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BPAL Madness!

INFJ4w3

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Everything posted by INFJ4w3

  1. INFJ4w3

    Croquet

    Croquet is lime, grapefruit, and sage/bergamot/woodsy scent underneath. Believe it or not, INCREDIBLE staying power: 24 hours! My SO said "yum". But again, he loves fruity scents. This was a frimp: I wouldn't have ordered it. It's nice; a good spring/summery perfume. There's nothing objectionable about it. Not really me, though: I lean towards resins/incense or "clean" smells. But I'll give this 3 out of 5 stars, anyway. If you like citrus and spice/cedary wood mixed, you will love Croquet. (Don't look for nectarine, rose or musk....they never appeared.)
  2. INFJ4w3

    Snake Oil

    Snake Oil works well on me. It has a really nice, very slightly spicy, kind of golden-vanilla fragrance. My SO commented favorably on it. It has average throw and better than average lasting power. It also layers well with Dragon's Milk and probably just as well with most amber, light musk or warm, spicy scents. A 5 star perfume.
  3. INFJ4w3

    Oleander Honey

    I'm not so sure I like oleander - at least on my skin. It must be that bitter, sharp, almost medicinal note I'm smelling. A while later, I'm getting a pollen scent - more pollen than honey. Shocked that I'm not sneezing. OK...here comes the sweetness of honey, finally. This is a soft, subtle scent. I like the "sweet honey" stage, but it doesn't last long. Unfortunately, the oleander returns at increased strength. Now, my arm smells like heavy-duty industrial disinfectant soap with a bit of insecticide and good old urinal cake. Takes me back to my nights as a janitor, but not the best idea for a perfume. 2 stars out of 5.
  4. INFJ4w3

    Hunger

    I tried Hunger on one arm, Vixen on the other. As my SO says, they smell similar. Ultimately, I prefer Hunger. It lasts much longer and has more throw. The orange note reminds me of fresh-squeezed orange juice - sweet and sharp, somehow bright. The black narcissus, a dark, sexy note, really comes out on me. Hunger is definitely a favorite of mine. It's worth a try even if you don't normally like flowery scents. (I don't.) It would make a beautiful spring/summer evening scent. Great for a hot date! 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.
  5. INFJ4w3

    Van Van

    At first sniff, there was that awful rancid peanut butter/old rotting celery combination: VETIVER . I just can't stand BPAL vetiver. Thank God/dess, the vetiver dies down quickly after application. There's a soapy note (citronella), a pleasant grassy note (???), a tiny bit of lemon (lemongrass), a vanilla powder note (huh? Does anyone know what that is?) and a spicy, dark, incensey note (ginger, possibly lemongrass as well). One moment it's a subtle skin scent; another moment, it suddenly has powerful throw. Then, back to almost nothing. It morphs a lot.Very different. It doesn't smell like perfume. It smells like someone who's been working in an herb garden and doing food prep work at an exotically spicy restaurant. (And maybe on their break, dusted themselves very lightly with baby powder?) I do feel relaxed yet ready for anything while wearing this. I've been layering this with a bit of lemony/herby Baba Yaga. I can also see it combining well with Water of Notre Dame (other voodoo blend for purification and peace) or lily scents like Peitho.I think I like it. 3 1/2 to 3 3/4 out of 5 stars.
  6. INFJ4w3

    La Petite Mort

    Urinal cake. That's what I got for the first two hours this was on my skin. Urinal cake with a little pee still coming through. After two hours, it became a slightly soapy, slightly sexy, honeyed, smoky, very subtle skin scent. Almost no sillage. It's OK at best. I was going to give it 1 star, but I'll be charitable and say 2 stars ( out of 5). The problematic note is probably ylang-ylang. It just has that urinary odor. Beware if you've ever had ylang difficulties.
  7. INFJ4w3

    Urd

    Urd is just about perfect. A true 5 star fragrance. It is sweet but not sugary, wine-y but not alcoholic, earthy but not dirty, and has strength/lasting power. This is not grape soda or even grape jelly. It's a mix of red wine, a vineyard, and incense. It smells like sangria or a spiked punch bowl, being served in a used book store with the doors opened and the freshness of the outdoors wafting through it. A Holy Grail Scent. Heavenly. Try it!
  8. INFJ4w3

    White Rabbit

    The thing I like about White Rabbit is that I can smell each and every note listed...and more!!! The tea, lemon, spices, cream and honey are lovely. Unfortunately, there is also a strong pollen, chamomile and fresh-cut grass smell, any/all of which make my throat get ticklish and my nose itchy. Early on, there is a note (linen?) which smells like $ store air freshener. There is decent sillage and lasting power here. Each note seems to step out, take a bow, then merge seamlessly with all the other notes. Totally evokes the "White Rabbit" experience. Just wish it didn't make my nose twitch! (In case you couldn't tell, I have allergies - pollen, ragweed,various plants and grasses.) I'm not sure about how much I like or don't like this one. It's certainly a work of art. My SO says "the honey smells good, but ewwh, is that baby powder underneath?" Oh well, I'll still give this 3 1/2 stars, maybe 3.75 even, out of 5. But I probably won't wear it much.
  9. INFJ4w3

    Tombstone

    This is wonderful. I can't stop smelling myself. The vanilla keeps the cedar from smelling too hamster cage. Balsam and sassafrass? That must be the golden-buttery-ambery scent. Tombstone is rich, warm and strong, yet soft. It goes great with Snake Oil. 4 1/2 stars out of 5. The 1/2 star taken off is because this leans a little towards the masculine side.
  10. INFJ4w3

    Peitho

    This is very heavy lily, with a little bit of jasmine and vanilla. No spice at all. No musk. It is definitely soapy, like ultra-feminine floral soap. It stays close to skin, but it's reasonably long-wearing. I find that it layers well with more mainstream perfumes and lotions: Creed Love in White, Chanel 22, Lorenzo Villoressi Teint de Neige. BPALs that work with it: Hunger, Water of Notre Dame.I will keep some of this for layering purposes. 3 stars out of 5. 4 stars when added to other scents.This is very heavy lily, with a little bit of jasmine and vanilla. No spice at all. No musk. It is definitely soapy, like ultra-feminine floral soap. It stays close to skin, but it's reasonably long-wearing. I find that it layers well with more mainstream perfumes and lotions: Creed Love in White, Chanel 22, Lorenzo Villoressi Teint de Neige. BPALs that work with it: Hunger, Water of Notre Dame.I will keep some of this for layering purposes. 3 stars out of 5. 4 stars when added to other scents.
  11. INFJ4w3

    Cathode

    I didn't like Cathode at first. It reminded me of that chalky, minty, thick liquid you get for severe indigestion or diahrrea. But...good news! It ages well and has a most unusual aroma. Think spearmint - kinda like spearmint chewing gum. A little wintergreen. Lots of moss. Aquatic for sure. A feeling of fresh sea air, but nothing salty. Strange. This layers beautifully with Darkness. Ultra-Goth when worn together. I don't get anything bright or light with Cathode. It's like a late afternoon thunderstorm in late fall in an Atlantic beach town. Winter's coming and night's about to fall. I've decided that I really like it. And it's long lasting: I spilled a little on my hairbrush a month ago. The scent is still going strong. 4 1/2 stars out of 5.
  12. INFJ4w3

    Anne Bonny

    I like the patchouli in this one. But I'm also getting some of that hamster cage effect - like damp cedar shavings and old newspaper. I wish I got more spice from this. Well, it's not terrible. But I had high hopes for it being a Top Ten fave: so far, probably not. This may sound strange, but I believe I could like this on a man...or a really hard butch woman. Whatever. I like this in the air around me. Maybe 'cause I used to raise guinea pigs, gerbils, mice, etc. as a child? 2 1/2 to 3 stars out of 5.
  13. INFJ4w3

    The Antikythera Mechanism

    This is one of my favorite scents. It has lots of sillage and staying power and it really smells GOOD in a unisex (but sexy!) way. I would describe it as a fall/winter scent, as it is dark, smoky, warm and strong. It would make a beautiful room spray. If you have an occasional vanilla problem (that plastic/rubber/burning hair smell), don't worry. The vanilla here is mild and sweet, combined with woods and smoke. My picky-picky partner commented very favorably on this scent. ( He actually said "mmmm" !) 4 1/2 to 5 stars. I think this would smell fine on just about anyone.
  14. INFJ4w3

    Rose Cross

    Rose Cross smelled beautiful in the bottle. And the first time I put it on, it was a faint and subtle 100% tea rose scent. But the second time, it came on so strong it made my eyes water. I started coughing and sneezing, too. It smelled like plasticky industrial-strength rose, if that makes any sense at all. My SO complained and wanted to know if I'd spilled the whole imp. This is definitely not for me. I've been noticing that BPAL rose and I don't really go together. 1 1/2 stars out of 5. It might be different for you if you're a fan of this note. And the frankincense? Missing in action.
  15. INFJ4w3

    Brusque Violet

    Brusque Violet is pure violet on me: powdery, soft yet has lots of sillage. I don't smell anything but violet. For me, that's a good thing. I think this may layer well with Violet Ray. Anyway, I love this scent. I will purchase a full bottle soon. Mmm...5 stars or just a fraction under 5. If you love violet, this would be my first recommendation to try. This may turn out to be my favorite BPAL scent or at least the one I wear most often. It's simple, but that's what makes it versatile.
  16. INFJ4w3

    Kill-Devil

    Molasses and booze: first smells like rum, then dark ale. Incredibly strong stuff. My partner says it smells weird. Now I'm smelling something between lawn clippings and celery, underneath the boozy molasses. It might be ok layered with lots of vanilla. Or with Antikythera Mechanism. 2 1/2 stars out of 5. Ok, but not for me.
  17. INFJ4w3

    Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht

    Sweeeeeeeeeet! The sweetest BPAL I have ever smelled. (And I don't consider Dragon's Milk exceptionally sweet, to give an idea of my taste.) It's like pecan pie with honey - lots of honey- on top, plus those yellow, sweet apples...Golden Delicious apples. No problem with cream/milk notes going sour...they stay true on me. This is long lasting and strong. 4 out of 5 - just a bit too sweet.
  18. INFJ4w3

    Baba Yaga

    I get no pineapple or bubblegum at all - this is lemony and green/herbal and very cooling/refreshing. It has excellent staying power on me - and my skin DEVOURS almost all scents, so This was a pleasant surprise. I would wear this on a scorching hot day. It has just a tiny touch of spice, like lemongrass or ginger. It would make a fantastic room spray, too. My partner likes it as well, and he isn't fond of perfumes in general. 4, maybe 4 1/2 out of 5 stars.
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