Jump to content
Post-Update: Forum Issues Read more... ×
BPAL Madness!

ajansuz

Members
  • Content Count

    1,382
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by ajansuz

  1. ajansuz

    Imp

    This was a lab frimp. They have been hitting home runs with the frimps lately, I have to say. So often things smell very different on me between the wrist and the crook of my arm. I'll start with the vial. It really smelled a lot more like red musk to me, possibly because of the fruit. In the vial I could not say that was peach. It just registered as sweet with some dirty patch to ground it a bit. On me wet is when it became a pretty loud peach at my wrist, and more amber and patch in the crook of my arm. It was a little too sweet for me at first. The dry down is magical. Juicy at my wrist, dryer in the crook of my arm. There is low throw with this but good staying power. In the latter stages is when the amber warmed up. I suppose all throughout I could tell there was musk, but it was really subtle, and the patch was subtle, too, not the strong patch of Malediction or #occupywallstreet. This is a very playful, morphing scent. I don't need a bottle, but I will fully enjoy my imp of Imp.
  2. ajansuz

    Isychia

    I'm not familiar with blue tansy or elemi notes. I can smell the ylang ylang. Unfortunately for me when I open the bottle and on my skin I get strong Lemon Pledge. If I can make myself not wash it off and let it calm down, I'll come back for an edit, but at the moment, I smell like a well oiled antique table.
  3. ajansuz

    Ehon Karanishiki

    Not gonna lie, I bought this for the strawberry, and it did not disappoint. This is some seriously juicy, in your face strawberry, like fruit, not candy. On me, no particular floral jumped out at all. They stayed a background to the fruit, and I only smelled vanilla after several hours. This throws like nobody's business. I felt like I was thrown smack dab into early summer. If I hadn't loved the peach so much in Alleviate the Frenzy, this would have won as my favorite Lupercalia offering this year.
  4. ajansuz

    Cheerful Oxen

    This really does give the impression of a big, warm, brown animal in a barn, minus any unpleasant smells that imagery might conjure. I adore it when I first put it on, but sadly, after about 3 hours it just kind of goes weirdly generic men's cologne. Dwarf did the same thing on me. I'm not sure what note in particular or what specific combination makes that happen. It's not even bad men's cologne, but there's no character to it by that point.
  5. ajansuz

    Alleviate the Frenzy

    God, this is so sexy. The peach is a very juicy, true fruit peach, and thankfully, it stayed that way on my skin. The whole blend is so lovely and sensual. This amber did not go powdery on me at all. The musk is like skin musk, there but not at all forward. I get a bit of throw from this. It lasts and lasts. And even though there's no mention of honey in this, there is something very reminiscent of O lurking in the background. This has instantly jumped up to one of my favorites for me, only a little bit behind The Infernal Lover.
  6. ajansuz

    Raccoon Moon 2020

    This one is a mighty morpher. In the bottle, I could smell mostly frosty evergreen, and when I put it on at first that was what came out. It was a very foresty scent but not foreboding like some of the lab's evergreen blends can be. However, when the musk came out, it took on a decidedly sexual note. This was a seriously dirty musk on me. I don't mean that in a negative way. It was sexy and playful. I wore it to work once and got hit on by several patrons that day. That was the end of wearing this to work! Good date night blend, if you know what I mean.
  7. ajansuz

    Milk Moon 2020

    This is so gorgeous. In the bottle, it's largely milk and fig with an undercurrent of honey. On me, my skin amps the honey like woah. It takes a while for anything else to assert itself. After a few hours, it's very creamy fruit with just a subtle whiff of something woody under it. I was never able to pick out any of the wood notes individually. It felt a little bit like wearing a cozy, worn in cardigan. I think I'll save this scent for when I'm feeling melancholy or under the weather as it's such a bright, comforting pick-me-up.
  8. ajansuz

    Cardamom & Coconut

    This is SO delicious. I am so glad that the cardamom holds its own against the coconut on my skin. It keeps it from being suntan oil. It has good throw, and it lasts such a long time. Sweet and spicy without being too gourmand. Thankfully, my skin tends to love both the coconut husk and the other kind of coconut the lab uses. It turns out so warm and inviting. This was another one that my usually coconut averse husband said he really liked on me. He could tell it was coconut, but the cardamom blended with it in a way he found very agreeable.
  9. ajansuz

    Bourbon Vanilla & Yellow Carnation

    When I was a little girl, my neighbors down the street gave me a "grown up" bottle of carnation perfume. I loved, loved, loved that perfume and wore it until I used up the small bottle, then kept the bottle until I could no longer smell a trace of the perfume inside it. I was truly hoping to evoke that with this, and to a small extent it did. It is a lovely, spicy carnation. I feel like the vanilla tamed it too much too quickly, and sadly, my skin eats this alive. It never lasts longer than two hours on me and has no throw whatsoever.
  10. ajansuz

    Whiskey & Apple

    This smells very much like apple flavored whiskey, both in the bottle and on skin. It wasn't knock your socks off boozy or so in your face alcoholic that I didn't feel comfortable wearing it to work, and I receive many compliments whenever I wear it. The apples are more green apple than red. Not a lot of throw, decent lasting power. This is more unisex than other apple scents I've tried from the lab. My husband tried it and really liked it, too. On him the whiskey came out much stronger. I amped apples.
  11. ajansuz

    Jonquil & Poet's Narcissus

    This is pure spring. It made me feel very fresh and hopeful. I can't say that perfumes often evoke true feelings or emotions for me, but this one did. Every time I wear it, it makes me happy. It is really true to the floral scents, too. On me it has medium throw and lasts for several hours without any morphing. What I smell in the bottle is what I get on my skin.
  12. ajansuz

    Violet & Pale Woods

    This is really pretty and subtle. The dry woods don't make themselves known until on my skin for about a half hour. The violet is a very juicy violet, a little green. The woods anchor this and keep it from getting overly sentimental or old lady-ish. It doesn't last too long on me. That's my only real complaint. By hour three, it's gone.
  13. ajansuz

    Nag Champa and Neroli

    This only sort of works on me. On first application, the neroli takes on a sickening sort of sweetness and clashes horribly with the nag champa. After maybe an hour or so it dries down to something more incense-y and pleasant, but it never fully gets there. I hope aging calms it down a little. I usually like neroli. Not sure what it is about this in particular that makes it so aggressive.
  14. ajansuz

    Red Amber & Oud

    This is wonderful. It goes almost incense-y on my skin, very woodsy, smokey and rich. Weirdly enough, it almost has a red musk quality to it but a bit softer. Moderate throw. It lasts forever on me. I went to bed wearing it and woke up still able to smell it the next morning. No weird "poo" notes or anything like that. This is something I'd wear out to a nice dinner (when I'm doing that sort of thing again) or on a date. My husband really loved this on me, too.
  15. ajansuz

    Blueberries, Cream, & Cardamom

    Oh, if only what the bottle promised was what my skin delivered! The blueberry in the bottle is incredible. It truly smells like fresh blueberries with a hint of cream and spice, and other cardamom blends have done well for me in the past. In fact Gypsy was the very first bottle of BPAL I ever bought and is still gorgeous on my skin all these years later. This was blueberry for all of a hot minute and then something incredibly plastic and fake smelling. Almost acrid. It kept that acrid quality for well over three hours, only finally eventually deciding to let some of the blueberry back up for air. The throw was big, too. Several hours later, I was left with something a little spicy and...OK. Not worth the stage it went through to get there. I'll probably use this in a scent locket instead, since I love the scent. Just not on me.
  16. ajansuz

    White Gardenia & Vanilla Cream

    This is such a gorgeous, true to flower gardenia scent. The vanilla is creamy and lovely and anchors it well. I just want to inhale my wrist all day with this on. Decent throw, lasts a long time, and it doesn't change much from bottle to skin on me, even after drying. This is such a well balanced floral. Adult but not old.
  17. Lately, I've just decided to go for broke trying some new florals, and this one makes me so glad that I did. Fortunately, the lab's jasmine has always played nice on my skin. I wasn't worried about it pulling the cat pee note some jasmines do on me. I'm from the deep South in the US, and I know the scent of all three of these flowers very well. It is very true to them all, and no one note really rises to prominence over the others on my skin. The throw isn't nearly as loud as you'd expect. It's a fairly close and subtle skin scent. I smell like gardens I've visited countless times. It's a sultry southern night but there is also a degree of sophistication to it that keeps it from going into grandma's soap territory. I'm in love.
  18. ajansuz

    Coconut, Smoked Vanilla & Fig

    This is so lovely! I wish the vanilla was more smoked, especially on my skin, but it has a lovely creaminess that makes the dry coconut a little more juicy. On my skin, the fig is the MVP. It elevates this to something adult and sultry rather than just a summer suntan oil scent. The throw for me is moderate, and it lasts several hours. My husband, who usually doesn't enjoy coconut at all, asked me what I was wearing and said it was really pretty. Definitely a keeper for me.
  19. ajansuz

    Gardenia, Tobacco Leaf & Oakmoss

    I wanted this to work for me so badly, because I adore all three notes. In the bottle, I get very strong gardenia sweetened and amped by tobacco. I could not catch scent of the oakmoss at all. On me, it amps up to a high pitched, headache inducing screech, even with just a delicate touch to one wrist and the two touched together. The throw is obnoxious. My husband said he could smell me from the next room. It lasts forever on my skin. Oakmoss never shows up, and the gardenia and tobacco never decide who's boss. They just both sit there screaming. It's a shame, because the other gardenia scent I bought with vanilla was VERY nice on me.
  20. ajansuz

    On Imagination

    I completely get the association with tobacco. It definitely smelled like it had a strong component of that in the bottle. When it first touched my skin, there was this really delicious smokiness, much more than in other scents I've tried with smoked vanilla. I was expecting to amp coconut, because my skin usually does. I've been wearing this for several hours now, and I still can't pick it out. On the dry down the smokiness went away. The honey in this is incredibly lush and sensual. As it all dried down, it was a very incense-y scent and more amber forward. After several hours, it's a skin scent without much throw. I can still smell it just fine. It's sweet, soft, and comfortable, like a favorite shirt. I'm happy it has worked on me as well as it has, because I loved the description and felt very hopeful.
  21. ajansuz

    Hollywood Babylon

    I first received this as a frimp, but I instantly fell in love and bought a bottle as soon as I could. Of all of the BPAL scents I own, this one nets me the most consistent complements and, uh...attention, for lack of a better way to put it. If your skin likes this, just be aware it's not an office scent or something to wear to a polite soiree. Those who like the scent on you, men and women alike, will be quite forward about it. In the bottle, it's juicy candy, a very naughty cherry cordial threaded through with grapey red musk. Wet, my skin amps the musk to overdrive to the point that for a few minutes, that's just about all I smell, but this phase doesn't last long. As it dries down, the vanilla and amber both amp to hold their own with the red musk. There's still a hint of cherry candy. It keeps the scent just shy of the realm of straight up sex and has a playful edge. It is long-lasting with tremendous throw. I once wore it through a 10 hour, very busy work shift in which I sweated quite a bit, and at the end of the shift just walked past a co-worker who was seated outside. He immediately asked me what I was wearing and told me I smelled incredible. (Not an office environment!) Whereas my body usually completely absorbs Snake Oil within two hours, it hangs onto Hollywood Babylon and throws it like crazy. Not only does it get nice reactions, it makes me feel good, too. This is my go to perfume for a night on the town when I aim to misbehave.
  22. ajansuz

    Queen

    This was a frimp from the lab. In the vial, this is a very juicy, herbal scent with the sweetness of the honey of O, an evergreen freshness and something sharp and reminiscent of anise. I wasn't entirely sure what to make of it or if it would behave on my skin. Wet, the honey note blossoms into a very sensual skin scent and reminds me even more of O. There's also something a little powdery at this point, like amber, and the herbal note goes more toward a green floral, like violet or even violet leaf. The evergreen keeps it grounded. I can see why several have said this is a mature, powerful scent. There is nothing at all girlish about Queen. On the dry down even more of the violet comes out for me, like Saturnalia without the vetiver. It's slightly waxy, but not in an unpleasant or fake way. This scent lasts for several hours with medium throw. The boy thought it was sexy without finding it overpowering or too in his face. It doesn't morph much once it has dried down. It stays honey/amber sweet and somewhat herbal/evergreen. As much as I like it, I already have enough bottles with similar notes that smell even better on me and don't go as powdery. I'll keep and use the imp but likely not purchase more.
  23. DRIED IS THE BLOOD OF THY LOVER What broke off the garlands that girt you? What sundered you spirit and clay? Weak sins yet alive are as virtue To the strength of the sins of that day. For dried is the blood of thy lover, Ipsithilla, contracted the vein; Cry aloud, “Will he rise and recover, Our Lady of Pain?” Dragon’s blood resin, myrrh, red musk, vetiver, black clove, and cassia. I've been wanting to try one of the BPTP candles for a while now. It has only recently been cold enough in my area to want to take a chance on having it delivered without finding a big blob o' wax in my metal mailbox. Wonky weather! Anyway, very pretty label and votive, smoked glass, and the candle is a nice, natural beige tone. The scent is VERY strong. If you're not a fan of burning candles, you could have this sitting in a room, and it would still pack a scent punch. It's strongest on the red musk and the dragon's blood, a very sweet, sharp, incensy fragrance. Burning it brings out a warmer, spicy note that doesn't really read as clove to me but also not generic spice cabinet. The heat lessens the overall sharpness of the musk and rounds out and balances the blend. I like it lit better than not and can still smell it when it's all the way across the room from me unlit. It burns smoothly and evenly. It's not creating a wax pit in the center of the candle. There is minimal smoke or soot from the wick and no funky scent after dousing. I rarely burn candles because I'm really picky about them and get a headache from most synthetic fragrance blends. Natural candles are often too weak to bother with. It's great to have an option that makes the room smell fantastic and that doesn't cause me problems. I don't think I'll need more than one at a time, but I can safely say I will buy more BPTP candles in the future.
  24. ajansuz

    Loup Garou

    This came as s frimp with my latest order. In the imp, holy eucalyptus, Batman! A really strong blast of it with sharp pine beneath it. In general I enjoy evergreen blends, so the pine wasn't as much of a put off as eucalyptus. I have negative mental associations with it from suffering severe respiratory infections as a child. Wet for about ten minutes the eucalyptus dominated. It cleared my sinuses and got my nose running. This was from a very tiny wand swipe at my wrists, rubbed together, and then at the crooks of my arms. As it dried down, the pine scent came out much stronger. At that stage it smelled like Golden Priapus without the vanilla. It was a warmer scent by then, with a spiciness that had to be the galangal. In the crooks of my arms it stayed sharper. It had medium throw and lasted perhaps three hours or so before really fading. I love Golden Priapus and already have a bottle of it. This is so close to it without the vanilla note that makes it magical that I'll have to pass. Nice, though, once the eucalyptus burns off and goes away.
  25. ajansuz

    Epitaph

    This was a lab frimp with my most recent order. Holy crap am I in love with this scent! In the imp it was kind of scary, not gonna lie. VERY strong, cloying, sweet lily with a touch of ozone and tiny pink rosebuds. It was so sweet and strong I was afraid it might give me a headache, so I applied sparingly. I need not have worried because... Wet, it blossomed into the most gorgeous, soft scent cloud. At my wrists it was lily and a somber aquatic. At the crooks of my arms the rose was stronger, and it had some greenery to balance out the sweetness. Maybe even a touch of white musk or something else to ground it a little. The dry down was the real magic. Nothing amped out of proportion, nor did it go soapy as some lily blends can do on me. It's a much more feminine and floral fragrance than I normally like, but wearing it I felt pretty, confident, comfortable, and just the slightest bit aloof. This is the sort of perfume I love best for curling up with a blanket and a book on a rainy afternoon. I wouldn't hesitate to wear this at work or to a formal occasion. It's versatile, classy, and stays close enough to the skin that no one is going to wonder when the funeral is when you walk into the room. If you hate florals, thpugh, give this one a pass.
×