parrot_suspect

Bump for 2013 reviews:

All the musks are good on me. Black, red, white, blue, green, skin, dark, Moroccan, Siberian, Egyptian; clean, dirty, perfumey, powdery, soapy -- you name it. I am a musk monster. My only caveat is I can't wear them if they also contain boozy notes or vanilla (with a few exceptions) -- adding those notes generally will make a musk blend smell sour or plastic-y on my skin. So, I can't wear, for example, Snow White or Smut. But I'm always looking for new ones to try.

My favorite musky scents are: Psychological Horror, Black Lace, Anactoria 2013, Scherezade, Dragon's Musk (I've gone through at least 10 bottles of this), Senelion, Berenice, Siberian Musk SN, Hygeia, The Velvets, The Shadowy and the Sublime, The Grindhouse, Coxcomb, Creature Feature, Lust v7, Buck Moon, Enraged Orangutan Musk, Old Demons of the First Class, Unveil the Grace in Thine Eyes, and Infernal Lover (all versions).

The one BPAL musky LE I would bring back, if I could, is Senelion. It's as close to being perfect as a red musk blend can be. When I wear it, I am in love with myself.

I always thought Uninhibited smelled kind of like licorice and rootbeer. Maybe look for a BPAL scent with vanilla and anise, or sasparilla notes?

This starts off promising, with a strong cocoa note, progresses into a lovely foody skin musk, but then the drydown, on me, has the dreaded plastic note that is present in some vanillas. Darn.

If you like jasmine, you need to try this. It is the uber-jasmine. The jasminator.

Upon application, it smells like a very strong jasmine single note. Wet and loud. As it dries down, the orris and amber kick in and help soften the jasmine, so it is less intense.

But still, this is predominantly a jasmine fragrance. It's sweet and strong, but not sharp or headache-inducing. I'm not sure how Beth manages to pull that off, but she does! It's pretty enough that I am almost considering getting a bottle, even though I am an avowed floral hater. I think this oil would be brilliant with a colorful sundress and sandals on a hot summer day.

I love this scent! But then, I thought I would, the first time I read the description. Every single note in this oil is a winner for me, and I love anything powdery or musky.

On my skin, this starts out with a strong orris note, so strong it almost registers as a soapy violet -- like an expensive bubble bath. But it quickly settles down into a cool, powdery sort of musk. As it dries down further, the amber and ambergris notes are more apparent, and it becomes a bit sweeter. The orris hangs on for the duration like a fine French talc. If opals or mother-of-pearl were a fragrance, this would be it.

It's simply stunning if you like powdery or light-musky blends. The only thing I can say negative about it? It's light, and it doesn't seem to have a lot of staying power. And it's very close to the skin, not a lot of sillage. However, I've got a couple of bottles on the way, and I'm planning to hoard mass quantities in an upcoming Lab purchase, so I'll be able to slather.

Comparing this to other oils, I'd say it's like the love child of Cytherea and Psychological Horror. It's different from Cytherea in that it's sweeter, more musky and less dry and dusty. The main difference from Psych Horror is that it's powdery, but not *baby* powdery, and it's much lighter and less tenacious, with a different musk (or at least, one that seems different to me).

This is a light, pleasant scent. On me it starts out almondy, almost foody, then changes to a woodsy, lightly spicy, herbal honey. Kind of unisex. Subtle and elegant. I am not getting any rose at all (rose is a note I can't stand, so for me, that's a good thing!).

I'm not sure I'm going to need a bottle of this, but it would be gorgeous as a room scent or candle. It smells "warm" and comforting, and very natural.

How about Skuld? Ylang ylang, honey, Egyptian and Arabian musks and labdanum.

On me, the honey note is very strong.

I was worried about the possible rose and floral notes, but they really don't seem to be that apparent. This isn't what I'd consider a floral scent.

I really like this, although it's hard to describe what it smells like. It's kind of sweet and fresh and soapy and resinous and musky all at once. Like a feminine version of a high-end men's cologne. The opoponax is a sweet kind of myrrh, so that's probably why it registers as "sweet" to me. But by "sweet" I don't mean high-pitched or sugary. It's not the least bit foody.

It reminds me a little bit of Sheol from the GC, and a Salon blend I can't recall the name of right now.

It's bright and fresh and "clear." Not fuzzy or powdery at all. A really nice "clean" sort of scent. And yes, I would say, perfumey. Elegant, even. As it dries down it becomes a little more resinous and sweet-incensey. I may have to get a bottle of this.

I recently got a set of Panacea imps. They are ALL super herbal. But I think possibly the most herbal of them all is Lustration.

The Forest Reverie smelled herbal on me, too.

 

I desperately need something similar to Elf v 4! Since there are no notes listed and I know nothing about scents, I cannot find a dupe.

 

Have you tried Lady Death: Savage? I just got a bottle. It's a bit more rich/deep than Elf v4, and not as straight-up vanilla, but it's in the same family.

Another suggestion would be Lyonesse, but I'm guessing you've probably tried that.

Quick review: Snake Oil without the vanilla.

Longer review: Upon application, the honey is a dominant note for me, overpowering the others. As it dries down, the red musk, patchouli and cedar make themselves known. Within an hour or so, what this smells like is a red musky, woodsy, incensey sort of scent, tempered with just a dribble of sweetness from the honey. It's a soft, comfortable way to wear red musk, especially if you like your red musk mixed with woods and incense.

This is definitely an oil in the Womb Furie/Infernal Lover family. However, it seems a bit "drier" and not as juicy and powerful as Infernal Lover. It reminds me quite a bit of Hygeia, actually, and it could be Senelion's little sister. I don't think it smells anything Scherezade -- although both Third Charm and Scherezade feature red musk, Third Charm completely lacks Scherezade's over-the-top sexiness and soapiness. It's not as "hippie-ish" or headshoppy as Lust and Vixen, because the patchouli is not the dominant note, although I can certainly see someone who likes Lust or Vixen liking Third Charm.

If you've run out of Infernal Lover or Senelion, Third Charm is a great substitute.

Have you tried Whoso List to Hunt? I believe it has oakmoss, or something very similar, as a base note.

I don't know why it's taken me so long to try this oil, but now that I have, I know I need to get a bottle of it.

Lyonesse is a bright, creamy vanilla musk with enough of a floral note to elevate it to a more sophisticated level. It's not a foodie vanilla; the other notes keep it from smelling like cupcakes or cookies. If you like L'Estate, The Girl or other oils with florals and crystallline musk, you may like this. It's not as sharp/floral as L'Estate, though, which is what redeems it for me. I am a hater of florals and lover of musks. Lyonesse, to me, is more about the vanilla and the musk than the floral. And I agree with previous reviewers who have noted the vanilla note in this oil does not turn to a "plastic" scent on my skin as many others do. The ambergris and orris come out more in the drydown and give it a soft, cottony kind of scent after it's been on your skin for a while.

Here is the only thing I could see being a potential problem -- when first applied, Lyonesse is just a tad sharp. It's like it approaches that line but doesn't get close enough to touch it. Once it dries down it's all kinds of soft and cuddly and feminine. But it's an oil you might not want to wear if you feel a headache or nausea coming on, or if you're about to get into a car with closed windows for a long ride, and it's one you don't want to overapply and overwhelm your senses. A little bit goes a long way.

This a versatile oil that, although elegant and somewhat "perfumey," and perfectly complementary to a feminine dress and high heels, could just as easily be dressed down and worn with jeans and a T-shirt. When you wear this, people will tell you that you smell good. It's clean, vanilla, perfumey, musky. If you liked Antique Lace, you really should try this.

Anyone who likes Snake Charmer really ought to buy a bottle of Die Sundë, Vom Tod Verfolgt -- and be quick about it, since the Pickman Gallery is only live for one more day! I tested them side by side -- they are very much alike.

It's hard for me to pick out the individual notes in this. They all swirl together in a heady musky/floral-oriental sort of way. But I will say:

If you like Snake Charmer, you need to get a bottle of this. It is so similar to Snake Charmer on me, I can barely tell them apart.

Bumping this, as I'm in the same boat as stellamaris: dark musk lover here! I LOVE powdery scents - there, I said it, and now I'm going to be shunned by three quarters of the forum!

....

So, for those of you who can stomach darker musks, what would you recommend as a must-try? It sounds like I'll definitely have to track down some Playful Wooden Mallets, that sounds amazing!

Hi Ishtar! It's not a dark musk scent, but Psychological Horror (sold by Dark Delicacies) is the powderiest musk BPAL has ever put out, IMO. And it's gorgeous. I have gone through at least 10 bottles of this oil, no joke.

I second the rec of The Velvets, which is, in fact, a dark and powdery musk scent, but still very wearable and reminiscent of classic perfumes -- kind of like Haunted's dark cousin. The Shadowy and the Sublime and The Moon Gazed Upon My Midnight Labors also fall into this category. Senelion, too, is powdery, red/dark musk heaven, and drop-dead sexy.

Old Demons of the First Class is a dark musk that's not really powdery, but amazing just the same. And I'm sure you've tried Siberian Musk SN, but if you haven't, get some! You will love it. Oh, and if you want some hardcore dark musk, give Debauchery a try. It's musk with civet. Smells a little off-putting in the bottle, but really blooms into a sinister, powdery dark musk on the skin.

Have you tried Urd? The description is: Muscadine, black and red patchouli, cereus and nag champa.

I find this to be a grape-y, sweet sort of incense with a smooth patchouli base. Very "headshoppy."

Also, if you don't mind a whiff of florals, give Spellbound a try. It's lovely. Description: Perfectly enchanting! An irresistibly sexual, utterly rapturous blend of three roses, radiant amber, and sensual red musk.

Have you tried Aureus? On me it's all patchouli, but many people find it sweet and woody-resiny.

From last fall's Frankenstein LEs, The Moon Gazed on My Midnight Labors is a great sweet-musky-incensey sort of blend. The notes are: Moroccan musk, black opium poppy, clove, and orris root.

Oh! And last but not least, Blood Amber is a gloriously sweet blend of dragon's blood and amber resin. Description: slivers of warm, pulsating blood forever crystallized in golden amber resin. I get compliments on it all the time.

I'm thinking you should try Ehecatl, Zephyr and Old Scratch. Also, have you tried Coyote? It's a sweet skin musk in a similar vein to MLST. Sudha Segara is another possibility.

Another one I think you might like is Ozymandias.

Lucretia is a big favorite of mine. I wear it to work a lot, because it has a polished/professional/"ladylike" sort of vibe. Violet, woods, and soft powdery/musky notes...it's beautiful.

I also love And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt -- it's an amazingly well-blended woodsy floral-oriental. Sophisticated and smooth. It reminds me a lot of Guerlain's Vol de Nuit parfum.

Philosopher in Meditation is another smooth woodsy sort of scent that I really like.

I think anyone who likes Death and Life Completed would like Love and Pain; they are kind of similar. Also, Les Anges Dechus has a similar feel to those two. These three all smell (to me) like very high-end candles or shampoo.

I think Garden Path With Chickens was quite popular when first released. It's a little too floral for my tastes, though.

And now I need to get a bottle of Itasô Kansei Nenkan Jorô No Fûzoku, because someone sent me an imp a while ago, I loved it and put it on my wishlist, but never got around to ordering it. Well, there's no time like the present! I'm glad we got plenty of notice before the cutoff.

I'm going to be getting a bottle of Ehecatl this summer, for all the 90-degree, humid weather we've been having (notes are: hibiscus, matcha, white musk and lime). I find it refreshing without being overly citrus-y.

I'm also a huge fan of Dragon's Reverie for hot days. It's lighter than some of the other Ars Draconis oils.

I think Great Vampire Bat will be a good summer scent -- it's very clean and fresh-smelling; and Enraged Orangutan Musk has always smelled like summer to me, with its orange blossom and musk notes.

This is an incredible dark, musky, powdery, sexy fragrance. A little bit sweet, in the way red musk can be sweet. It's not a light fragrance -- it's heavy and strong, with good throw. Not floral in the least, but not masculine or gender-neutral either; this is feminine. There's a bit of a sassafras/cola type of note present as well. I wouldn't wear this on a hot day; it strikes me as more of a cold-weather fragrance.

Other BPAL fragrances that I find similar to Senelion in some way are: Scherezade; Debauchery; Tarot: Judgment; The Infernal Lover; Hygeia; Old Demons of the First Class; Elephantine Colossus (minus the foody notes).

If you like deep, rich musks, and you're not put off by a powdery drydown, chances are you will like Senelion.

I don't know what jungle orchid smells like, but I can tell you one thing. This fragrance is *not* a heady, humid, high-pitched floral. It doesn't really register as a floral at all. But then, I don't particularly get "incense" either, unless we are talking a very light incense (this isn't incense-y the way that, say, Snake Oil or Scherezade are incensey). This scent smells silver to me. It smells like clean laundry. Like dryer sheets -- in the best way possible. But not "soapy." It just smells GOOD. It's polished and somewhat subtle. It is not a heavy or strong perfume.

This would be a great perfume to wear to work -- although it would be just as good to wear out to dinner or cocktails. Really, anywhere. I'm about to head out to an outdoor festival and I just applied Great Vampire Bat because I want to smell clean and fresh on a hot, sticky day.

If you like deeper scents, check out Vixen. It's ginger, orange blossom and patchouli. They blend together in a way that creates a rich, sexy fragrance.

Here are a few others that come to mind when I think of clean/laundry type scents (all are GC):

Moonshine and Mist

Come to Me (I swear, this oil smells like a bar of Camay soap!)

Aeval

Zephyr