plainjean

Salvation found in darkness beyond darkness, the blessed sleep of nothingness. Dark musk, wood spice, labdanum, patchouli, dark African woods, and saffron. First off, let me just say that the color of this oil is amazing. It's this crazy blackened olive green. Anyway, when I first sniffed this, the thing it brought to mind was Jean Paul Gaultier's Le Male. Now, I kind of actually like Le Male, as long as it's in small, small doses. That's not to say that Oblivion is exactly like Le Male, but they had a similar vibe to me. Very masculine, but not completely clean-cut. On me, it's really great. Really, really great. It's dark, sweet woods with something bright (I assume the saffron) hanging out in the back. And a bit of labdanum for good measure. I think I get some of the spices..Nothing too spicy, though, which is good for me. This sort of scent is definitely a comfort scent for me: manly but not overpoweringly so, with a light sweetness to keep it from veering into generic cologne territory. Overall, it's very cozy and warm. Possible bottle in the future? I think so.

My understanding of the 'vintage' labels is that, yes, they are the same blend from when it was originally released. Since scents are mixed in batches, it was probably in a bigger bottle and in order to sell them they needed to put them in the 5ml bottles. Some of the older scents that were released at the trunk shows used to have those paper-ish labels, not the newer glossy ones, which they probably no longer had around. In an effort to make things consistent (again, I'm guessing here..), they made 'newer' labels for the vintage scents, but they are no doubt the same scent as what was originally released. Thank you so much for clearing that up! I think, in my head, this is what I assumed was the case, but I wasn't quite sure.

I'm not quite sure if this is the right thread for this, but since my question has to do with a label, I just assumed. Mods, I'm sorry if this is in the wrong place! Okay, so I have a bottle of Bakeneko. However, it has the "Vintage 2007" label like this one rather than the cat label like this one. Is there a difference between the scents? I mean, I know the bottles labeled vintage are from a trunk show rather than from when the scent was actually released, but does the "vintage" mean that the bottle was actually from when it was released and then the lab just relabeled it for the trunk show? Or is it a brand new bottle with a brand new label? And if this has been answered before and I was too blind to find it, again, I'm sorry! I've just been wondering about this for a while, and now that I actually have a bottle with a "Vintage ----" label, I thought I should ask.

I agree, not as dark as I expected it to be. In the bottle it's bright, though there is a bit of darkness way in the background. I'm mostly getting the rhubarb and the petitgrain, though. On, it's almost all rhubarb for the first 10-15 minutes. It actually is a little lemon verbena-y. Anyway, it starts to get less tart as time goes on, and I'm guessing that's due to the patchouli and musk. I'm definitely getting a hint of leather waaaay in the back, too. It's dry now, and it's very soft and sweet, but that darkness is still sticking around in the background. Not quite what I was expecting, but I do really like it! It's definitely very wearable. ETA: I'm doing a full wear today, and I'm finding that the rhubarb, mixed with one of the other notes (not quite sure which one. Maybe petitgrain?), is creating an almost herbal feel. I actually really like it, as it cuts back on the tartness of the rhubarb. I stand my my previous statement: really wearable, really pretty.

I got the sexy lady wolf label! In the bottle, I smell mostly patchouli and chocolate peppermint. On my skin, though, it's like a resiny, slightly pepperminty Snake Oil. It's not as sweet as Snake Oil, though, and it's a little..I don't know if dusty is the right word. Fuzzy? Maybe that's it. I think I'm catching whiffs of both the sandalwood and the champaca, but everything is so well-blended that it's a bit difficult to pick apart. ETA: After letting this sit for a few days, It's become much darker, and the woodsy notes have come out more. I actually much prefer it now. Before it was much too similar to Snake Oil, and now, on me, it's sort of like..Fledgling Raptor Moon had a baby with Snake Oil. With a little How Doth the Little Crocodile thrown in for good measure. I really like it!

Horse Chestnut Honey reminded me of O, but drier. Deadly Nightshade Honey was a very green honey, but with a hint of sweetness. That's just how they went on me, though! YMMV.

And I think I've decided on a combination of Has No Hanna and Dorian. The Dorian just because it smells good and the Has No Hanna because it seems appropriate.

I was going to wear Pink Champagne today, but it doesn't smell very good on me. So now I need to go search through my stash and decide.

In the bottle, it smells like high-end ginger ale. Once I put it on, though, this is mostly bright (but slightly astringent) champagne. That stage is a little off-putting for me, but it goes away quickly. After it dries down, it's a sweet, faintly champagne-y scent. On me, the sweetness sort of reads as ripe strawberry and perhaps some pink pepper. It's slightly floral, but very pretty on the dry-down. It is a light scent, but the lightness works in this scent's favor. It helps to boost the joyful, playful image that the words "pink champagne" conjure up. ETA: Sigh. And after testing it a few more times, the astringent champagne has come to overpower all of the pretty pinkness.

Gypsy Moth for Christmas Eve, The Shadowy and The Sublime for Christmas Day. It's been cold and rainy, so I felt that snuggly, creamy scents were best.

I get a sugared violet/candied violet feel from Silver Phoenix (Limited Edition - Opalescent orris shimmering through a blend of mallow, moonflower, wild pear, iris, starwort, juniper, and mugwort), I Died For Beauty (General Catalog - The Venusian splendor of ylang ylang and violet stirred by hyssop, frankincense, and grave loam), and Violet Ray (Discontinued - White mint, purple musk, violet, lilac, ylang ylang, lavender moss, and sandalwood). I think there's another that I've tried recently, but I can't remember what it is offhand. ETA: Oh! I remembered. Utrennyaya (General Catalog - Osmanthus, Damascus rose, violet, delphinium, white mint, palmarosa and white sandalwood). I haven't actually skin-tested it, but when I sniffed it, it had a feel similar to Violet Ray.

I really, really like this. At first, there's a blast of that watermelon Jolly Rancher aspect, but it goes away quickly (thank goodness). After it dries down a bit, I get mostly apricot peel and sugar plums with a floralish musk. I feel the cacao grounding the scent, though. It's definitely keeping it from going too sweet, which could have happened very easily with this scent. It has a pretty strong throw, too. I have to admit, though, when I first put it on, I was hit with a wave of nostalgia. It reminds me so much of Vera Wang Princess. I wore that all the time when I was in 8th or 9th grade. The association makes sense, though, because they do share some similar notes. Tiare, vanilla, amber, apricot skin, musk, and chocolate/cacao. Sugar Plum Fairy is more sophisticated, though. It's the woman, whereas Princess is the girl. That's not to say that SPF is haughty or overbearing, because it's not. It's grown up, but fun and kind of fluffily soft at the same time. SPF's drydown is a soft, sweet musk (on me, the musk somewhat similar to Berry Moon's), and it's quite lovely.

I think my favorite coconut is Lamia. Smoky, dark coconut. I usually hate vetiver, but it's definitely a different vetiver than normal in Lamia.

The only BPAL banana that I've tried is Pahoehoe, and, on me, it lasted quite a while and was a very rummy banana scent. Rum tends to stick around on me a while, though, so that might be why the banana was able to last long, as well.

This is just so well-blended and so, so beautiful. I can't pick out any specific notes except for the white musk and the vanilla. Overall, though, it's just a soft, sweet floral and something in it is making it feel really warm and inviting, like a blanket that's just come in from drying on the clothesline. In my mind, I thought it'd be like CC: Female and, in a way, it is. They're both sweet floral/soft vanilla scents on me(with CC: Female being heavier on the vanilla and Joyful Moon being heavier on the floral), and I think anyone who likes this would probably enjoy CC: Female, and vice versa. It's definitely a feminine scent, but I love it because of that. It doesn't have much throw on me, but I can smell it lingering on my skin for several hours after it's been applied. And occasionally I will get wafts of sweet florals.

I shouldn't like this. I really shouldn't. But, oddly enough, I do. In fact, I almost love it. In the imp and when initially applied, it reminds me of this gum I made with a friend one childhood summer. It was from a kit. After it settles down a bit, though, I catch the cherry lollipops and something that smells like an orange dusted in cinnamon. The womanly perfume (which seems to consist of soft florals and a light musk of some sort) aspect definitely tones down the potentially overpowering sweetness of this scent. Overall, it dries down into a spicy cherry with just a touch of floral.

I can't decide on what to wear. I'll probably just fall back on Lady Lilith, since it's inoffensive but also interesting. And it's gorgeous, which is a huge plus.

Ah, yes I was replying to tinytiki's question on search. For keeping track of what I've tried, I keep my own spreadsheet. -respectfully snipped- If I need to know more specifics though, I look it up in Hackess. For pricing and DC status though I really like the new Price Cap Database. Ah! I tried keeping my own spreadsheet, but I kept forgetting to update it, haha. Scentbase is just easier for me. And I agree about the new Price Cap Database. It also makes it really easy to quickly look up reviews for a scent because each category is in alphabetical order (I especially like using it for LEs ). I guess that doesn't really relate to keeping track of what I've tried, but it sure does help me figure out what I want to try much more quickly than searching through all the pages of reviews for one scent.

I like Hackess's spreadsheet for seeing all the different BPAL scents in one easy-to-navigate spreadsheet, but I like using Scentbase to keep track of everything I've tried and what I thought of it, without having to go back and find my reviews. Also, I haven't reviewed all the scents I've tried, so having that Scentbase list really is a lifesaver. It keeps my constantly-expanding collection organized, haha.

You know, this one wasn't even on my radar until a certain Dark Alice ( ) sent me a sniffie. And it's absolutely stunning! It's powdery like a fancy, vintage dusting powder with just a touch of ambergris underneath. The various white flowers make it smell really smooth and creamy, and the white mint adds a pleasantly crisp and cool note. The resins help tone down all the floral, and it results in this scent that is so understated but so, so beautiful. The scent does have a slight sweetness to it, as well, though it's not overpowering at all. I agree with the reviewers who compare it to a chest of vintage dress-up clothes or white lace. Those are the images I get from this scent, and it's perfect. ETA: I forgot to add that this reminds me very much of a scent that would be in the Salon collection. I don't know if that information means anything to anyone, but I always find the Salon blends to be extremely complex and sophisticated. This scent has that same complexity and sophistication, while still being soft and comforting.

I'm surprised I haven't reviewed this yet! It was one of my first BPAL loves and, thankfully, I've been able to locate a bottle after the discontinuation. On me this is incredibly juicy and surprisingly complex for a scent with only three listed notes. It feels very red to me, which makes sense, I suppose! It's red currant with a slightly floral, tangy edge waaaay in the background. The huckleberry dances around, but the berry I get the most is the red currant. I don't get the fake vibe that so many people have gotten, but I suppose I can see how this could go plasticky with certain skin chemistries. I do find it to be quite similar to Rosy Maple, though Rosy Maple doesn't have the cuddly redness of Jester. It's much pinker (which makes sense), but they do share the tangy-berry feel.

Thank you so much! They're all so wonderful.

I've heard that E Pluribus Unum and Flower Moon (not sure which year) are in the same family as Fairy Market. I've never tried any of them, though ( ), so I can't say for sure! Also, for anyone missing Jester: I found Rosy Maple to be very similar. I find Jester to be much juicier and red, though, whereas Rosy Maple is more hot pink and tart. And re: March Hare. I find Grand Guignol to be a boozier March Hare. They both have the dirty apricot feel for me. It does lacks the great spice of March Hare, but maybe you could layer it with something?

Slightly blurry Herr Drosselmeyer 2010. Any other 2010 Yule bottle pictures yet? I'm curious!

Herr Drosselmeyer 2010 I received this last week, but I've been having a hard time putting this scent into words. There's a certain aspect of it that reminds me of Fledgling Raptor Moon. Perhaps one of the woods is sandalwood? The first time I tried this (right out of a hot mailbox) I got something that smelled like cedar, but that sharpness seems to have faded away after the bottle has had a chance to rest. The rest of the woods are nice and polished, like a well cared for and well-loved antique oak desk. Oddly, I catch something that kind of reminds me of verbena when I put my nose right to my hand, but it's not bright like verbena. I think it might be the sweet leather, because it is indeed sweet. In the far-away sniff, it doesn't translate as verbena at all (thank goodness). Instead it's exactly as advertised: sweet leather. The pipe smoke wafts around the scent, but it's not dominating. I think, though, since I amp both leather and tobacco, I'm having trouble picking out the specific pipe smoke note. It and the leather seem to have melded together now. How wonderful! On me, the linen translates to the same linen in White Rabbit. It's very crisp but soft, and doesn't smell of detergent or fabric softener at all. It's just..it's linen. I'm not quite sure how to describe it, haha. Overall, this scent is very warm but not heavy at all. I thought it might be too masculine for me and, yes, it leans a little masculine..but I really like that about it. It's sweet, like a fur blanket that's been sitting in the study of a Victorian professor and therefore has soaked up the scent of said professor. Or perhaps this blanket's been sitting in the workshop of a toymaker?