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BPAL Madness!

riddel

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Posts posted by riddel


  1. I, too, love Elixir of Love #1. While none of the scents I'm going to suggest are a direct match, they all have a bit of the same "feel" to them (to my nose, at least). I love each and every one of them, I do. :P

     

    Peitho - "Lusty myrtle and jasmine with red sandalwood, stargazer lily, and clove over an opulent, rich bed of warm musk and bourbon vanilla."

     

    Queen Mab - "Black orchid, sandalwood, night-blooming jasmine, osmanthus, Somalian rose, and Chinese musk."

     

    Suspiro - "Ylang ylang with white plum, white orchid, jasmine, calla lily and lily of the valley." A bit lighter than my other suggestions, but the jasmine pairs so beautifully with the white plum that I can't resist listing it here.

     

    Veil - My absolute favorite! "White sandalwood, lilac, gardenia, violet, orris, lavender and ylang ylang."

     

    Good luck!


  2. Chaos Theory III: Strange Attractors - XDII

    This one stumps me. It's a bit syrupy sweet with what I think is a touch of Calla Lily, maybe even honeysuckle. Quite pretty.

     

    Chaos Theory III: Strange Attractors - DXXII

    Grapefruit! Sweet, juicy grapefruit. All grapefruit, all the time. Like a grapefruit single note. :P


  3. I think Embalming Fluid and Shanghai are quite similar, though I personally prefer Shanghai. It smells smoother to my nose, a bit thicker. Embalming Fluid smells thinner and cleaner. As for Phantasm, it was more jasmine on me than anything else. Might be different for you. The Apothecary has the whole herbal kick.

     

    Me like lemon-y. :P


  4. Yes, Rakshasa has both patchouli and rose, but it's very, very light. I think so, anyway. It almost has a fresh, lemon-y overtone. But hey, you might like it, so give it a try. I second the Wanton recommendation. Wanton is lush and very feminine.


  5. Devil's Night

     

    Oh. My. God. You know how autumn air is all dead grass and crunchy leaves and smoky bonfires burning in the distance? Crisp, sharp, and musky all at once? This is that scent with a touch of sugary Halloween sweetness underneath. I can't wait to wear this outdoors this fall. I imagine it will mingle with the air around me perfectly, much like Dia de los Muertos does. And the label!


  6. Midway

     

    Hm, have I not reviewed this one yet? I guess not.

     

    I was really hoping I'd be able to smell the caramel apple and salt water taffy in this, but alas, I can not. Still, Midway is pretty nice, not to mention surprisingly addictive. Most foody scents tend to smell burnt and heavy on me, but this smells light and fluffy. It brings to mind freshly spun cotton candy and light, airy dough treats that have been rolled in shredded coconut.


  7. Snake Charmer

     

    Yep, this is Snake Oil with an added bunch o' coconuts and less of Snake Oil's heavy, syrupy vanilla notes. I can't smell the plum at all, which is surprising, as plum is usually one of the first notes my nose picks out. While I liked Snake Oil quite a bit at one time, it's not really the kind of scent I reach for now, so off this goes.


  8. Gypsy Queen

     

    You know how in the Harry Potter series Professor Trelawny's room is described as being hot and heavily perfumed? This scent is her room. (Sorry, I have Harry Potter on the brain, seeing as how I've been rereading the series.) It's exactly what the description says it is: Romany incense, candle smoke, and body-warmed perfume notes. Very evocative. I can't see myself actually wearing this, though, as it's not, at the end of the day, very "me." But that's okay, it's going to a good home.

     

    P.S. This has the same kind of feel as both Ouija and Seance. It doesn't smell much like either, but it has the same feel.


  9. Freak Show

     

    This smells like Carnal with chocolate. I'm not a Carnal fan, nor am I a chocolate fan, so this is on its way to a better home. I'm actually surprised I ordered it in the first place, as I was so iffy on a good majority of the notes. I guess I just got a bit too caught up in the Carnaval madness. I blame it on the shill! :P


  10. Suspiro

     

    Smooth, very smooth. Smooth in the way Juliet is smooth. Nothing in here goes at all sharp on me. It's a very cool, white scent. The white plum adds a lovely, unexpected touch of juicy sweetness. The jasmine actually behaves on me in this blend! It smells fresh and wispy, almost ethereal. Not at all heavy or murky. This is unabashedly feminine, a veil of womanliness draped across your skin. It's light enough that one can smell a touch of one's own natural scent underneath.

     

    Very pretty, a new favorite.


  11. De Sade

     

    I can't even put into words how wonderful De Sade is. I ordered an imp of it for my boyfriend to try and fell so head-over-heels in love with it that I'm keeping it for myself. (Okay, fine, I'll share... sometimes.) It's sexy with a capital "SEX." Warm and black, slightly musky, a touch of smokiness. It's leather and more. Surprisingly, I don't find this too masculine. I definitely feel I can pull this off, and often. Leather seems so gender-neutral to me. I mean, both men and woman look sexy as hell wearing it.

     

    I really do think this will be my first ever 10ml, as this scent is not only great on its own but has, in my opinion, almost endless layering possibilities. I know for certain that De Sade + Vanilla Bean SN = OHMYFRIGGIN'GOSHMELT, and I suspect it'd be wonderful with a touch of coconut or lavender. I'd also really like to try it under both Sin and Wanton.

     

    Big, BIG imp's ear up, Beth.


  12. So many images pop into my head when I smell this scent: images of comfort, warmth, and stability; of dust and brown earth; of mysterious, Bohemian beauty. I picture colorful scarves and gold hoop earrings; used book stores overcrowded with fading books; candlelit rooms filled with occult treasures and clouds of heavy incense. I'm surprisingly drawn to it.


  13. Beltane

    ... It doesn’t matter where your faith lies, Beltane is sacred to us simply because we’re human. It is a celebration of new growth, rebirth, of the fertility of our land, our spirits and our bodies, and is a reminder of the joy in simply being alive. Celebrate life! Wind some flowers into your hair, dab a little oil behind each ear, toss the first petals of springtime onto your yard, and bless your garden the old fashioned way!

     

    Dew-covered flowers and fresh greenery. I'm almost certain I'm smelling jasmine. Now, I admittedly loathe jasmine. Loathe it. Yet... it actually kind of works in this blend. At the very least, it doesn't take over. I think I can pick out some honeysuckle(!) and lilac, and I'm pretty sure this shares a note of some kind with Venus. It just smells... alive. Just fluid and growing and alive. I feel connected when I wear this, connected to the earth, to the very pulse that many believe all living things share. Very pretty, Beth.


  14. Yes, Darkness smells just like that when wet on my skin. I wish it had smelled that way once it dried down, but hey, maybe you'll get lucky! Also, I've heard people compare Cathedral to candle wax/candle smoke. I got strong, heavy, polished wood -- no candle-ness -- but it might be worth trying.


  15. As for Baobhan Sith, the closest match I ever found was an LE, Queen of Diamonds, but that's not going to be any easier to acquire.

     

    Kumiho. Kumiho practically is Baobhan Sith to my nose, only it has a ginger bite instead of a grapefruit bite.

     

    Regan also has a similar "feel" as Antique Lace...riddel once told me that AL smelled "white and pink" to her, while Regan smells "white and purple."  I adore AL and only *like* Regan though, but you might want to give it a try  :P

     

    Yep! They're similar in "feel" to my nose, different "colors," though they don't smell exactly the same. Still, it's definitely worth a try. I really do think it's BPAL's closest match at the moment. Since you're open to non-BPAL recs, ginevra, I suggest you try Ava Luxe's Vanilla Musk. I find it quite similar to Antique Lace. I think Josey agrees. Also, Aquolina's Pink Sugar smells like a softer Antique Lace on me once it dries down, but that could just be my skin chemistry.


  16. If you like Shanghai..., you'll like La Rose du Petit Prince, which smells like those scents with manderin and rose  :D

     

    If you like Chaste Moon, Voluspa's Vanilla Creme Fleur is a dead-on dupe

     

    You stole those two right out of my head. :P Hmm, I'm sure I can think of more, though. Oh, okay, I know!

     

    - If you like Alice, you might like Burt's Bees Baby Bee line.

    - If you like Antique Lace, you might like Ava Luxe's Vanilla Musk.

    - If you like the d'Anjou Pear single note, you might like Annick Goutal's Petite Cherie.


  17. Hmm...

     

    Alice (Innocent, creamy, girly floral.)

    Dublin (Woodsy.)

    Queen Mab (Mature, rich floral.)

    Shanghai (Fresh, clean. It's like Embalming Fluid with oomph.)

    Snake Oil (Sexy, softly spicy, slightly resinous. Plus, it's Snake Oil.)

    Velvet (Foody without smelling like a bakery, which can make some people feel sicky [like moi].)

     

    That's probably what I'd opt for if I were introducing somebody to BPAL via a 6-pack, though I'd probably throw in some "freebie" imps: Bordello (for an introduction to the Lab's "red"/berry-ish scents), Dana O'Shee (just because it's so mild, about as neutral as a scent can be), Morocco (for a drier, spicier scent), and Titania (fruity).

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