JasminDreams2010

Dark chocolate and lush, creamy vanilla and the honey of the sweetest kiss smeared with the vital throb of husky clove, swollen red cherries, but darkened with the vampiric sensuality of vetiver, soporific poppy and blood red wine, and a skin-light pulse of feral musk. Le sigh. I wanted to love blood kiss bonbon. I tend to do well with vampirically-themed scents- callidora, vilf, and of course blood kiss itself work magic on me. And, you know, vetiver can be a bit of a bully, so I got this just hoping that minus that vetiver tang, you'd be left with a dreamy dark cherry. And that's mostly what happened. And it was, well, kinda weak. Don't get me wrong, this scent does what it's supposed to do. It *is* a blood kiss Bonbon, cleverly executed, picked up at some exclusive chocolatier. I'm sure there are many who will LOVE this. But with my chemistry, it's all kiss and no blood. It reminds me of Buffy the Vampire Slayer when Spike got that chip in his head so he couldn't bite anyone. And I felt just kind of sorry for him, he just skulked around the graveyard, not knowing what to do with himself. Oh, and somehow it has a note of tea, though that's not listed here. I guess I just like my Spike as the Big Bad. I will wear my blood kiss, and pass on this one. That said, I do predict it will be a hit. My fiancé even really likes it. But he recognized it isn't me.

A tumble of cherry blossoms falling into a pool of white musk and crushed strawberries. 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

Eve is eternal: in three-thousand years, she has likely traveled the length and breadth of the world, immersed in innumerable cultures throughout the ages, observing the ebb and flow of humanity and the imperishability of nature itself. Despite her age, she is the character that seems most rooted, always experiencing each moment with open eyes, always fully present. Her scent is one that travels through the eons: the Irish moss, yarrow, and hawthorn of the Iron Age Britons, ancient Rome’s omphacium and honey, myrrh and calamus from Egypt, the frankincense and damask roses of the Florentine Renaissance, white sandalwood from the Far East, Moroccan saffron and rose water, and a swirl of incense from the souks. 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.

Stand here by my side and turn, I pray, On the lake below, thy gentle eyes; The clouds hang over it, heavy and gray, And dark and silent the water lies; And out of that frozen mist the snow In wavering flakes begins to flow; Flake after flake They sink in the dark and silent lake. See how in a living swarm they come From the chambers beyond that misty veil; Some hover awhile in air, and some Rush prone from the sky like summer hail. All, dropping swiftly or settling slow, Meet, and are still in the depths below; Flake after flake Dissolved in the dark and silent lake. Here delicate snow-stars, out of the cloud, Come floating downward in airy play, Like spangles dropped from the glistening crowd That whiten by night the milky way; There broader and burlier masses fall; The sullen water buries them all- Flake after flake- All drowned in the dark and silent lake. And some, as on tender wings they glide From their chilly birth-cloud, dim and gray, Are joined in their fall, and, side by side, Come clinging along their unsteady way; As friend with friend, or husband with wife, Makes hand in hand the passage of life; Each mated flake Soon sinks in the dark and silent lake. Lo! while we are gazing, in swifter haste Stream down the snows, till the air is white, As, myriads by myriads madly chased, They fling themselves from their shadowy height. The fair, frail creatures of middle sky, What speed they make, with their grave so nigh; Flake after flake, To lie in the dark and silent lake! I see in thy gentle eyes a tear; They turn to me in sorrowful thought; Thou thinkest of friends, the good and dear, Who were for a time, and now are not; Like these fair children of cloud and frost, That glisten a moment and then are lost, Flake after flake- All lost in the dark and silent lake. Yet look again, for the clouds divide; A gleam of blue on the water lies; And far away, on the mountain-side, A sunbeam falls from the opening skies, But the hurrying host that flew between The cloud and the water, no more is seen; Flake after flake, At rest in the dark and silent lake. – William Cullen Bryant Flake after flake – All lost in the dark and silent lake: a snowflake dissolving into an indigo pool of blue jasmine incense and violet leaf. 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

Braving the Ice
 White mint cookies with a drizzle of pomegranate cream, dusted with confectioner's sugar. oh, my- the first review feels like more pressure somehow! And I want to do this one justice, since it's sooooooooooo delicious. I will also add a disclaimer that my skin turns most things into incense and powder/woods, so most sweet scents get toned down a lot on me. I got a bottle of this for a friend and because I'm a stinker like that, I tested a little on my wrist with a q-tip. I immediately ordered myself a bottle. It is taking all of my reserves to walk to the post office and mail it to her! HOLYEFFING*&*!! this is good... In the bottle it smells syrupy sweet, so I was a little skeptical. I was also a little nervous about mint notes as I tend to like soft, warm perfumes. Not to fear! The mint, on me is tame at best, mostly it disappears into the background to add a crispy freshness. The pomegranate cream note blends smoothly with the yummy, buttery shortbread cookie scent and creates a cloud of deliciousness. OMNOMNOMNOM. I don't know if it's my skin or the cream note but there is a musky softness to this that makes it a bit sexy as well, like a skin scent. But, in the end this is all about the confectioner's sugar. I smell like a pretty cloud of vanilla sugar, and it somehow isn't overly sweet but has enough throw to notice. It's all lovely- vanilla-cloudy-softness. My boyfriend LOVES it. And I can totally see this working with an Otto and Victoria theme! Yay! I edited this to say that it reminds me a little of Demeter's Angel Food, which I really like. For days I want to feel feminine and happy.

PUMPKIN PRINCESS Before the Grand Dame was the Pumpkin Queen, she was a Pumpkin Princess! Bright, sweet pumpkin with vanilla fluff, guava, chocolate-dusted white amber, tiare, red currant, raw honey, and meringue. Oh- goodness, am I the first to review? Wonderful! I have been waiting for this to come in the mail, oh joy! I have been craving a beautiful autumn scent- the leaves are yellowing here in Pennsylvania. The label art for this is pretty featuring a girl in a big bright pumpkin patch. In the bottle- Big, Warm, Pumpkin. On my skin- Pumpkin, but this is not a spicy pumpkin pie but more of a fruit scent. Amber and Red Currant show up and lend more warmth. There is something that smells like caramel. in a few minutes, this morphs into something unexpected but a pleasant surprise- on my this becomes a tropical floral. (I love, love LOVE tropical florals). I was expecting something more like Jack, or something that smelled like pumpkin cheesecake but this is not that at all. The pumpkin in here is not entirely unlike Jack but this is more ambery/sexy than straight up food. My skin tends to eat foodiness and amp florals, amber and sandalwood, so this is not particularly sweet on me. I would be interested to know if others have a similar reaction. Must be the tiare. drydown- This is mostly gardenias and amber, with some harmonious pumpkin and fruit notes. Very sweet, warm and is somehow both autumn- appropriate and tropical. The amber in this is lovely, it's a "glowing" sort of scent. I can see the "princess" title, this sexy but more sweet than vampy. On me though oddly enough it is nowhere near as foody as the notes would indicate. Strange. My complaints is just that it fades somewhat quickly. I will be keeping the bottle- this may be a slatherer.

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 ?

Peach-tinted pale musk with neroli, ambergris accord, and champaca absolute. 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.

She was only half-dressed And equally bare trees tossed Their few leaves against the window pane Playfully and with reckless abandon. Sprawling half naked in my desk chair, Hands pressed modestly against her pale breasts, She tapped small, delicate feet on the floor Betraying sweet anticipation. Her body was the colour of wax, and I watched As an eager little ray of light Fluttered across her laughing lips, Across her peeking breast, like an insect on the rose-bush. I knelt and kissed her little ankles. She laughed softly and produced A perfect string of clear trills, A delightful crystal laugh. Her delicate feet disappeared Underneath her: “Stop! You’re so naughty!” Yet the first act of daring permitted, She pretended to punish me only with a laugh! I rose and kissed her eyelids softly. They trembled beneath my lips, poor things: And she tossed her head back, eyes shining… “You’re not trying to take advantage of me…are you? “If you are, darling, you know I’ll have to–” But I silenced the protest, dipping my mouth to her breast, Which caused an explosion of ringing laughter And she opened herself willingly… She was only half-dressed And equally bare trees tossed Their few leaves against the window pane Playfully and with reckless abandon. - Arthur Rimbaud Candied apricot and orange blossom honey with grandiflorum jasmine, orris C02, tonka, patchouli, quince, and skin musk. Ooh, yay! First review! I may have to come back to edit this later, because this one seems like it could be changeable. In the bottle, it's deceptively mild. Of course, I love jasmine, most particularly the grandiflorum variety, so this was a must for me, despite the patchouli note which is iffy at best. here, the jasmine is bright and sunny, blending nicely with the apricot/honey for a candied flowers effect. It's sweet and almost simple- I say almost because I really get none of the orris, quince, or tonka- but not quite because there's something a little dark, a little mysterious under the flowers and candy. The skin musk adds a soft quality, and the patchouli does not clobber me, but rather just grounds the blend. Like! I do wish it were a little more potent on the jasmine, but others who hate jasmine might easily disagree. Jasmine haters, I'm not sure how to warn y'all- the candy might be enough to drown out the other stuff for a nice fruity effect. There is something in it not unlike Peitho, but interestingly enough what this calls to mind on me is a more natural-scented Gucci's Guilty. Nice for springtime! There is indeed something in this that captures the innocence of a first encounter. Keeping the Bottle!

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.

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.

Ethereal grace in earthly form: cherry blossoms, pink roses, and graceful white lilies under a sheen of pale honey. This is the second Lupercalia to break my heart this season. I love cherry rose scents and have been looking for something to replace my bath and body works Japanese Cherry Blossom. I knew this was a bit of a long shot but had to try because it's a cherry rose. We have sweet, feminine roses, delicate cherry blossom, delicious soft honey. And then LILIES that come in and stomp all over it and turn the fine concoction to soap. Pretty in the bottle, pretty on my skin for the first five seconds, then the lilies go hot screechy diva on me and suddenly, it's a dove bar. The good news is that I think it's a skin chemistry thing. This might be positively glorious on the right person. It's truly lovely in the bottle.

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

Fresh white musk, honeycomb, sweet apricot, elemi, orange blossom, and mischievous pink pepper. Oh- yay! I am surprised that I'm first on this one Very surprised about this. I thought I would like it, and I do- but it is different from what I was expecting. With orange blossom and white musk I was thinking it would read like Juliet, but on me it's all about the honey. In the bottle- this is deep and almost foodie. Very wet, very lush, very sweet. Within the first five minutes, the honeycomb is crazily amped. It reminds me of festivals where you can get raw honey from the jar. I can't recognize the mimosa or elemi, though I can pick out the musk, apicot and orange blossom. The pink pepper is just kind of peeking out of the background. The drydown is faint and sweet, but this has a lot more throw and weartime than I would expect, given the notes. I really enjoy this scent and expect for it to be a fall favorite for me, the timing of the release of this is great, to me it seems like a perfect scent for a meadow in late august. It's very yellow, floral, dripping with honey. It isn't so much sweet and innocent the way I would have guessed. It is bold, raw, and there is something sexual about it. My boyfriend likes it, but I think it's still pretty safe for work. I would add that my skin turns most scents drier and more woody/resin, so I could imagine this would become overly sweet on some people, but for me it is perfect. I could almost see this overtaking Jezebel as my signature scent. WIN!

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