JasminDreams2010

So this doesn’t make sense because there’s a lot going on in here but on me this is basically Ava? Which is to say a musky tuberose. I like it but not sure that it’s totally “me”. It may be mailbox shock or whatever so I want to give it some time to decide but for now the musk kind of gets in there and flattens the other notes. It’s pretty enough I may just need something a little ...older ? 

Interesting -this one is different on me than the previous poster. I love that about indie perfumers, the scents can vary from person to person so greatly that you often get a unique blend, even if your friends have the same scent.

 

On me-classic, straight-up, tuberose/gardenia, Billie Holiday fresh-flower style, with a touch of green. Realistic, like a wet garden. No honeysuckle. Good throw but fades sort of quickly, feels like it’s all top notes. Winner

This is simple and sweet. Its a lemon-honeyed musk with a light floral in the background to keep it a little airy- it doesnt get too syrupy or have too much stank. I like Jasmine a lot and my husband doesnt, I keep trying to sneak it past him but he usually noses it out. The jasmine in here is just barely there enough to notice, it smells a little more like jasmine tea than the potent jasmine of peitho or delight.

So jasmine lovers may be disappointed and jasmine haters may be safe.

 

Not sure I will need backups but this is a keeper. I could see it aging very well. Not sure about the musk in good because I havent tried it, but it reminds me of a more feminine Door or Pandy- with enough gentle floral to mellow out the harsher aspects of those.

OH HAI THERE CHAMPACA WOW SO CHAMPACA VERY INCENSE MUCH SMOLDER
this one isn’t bad but not really what I was looking for, was hoping to hear from the neroli and ambergris, something light and oceanic but nah. Don’t freak out peoples bc everyone has different skin but on me this could be a dupe of Streets of Detroit.

Ooh- this one is pretty! Very PINK, very GIRLY, but manages to walk that line and not be too twee. Its a dance with the notes holding each other in check- fresh, jammy strawberries, soft, floral cherry blossoms and a grounding, light musk. The strawberries are not too kool aid, the cherry blossoms are not too soapy. Just balanced enough to make this very wearable. I think you could do daytime office with this one if you wanted, brunch with friends, or even better, a spring picnic! This is like a more sophisticated version of something youd get at Victorias Secret or bath and body works. It would be a good entry scent for someone new to BPAL

ETA: this is a bit younger or something than my usual deal but while I probably wont get a backup I am glad I bought a bottle

This is mostly orange blossom sweetness on me, with a bit of the fresh blast from the sap. Not getting any of the honey note, I think it may just ground the orange blossom a bit because it doesn’t fade the way orange blossom/Neroli tends to. Feels a little beachy, actually, like a fresh breeze. None of the soap smell Neroli sometimes has.

 

Good stuff! If you liked alma Venus from a few years back you may enjoy this as well.

Being a Pisces I had to try this. Aquatics can go either way on me. At first the notes are all jumbled together and its a pretty scent that captures the madness and spiritual depth of Pisces; it swirls and changes and wafts. I get a gentle sea scent with sort of a wooden incense and just some light lavender.

 

But then my skin does this thing where it's like O HAI RED MUSK and the musk comes in and stomps on everything else. And then it smells exactly like... Funnel of Love from OLLA? Which was pretty enough, but not for me. Weird... I may have to give the bottle a rest and try again. I like it before the musk goes all psycho-killer.

 

If I were to pick a truly Pisces scent from the bpal lineup it would've been Lilith's mermaid or the gentle but wild Pele, y'hanthlei or even death adder. Stupid musk.

Completely agree- Strawberry Stekk. But wow! Strawberry just kinda Leroy Jenkins in, and there's a little Stekk dying there at the end. Really really fun. This is my little pony candy crazy pink. Luv

In the most recent phase of my skin chemistry, my very favorite perfume is BPAL's Pele.

This is a close second. They aren't similar exactly but they are tropical floral cousins.

I keep sniffing my wrists and smiling.

This is an exquisite, sun-drenched vanilla tuberose, with the other players acting as support. The notes intertwine very well, they dance together, it's delicate, no toe- stomping. Any of the weirdness this fragrance could have, it doesn't. The orange blossom doesn't go fusty, caramel doesn't get burned, peach isn't a diva, tuberose doesn't go bubble-gum or grandma-purse. I want to wear this on a date

 

Just sunset on a beach. Love

Oooh- am I first?!
Well, for starters this is very evocative. As it opens, I can't detect any of the incense or violet leaf; it literally smells like frozen water falling into cold water. The chilliest top note burns off a little and the resinous floral becomes more apparent. If you're a violet hater, don't worry because violet leaf is more of a cool green almost herbal note. This isn't the powdery purple flower. The Jasmine is apparent but is somewhat mellowed with the incense. This could be a unisex aquatic blend. I really do enjoy it. However sadly the snow note can be headache provoking for me and this does come on pretty strong at first. But I will keep the bottle because it is so unique and I am hoping it will mellow with age. <3

How is this so freaking awesome?!? It's only 2 notes. But it's a glowy, warm, sexy golden presence. The name haunted makes sense, it's like it just follows you around like a sex ex. My theory on this perfume is that Liaison tells the story of who haunted was before he got murdered I agree with the reviewers that get snake oil minus vanilla. Perfect for the days when SO feels too sweet. Now I wish I had a bottle, le sigh...

I realize this isn't entirely what you were looking for since the thread is about theme, but I'm a drag King sometimes and my go-to drag self is captain jack sparrow. He wears incantation, elegba, or body, remember. So maybe we need a separate thread for drag pirates but I think those fragrances help me explore my other side, if that makes sense. Cool thread

So, bear with me through this analogy, but I hate the term "basic b#tch". And it crossed my mind that this was Ms. Alma upon first sniff. that Alma Venus has been called basic by somebody and she's taking it back. She's empowering herself, she's letting the simplicity of her core serve as a strength and backbone to the many things she's got going on. She's, you know, *more* than just orange and Amber. So, maybe she does like Starbucks lattes and uggs. She's also a wonderful gardener, and can intimately describe the coagulation cascade without batting a pretty eyelash. Take your labels and stuff them into a generic fruity floral, because Alma's her own person, complete with tuberose and wafts of soft resin. And her cedar mean streak never rears its ugly head. It's just there to let you know she's boss, when she wants to be. Keeper.

I really enjoyed this scent! It was an impulse buy for me, because carnation and lemongrass both can go either way for me.

No worries, though- it's a warm, tropical-ish glow of resins with no note really dominating. I love the label art! (Yeah, I'd be startled too, if I was just catching flies and some massive penis dropped out of the sky).

I had the same experience as Woozel at first. Genetrix freaked out and went all violent Jasmine ala Julianne Moore in the pharmacy scene from Magnolia. It was similar to the Jasmine in Hal that turned angrily rancid on me.

 

That was the first day.

Second day, I saw a ghost monster Panther fume rise from the bottle, snarl at me and then evaporate. And then, a sweet little fluffy kitten came out. A kitten with wise golden eyes that knew more than they should.

 

Black vanilla and Amber and Jasmine, slinking around the property, casing the joint.

 

I'm posting a link to this blog- this is the perfume you want to wear for number 2. (Flaunt your complexity- When planning outfits for your holiday soirées, think "I'm an heiress and an Italian professor at this upscale tropical funeral). http://imissyouwheniblink.com/2014/12/08/how-to-be-a-ladyperson-at-the-holidays-9-important-tips/

 

Sorry for the incredibly right brained review- I thought this perfume deserved a stream of consciousness. I think I love it.

This was a surprise hit! I'm normally into dark vanilla resins or exotic florals. I'm not always into the foodie stuff and I wouldn't have picked this out for myself. So I was really surprised when I got a free tester of it from a forumite and loved it so much I had to order a whole bottle. It's fairy cakes! With herbal, soft non-old-lady-lavender and flirty booze. So to me this smells like a fairy party in a bottle. Surprise win!

Another fan of blacker than the raven wings of midnight! I'm glad because I bought a bottle unsniffed because it had sandalwood and vanilla. It isn't strongly either of those notes but I love it anyway.

In the bottle, it's rather a cool, strong tea scent.

On my skin, something instantly goes "black"- this color description to me perfectly matches the scent. It's dark patchouli but it isn't rude hippie patchouli. It's something like the patchouli in feed me and fill me with pleasure- but it's cut with something musky that doesn't carry the respiratory problems I sometimes have with musk.

 

The effect is indeed dark, sultry hair, billowing clouds of incense, and perhaps the osmanthus or tea note is what adds a little of an olfactory sparkle to it, lending an air of mystery.

 

My personal theory on this piece is that possibly Lady Ligeia never existed, that the narrator had channeled some eerie, Hitchcock/Vertigo/Pygmalion ideal feminine presence- an ideal so strong that it stifled the narrator's actual marriage, compelling the narrator to murder Rowena.

 

This is what that haunted goddess smells like, if only in the unreliable protagonist's mind.

 

As an odd, pale girl with dark hair, it aesthetically suits me.

Keeping.

I was also looking for vanilla bean Noel bpal equivalent. I love the lotion but the body spray fades so fast, I'm looking for something to layer with it

Evocative, eerie, outdoorsy, soft.

This is very like the poem that it was inspired by. It smells like sitting outside in a graveyard at night, with at least few of the graves being freshly dug. Graveyard dirt is loudest at first with the ivy and soft incense coming out on the dry down. The honey and fig are feather-light here. Unusual, lovely. I agree that this could be a morticia addams scent- that is my costume this year and I'll try it for that purpose. I believe I'll keep this bottle

Yummy blood candy! <3

Stage Blood fills a particular scent niche that I've been seeking for quite some time: sexy blood smell. I like it as a halloweenie scent but I think it could be year round, maybe fun for valentines day too.

 

I do get the resonance with stage blood- it even smells as though it would be sticky.

 

It opens out a little light and there's almost a note of lemon, but thankfully that disappears soon (not a lemon fan). It quickly deepens into a resinous, warm, cherry/ dragons blood. For a single note this still has some depth and complexity. It's warm-toned and has a medium throw. It stays fairly consistent after dry down and has a pretty long wear time- I could smell this on my sleeve the next day. It reminds me a little of dragons milk but is less obviously sweet. Wish this was part of the general catalogue, I think I'll be reaching for it often. Keeping the bottle, and possibly buying a backup. This is what I wanted OLLA Blood Popsicle to be.

 

Synopsis: agree with the top reviewer, dragons blood/cherry candy. Droooool.

I thought blood Popsicle smelled like an evil hospital. I couldn't do it.

This one was a surprise winner on me! I was expecting total dust or little-old-lady rose. Worries were completely unfounded.

 

On me, Beauty is completely incense, but a rose incense with a sweet vanilla drydown. Myrrh makes it feel solemn. But the vanilla/rose combo keeps it from being too heavy. It's a good summer scent for those who aren't in the mood to douse themselves in tropical punch. It's deep and rich and warm. I usually like to rock all the autumn scents, so this is great because it almost has an autumnal feeling but translates just fine to summer.

This perfume is a layered and complex scent, perfect for someone who has lived 1,000 years. IMO of all the BPAL scents I've tried, this is the most artisanal, and it smells the most expensive

I do not get rose or any of the bitterness from the yarrow or saffron, it's all just soft and subtle, though the frankincense has some teeth. The resins and incense are spectacular, but it's a very light throw. I give this a five out of five, but that said, it isn't me. I like scents with some stank on them- Callidora, Qandisa, VILF. I have a bottle of Hal on the way, and I'm hoping that it will be what I hoped for Eve. It's a testament to Eve's popularity though, that I was able to rehome it in under five minutes. seriously. It isn't "me" but it's just. THAT. good. I predict the wailing and gnashing of teeth for many many people that this only had a 350 bottle run.

I'm confused. In the imp, it's kind of pretty and lush. On my skin, it's pure soap for an hour or so. Then it turns into kind of a haughty night out scent worthy of an expensive restaurant.

Then, on the dry down, it's falling leaf moon so basically oakmoss and leaves. (which I really like!) I will update after this ages so it can see what it wants to be.

It makes me think of a teenager, trying to try on different identities. That's the beauty of bpal; no scent is the same on everyone.

I like the darker and more androgynous florals as well. Some suggestions:

 

Liz: A light, feminine vanilla floral perfume and a swirl of smoke and leather. This one fits the "warrior unicorn" bill best, in my opinion.

Highwayman: Vetiver with gardenia, blood red rose, night-blooming jasmine, a dash of cinnamon and a faint hint of leather. The masculine leather and vetiver are dominant with just a touch of floral.

Morgause: A bouquet of five night-blooming flowers deepened by dusky violet, purple fruits and the barest breath of medieval incenses. This is mainly a smoky jasmine to me.

Event Horizon: Black opium, labdanum, opoponax, black orchid, and benzoin. Same as Morgause, with orchid instead of jasmine.

Faeu Boulanger (came with the Carnaval, currently unavailable): Mushroom gases, swamp mist, green mint, and bog violet. This is a light and ethereal scent with a touch of strangeness from the "mushroom gases." It's like a weirder and more androgynous take on The Last Unicorn perfume.

 

Thanks! I can't even begin to imagine what mushroom gases might smell like. There's a little town called kaolin pa, where they harvest mushrooms. Smells like poo!! I'm curious

 

I also want to retry elf. The first time I tried it, it smelled like the bpal snow note which hates me but I don't think snow is actually in there so I ordered another imp. Also fae. The oakmoss might keep it from juvenile territory.