozy on me, but it may work for you!

 

On the other hand, Countess Willie was a perfect balance of amaretto and plum musk (and spices), and is one of my favourite scents.

 

I haven't tried Bette Noir, it only has plum and no wine, but it may work too.

Countess Willie! A more refined, discreet version of Bordello -- perhaps the madam of said bordello!

 

ETA: Surprised no one has mentioned Tombeur. That is the embodiment of seductive.

Sniffed: Very gentle and floral, with an almost imperceptible depth.

 

On skin: I can barely smell this. Somewhat sweet in a fruity, rich floral way, but I can't smell much of it. Maybe I'm getting pomegranate, musk, red sandalwood and tobacco, but it's vague. Reminds me a lot of Red Lace -- many notes in common. Gets stronger over time, now it's gentle, rich and fragrant. All the notes are working beautifully together. Gentle, fruity, floral over a deep dark base. Smooth, cozy, rounded, gentle and friendly. Colour impression is deep red tinged with purple.

 

Verdict: Lovely, gentle and beautiful, though it's so very faint! May just miss out on needing a decant... but I definitely have to test it again.

Herr Drosselmeyer, perhaps? Doesn't smell of books, but it feels like being curled up in a rocking chair with a blanket and book, in front of a fireplace on a winter night.

 

Also, Mr. Ibis. It has a parchment note similar to Philologus and Miskatonic University, but is also lightly resin-sweet and my favourite out of all the parchment/book-themed scents.

Scent: Huffing the sheets right after spraying, all I smell is pomegranate, deeply rich and juicy, and so sweet it almost seems artificial. Then I notice a dry, cold edge that may be coming from the mint and aconite, and perhaps a dry wood. However, the complexity emerges when I stand back and smell the room: now I can make out how the myriad other notes (especially the florals) are contributing to the scent complexity, although I can't identify them individually. By and large, the "showcase" notes are juicy red pomegranate, freezing mint and bitter aconite.

 

Overall feel: This is a gorgeous scent. I like the pomegranate note, and love this juxtaposition of the red juicy fruit with the biting coldness of the other notes. The Orchards of Hell is cold and dry, yet rich and full-bodied; distinctively feminine in a queenly way. Yet it has a forlorn, bleak ambience to it. I'm put in mind of a sorrowful queen walking in a fruit orchard, in a cold, drear underworld. Colour impression is very dark crimson and scarlet brocade and damask.

 

Throw/Longevity: Strong throw that fills the room. It lasts about a full day; the deep red scent is the last to go.

 

Verdict: This is the first BPTP room spray that I've tried, and I fell in love on the first spray. The Orchards of Hell is darkly feminine with a "Goth" feel; it evokes sombre, melancholy royalty, immortality forgotten in time. I use it on cold days, and when I want a contemplative atmosphere -- which is often. I love having a room that matches my favourite moods! This is worth a full bottle for sure.

Scent: Huffing the sheets right after spraying -- Fae Forest is quite fresh and frigid, almost sparkling in coldness. I can't pick out individual notes, but they are all combining to create an airy green-forest scent with a minty-evergreen quality.

 

Overall feel: This is an ancient pine forest shrouded in cool mist and twilight. Mystic, ethereal and faery-touched; not unfriendly, but not warmly welcoming either. Quite an otherworldly scent that evokes wonder and glamour. Colour impression is deep emerald green, obscured by fog, with pinpricks of sparkling faery light. Fae Forest is practically Moon of Small Spirits in room spray form.

 

Throw/Longevity: Initially has a strong throw and bold presence, but this is short-lived. If I spray it at night just before bedtime, the scent is all but vanished by morning. Well, this definitely fits its name!

 

Verdict: I love evergreen-forest blends like Moon of Small Spirits and The Snow Storm, so I'm in love with Fae Forest. In fact, now that I can make my whole room smell like a forest, I may not need those the perfumes anymore...

Many thanks to angelamaria for swapping and enabling me onto this gorgeous room spray!

Sniffed: Fresh, sweet greenery touched with a breath of a cool floral. Very similar to Moon of Small Spirits and The Darkling Thrush.

 

On skin: A simple and lovely green forest scent: cool, lush, verdant and sweet, neither piney/evergreen nor damp and dirty. There is a touch of something woody-floral that I can't identify -- perhaps the alder leaf. If rose is in here, it's too imperceptible for me to make out. Dublin is very muted and subdued, and quite faint on skin. embodies a misty forest: gentle, cool, blue-green and a bit vague in impression. Colour impression is lush green washed out lightly with blue-grey mist.

 

I death-matched Dublin with Moon of Small Spirits and The Darkling Thrush -- all three scents are virtually identical, but Dublin is gentler and lighter, while the other two (especially Moon) are more intense and lush. I think it embodies a mystic, Sidhe-touched forest, compared to the more down-to-earth forests in the other two scents.

 

Verdict: Dublin has been on my wishlist since I first discovered BPAL, so I'm very grateful to my Switch Witch for getting me a tester. I'm also glad that it was quite similar to other green-forest scents that I already love and have more of. Still, I'm so thankful that I got a chance to test this rare blend!

Sniffed: Spicy-resinous-musky-floral warm and sweet.

 

On skin: I can definitely smell the carnation -- a red, rich and sweet floral -- mixed with gentle spices, warm musk, and a hint of rich red sandalwood undercutting everything. Cassia (cinnamon) tends to overwhelm other notes, so I'm thankful that it's barely perceptible here. Morocco is dry, warm, rich and smooth (stops short of being syrupy), gently feminine and exotic. Recognizably in BPAL's Middle-Eastern category -- other scents with the same feel are Bathsheba, Scherezade, Baghdad and Three Brides -- and reminds me of standing just outside a desert city in the late afternoon, with spices and scents wafting on the warm wind from the bazaars. Morocco is very similar to Baghdad, but is gentler, smoother and richer. Both are wonderful variations on the Middle-Eastern city. Colour impression is the pink-salmon-gold of a sandy desert in the sunset.

 

Verdict: Now I understand why Morocco is so popular and loved, for it is truly a beautiful scent. However, it stops just short of being exceptional, especially since it's so similar to Baghdad, which I already love very much. If I found Morocco earlier in my BPAL experience, I may have bought a bottle; nevertheless I will hang on to my imp.

Sniffed: Pale leather with a metallic sheen.

 

On skin: Ah, the scent now opens up on my skin and becomes something beautiful. Leather is still the dominant note, but I can smell sweet vanilla and musk mingling and softening it. Metal adds a cold sheen to the other notes but is thankfully very subdued. Paladin is mainly a showcase of white leather embellished with the other notes. I must say, this white leather accord is quite gorgeous: it has the characteristic polished, inorganic quality that I've associated with BPAL's leather notes, but this is less coldly synthetic than black leather, and smoother and less gritty than brown leather. Paladin is dry, airy, austere yet gently sweet -- gallant and romantic, and I can imagine a paladin (of either sex) wearing this easily. (Sadly, it's faint and fades quite quickly.) Colour impression is radiant, pure white.

 

Verdict: A lovely, worthy member of the RPG series: elegantly simple and beautiful. Paladin is my second favourite RPG class (after cleric), but if paladins smell this good, I might just play them more often! It's my favourite blend out of the RPGs.