furygrrl

In the imp: Sweet, sweet pear, and some kind of glaringly bright, almost chemical floral.

On wet: Icky sweet pea (which, for whatever reason, hates me), and something that reminds me of my beloved Sleepy Moon! Unexpected and interesting!

Drydown: There's something powdery in here - it's doing the same itchy-dusty thing to my nose that most orchid scents do. Aside from that...this is a really hard scent for me to pin down! I'm still getting the sickly sweet pea (if a flower could go "off" the way food does, that would be how I'd describe my nose's interpretation of that note), and I think the lilies and honeysuckle have banded together with it to form this gang of icky, overwhelming floral-ness. Can't tell if the heliotrope has jumped into the mix - my nose is being pummeled and robbed as I speak...er, type. I can tell you what I'm *not* smelling, though - white musk and pear! The two notes I was *hoping* to get a good dose of. Ain't that always the way?

Overall: Another "not a good scent for me" blend. The florals are too sharp, too cloying, and none of them seem to like me very much. I was kinda hoping for the lilies, pear, and musk to dominate, but that simply was not to be. I'm not particularly surprised, though - sweet pea is one of my absolute ick notes, and honeysuckle isn't far behind, so I had reservations from the get-go - but the white musk fan in me had to at least give this scent a shot. Which I now have. 2/5

In the imp: Sharp, almost bitter perfume - the kind you'd expect little old church ladies to wear.

On wet: It's sweetened up slightly - I can smell the lilies and the lightest brush of rose...but there's still a sour/bitter edge running underneath.

Drydown: Wow, this is *definitely* not my cup of tea - it reminds me of scented garbage bags. There's this weird burnt-plasticky scent clinging to my skin, and a layer of sharp, generic floral perfume sitting on top of it - the overall result is so sharp, it's almost acrid.

Overall: Traditional, intensely floral blends don't seem to work very well for me, and this one is, unfortunately, no exception. It started out unpleasant, and didn't morph much beyond a cloying floral sheet pulled over hot erasers. Aside from that tiny glimpse of roses and lilies in the wet stage, I wasn't able to pick out distinct flowers at any point. Not a good scent for my chemistry. 2/5

In the imp: Sweet powder and myrrh.

On wet: Sweet powder and myrrh - maybe a touch of wood.

Drydown: Leather and woodsmoke for a good while, then...smoked powder. Bleh. The red musk never showed, either.

Overall: Evil powder scent = not for me. Amber never fails to disappoint on my skin, and myrrh's becoming more and more troublesome for some reason. This blend pulls a 2/5, thanks to my wannabe Dominatrix chemistry.

In the imp: Sweet, sweet apricot - almost fake fruity-sweet, like gum or candy.

On wet: Yummy! Deep, rich apricot - the blindingly ripe, perfectly fuzzy kind - with just a hint of musky perfume underneath.

Drydown: This is such a wonderful mix of musk and fruit. The apricot has melded with the plum (not getting any hint of the pom, but it could be in there, too), and the musk is sweet and heady and feminine. If there are any roses in here, they're well-blended, 'cause I can't smell 'em at all.

Overall: Really lovely scent - and versatile, too. The sweet n' fruity angle covers everyday wear or fun/casual events, while the perfume-y side makes it appropriate for work or an evening out. It's a *titch* too heady for me, personally, but I'll definitely be keeping - and using - my imp. 4/5

Seconding: Bengal (honeyed cinnamon) and Plunder (heavy duty cinnamon).

Adding: Enraged Groundhog Musk (chocolate-cinnamon), Red Phoenix (orange-cinnamon), Eclipse (cinnamon-almond), and Bakeneko (orange-cinnamon-tea).

In the imp: Sweet candy, lemon, and coconut - yum!

On wet: Lime and coconut, a titch of floral goodness - mostly the iris, which I love.

Drydown: The lemongrass has emerged. It's very distinct from the lime (which is still very present), and they're both sitting on top of the iris and coconut. There's something dusty or powdery hanging around, too - I'm thinking it's one of the florals I'm not very familiar with (snowdrop, wisteria), possibly the amber, which doesn't tend to like me. I don't normally care for even the slightess bit of dust/powder, but it doesn't seem to last very long, and all the other notes are pleasantly distracting.

Overall: Definitely a wild - but lovely - scent! It's bright and warm, sweet and sharp, saved from being too fruity or foody because of the florals, and not too floral thanks to the coconut and citrus! A gorgeous summer or party blend, suitable for a wide range of ages, too. I feel like I'm wearing a rainbow on my wrist! 4.5/5

edit: Needed to upgrade my overall score from 3.5 to 4.5 - I haven't been able to stop sniffing myself all day! I smell freaking *awesome* - like lemon-lime, sweet-tart, glittery coconut musk. LOVE!

In the bottle: Clean, fresh, grassy...with just a *hint* of something sweet-tart underneath.

On wet: Pale, pale green aquatic, with the vaguest touch of watery fruit around the edges.

Drydown: Mmm...the sharp aquatic-ness has died away. Now it's insanely fresh smelling - like a garden, comprised of nothing but carnation and big, green, leafy plants, all dappled with cool water after a good rain. The heather is sweet, the carnation is lightly spiced cream, the green things stay green - really, really lovely.

Overall: I had to have this scent purely because of the poem - it's been a favourite of mine since childhood. I was incredibly fortunate that none of the notes were dealbreakers (though moss and ivy *can* be troublesome), and doubly lucky that they all decided to play nice on my skin - I would have been heartbroken if this hadn't worked. But here I am, smelling deliciously fresh and spicy and green all at the same time, anxiously waiting for warmer weather to arrive, as this is definitely going to be one of my go-to spring scents. A delightful blend - 4.5/5.

Just seconding the rec for Tushnamatay - it's like sweet Indian incense in a bottle. I absolutely love it.

If you can track down some Chintamani-Dhupa, you might like that as well - it's similar to Tush, but a touch drier, a touch woodsier.

In fact, most of the temple-esque scents (imo), are the ones with lots of sandalwood in them: Dragon's Claw, Rakshasa, Sri Lanka, even Temple of Dreams (mostly on the drydown - it's all smoky lavender to start). I haven't tried Clod and the Pebble yet, but I want to, so that's another rec I'd second. You could also try Mama-Ji - it's like being in an Indian spice store that sells exotic flowers, and all the scents are co-mingling and wafting around you. Just lovely.

I love Wanton and Urd, but neither evoked much of an Indian vibe on my skin. The former is very lush and syrupy-sweet, heavy on the rose, the latter is very grape incense. Yummy, but not very "Hindu Temple" to my nose.

In the imp: Strong and soapy - like good shampoo. Definitely picking up on the jasmine.

On wet: Sweet soap, jasmine, the sharpness of the ozone.

Drydown: Reminds me of a very traditional, department store perfume - though I tend to get that impression from most jasmine-heavy, shampoo-esque scents. The jasmine totally dominates on me, but I think I'm picking up on a higher-pitched sweetness, could be the moonflower. Moss and benzoin don't typically play nice on my skin, and the longer I have this on, it becomes apparent that this trend is going to continue. The benzoin is the more obvious of the two, and it almost *always* smells like burned/sour amber to my nose - not good. My two favourite notes in the blend - the iris and white musk - haven't appeared at all.

Overall: FYI, this imp is over two years old. When I first tried it, it smelled a lot lighter, a lot fresher, and the white musk was very prominent on the drydown - that's the only reason why I kept it, actually - I'm a white musk fiend! With the new round of discontinueds on its way, I figured I'd better give this one another go. With the absence of musk, and the heaviness of the jasmine, I'm glad I did - if only to rediscover that this scent isn't for me. It *is* a very high-end, classy kind of fragrance, though - something I could see wearing to a fancy dinner or the theatre. A 2.5/5 on my skin, though.

In the imp: Sharp, almost bitter sandalwood, and the lilac air freshener scent that is dragon's blood to my nose.

On wet: Sharp and bitter is duking it out with woody, almost peanutty sweetness. Ah, and here comes the detested DB...

Drydown: The sandalwood's totally taken over (yay!), and I smell divine! I'm getting the sweet, pink-gold sandalwood that's present in Tushnamatay, another that's dry and woody, and another that's almost spicy - although I suppose the dragon's blood could be contributing to either of those effects. DB's only ever made me smell like a bathroom spray, so I can honestly say that I'm absolutely clueless as to what it might be doing at this point, lol!

Overall: I fully expected the dragon's blood to kill this blend for me (because it hates me with a fiery passion), but thanks to my beloved sandalwood, I smell fan-freakin'-tastic - something I *never* thought possible where DB was concerned. I am positively delighted at finding my first wearable dragon's blood scent. 4.5/5

In the imp: Sweeeeet reddish-purple-fruity-berry-ness. A hint of what I think is thyme.

On wet: Kool-Aid!

Drydown: 10 minutes in, and it's faded quite a bit. It's lost a lot of that berrylicious/fruity edge in favour of just pure sugary sweetness - it's actually making my teeth hurt every time I inhale! There's also a soapy, shampoo-esque thing going on now, too. I'm reminded of the "perfume" I used to get as a kid - the kind that wasn't much more than scented pink liquid in a pretty pink-capped bottle. I can't recall exactly, but I think the brand was called Tinkerbell (no relation to Disney). Not getting anything even remotely boozy or herby.

Overall: WAY too sweet for this grrl - though I'd definitely recommend it for the junior BPALers out there. A kid-friendly scent to be sure - and SO much nicer than that chemical playtime crap I'm sure is still being sold today. As I am no longer a kidlet, however, this ranks a 2/5 on my skin.

In the imp: Mmm...smells like buttered rum lifesavers!

On wet: Lightly buttered rum. Coconut. A dry, almost herbal bitterness that I'm thinking is the tobacco. Strangely enough, I'm also getting a hint of something...minty? Weird - and yummy!

Drydown: The caramel-esque rum and sugary coconut are both deliciously straightforward. I'm not getting tobacco (or that phantom mint note) any more, but I'm sure it's helping cut the sweetness and ground the other two components.

Overall: Edible! Drink Me and Obatala's love child. Definitely a warm weather party scent - also perfect for those cold days when all you can think about is escaping the snow by jetting off to the Caribbean. Elegba is that 'one sniff and you're there' scent. 4/5

In the imp: Sweet fruityness - almost apple-like - and a touch of something floral.

On wet: Nothing distinct beyond sweeeeet and frooooooty.

Drydown: Blackberry at first, then that dark berry vibe gets even darker - definitely the plum. A floral haze sorta clings to the edges of those two emo fruits, and the lilac is the most notable. Still an incredibly sweeeeet blend with just a *hint* of something spicy/cinnamony underneath. Lovely.

Overall: I don't really enjoy blackberry scents as a rule (they tend to not like me very much), but this one works thanks to the plum (one of my favourite fruit notes). The fruit/light floral/spice combo makes for a very warm n' wearable blend - and it's not going potpourri/holiday candle on me, either - another bonus. My nose says it's reminiscent of Frumious Bandersnatch. I rather enjoy these plummy-spicy scents, but don't really wear them very often (just because *I* don't get candles or an Xmas sachet from them doesn't mean others don't - like my DH ) - even still, I'll be keeping my imp. 3.5/5

In the imp: Straight-up cocoa beans - powdery and almost bitter.

On wet: Chocolate. Then the sandalwood tries to peek through - not enough to be distinct, though, so I currently smell like a Reese's PB cup, lol!!

Drydown: Mmm...starting to get a little sweeter (vanilla), a little woodier (sandalwood), a little smokier (myrrh). Hey you - myrrh - yeah, you! I think you need to calm down a bit, buddy - you're getting to be a tad too acrid for your own good. We really don't want to pull another Priala-fiasco, now do we? I want to amp choco-vanilla-sandalwood, darnit - NOT smouldering erasers.

Overall: I still smell...burnt...and somewhat sweet. I am a blackened campfire marshmallow - my charred exterior is hiding all that perfectly edible vanilla goo underneath. Not what I was looking for. I blame this unsatisfying result on wonky-PMS-skin chemistry, and will keep my imp to test again when I am *not* all hormonally unbalanced. At the moment, though, this ranks a majorly disappointing 2/5.

In the imp: An almost golden-sweet vanilla. Something bright and a little sharp, too - like a high-end, citrussy hairspray.

On wet: Sweet creaminess. Jasmine. The nailpolish-remover scent of champaca. Oooh...but here comes the sandalwood, already starting to ground everything. Very, very nice.

Drydown: Complex and lovely. The vanilla and sandalwood make for a wonderfully sweet-yet-stable base - creamy, warm, and golden. The champaca - a note that never fails to hate me regardless of how many times I try it out - has finally decided to pull back and play nice, making friends with the jasmine, tag-teaming to become this general haze of pretty floral-ness. I can smell an undercurrent of spicy smokiness, too - opium and ginger making the scene at last. There's the leather - it's slightly sour against the other notes.

Roses, lily, hay, tobacco...I'm sure they're all in there too, but I can't pick them out specifically - that's how busy and well-blended this scent is.

Overall: I'm really enjoying this! It's an almost syrupy sweet floral, saved from being too heady or too generic or too frou-frou (ie. only to be worn to expensive restaurants or similarly classy engagements) by that deliciously smoky, lightly spiced, golden cream combo of the vanilla-sandalwood-opium-ginger (and possibly tobacco). It *did* start off a bit...louder...than I usually like, but within 5-10 minutes, it settled down into the gorgeous, darkly playful skin-scent I'm getting - and can't stop sniffing! - now. A unique composition (to my nose, at any rate), one that might need to be upgraded to a bottle in the near future. 4/5

I'm hopeless when it comes to Oriental scent recs, (I don't often swing that way ) but I'll try and lend a nose regardless...

Dolce and Gabbana: Petitgrain, Tangerine, Basil, Ivy, Aldehyde, Freesia, Rose, Orange Flower, Jasmine, Red Carnation, Muguet, Coriander, Marigold, Sandalwood, Tonka Bean, Musk

Lot and His Daughters (Salon): Indonesian black patchouli, petitgrain, brandewijn, incense, saffron, lemon peel, myrrh, skin musk, bourbon geranium, and tangerine - appears to be the only scent with petitgrain listed (though there could be others that contain it *unlisted*) - and it does have some musk and citrus notes. It sounds a bit darker than D&G, but you could always try to find a decant to test first. A few other blends contain basil, freesia, coriander, etc., but not all together. You can plug individual notes into the search field on the actual BPAL site to see if any results pique your interest.

As for "feel" - oriental, a little spice, a little wood, a little sweet - you could try Morocco (sweet, spicy, oriental), Aureus (sweet, woody), Bengal (sweet, spicy, a touch woody), Chrysanthemum Moon (dried spice, sweet, slightly woody - LE but not too hard to find), among others.

Obsession: Mandarin, Bergamot, Jasmine, Rose, Orange Blossoms, Coriander, Tagete, Armoise, Amber, Oakmoss

Hmm...maybe you could try Three Brides (Rose, Mandarin, Amber), Rapture (Rose, Mandarin, Jasmine, Bergamot), or Baghdad (Rose, Mandarin, Amber, Bergamot)?

Aromatics Elixir- there are some suggestions for this one here!

Lastly, for those looking for something to replace Cashmere Mist - there are some older recs here.

Between Calico Jack and Port Royale, which one would be more suited for Captain Jack?

To my daydreamy nose, Port Royal is the debauched Jack on shore leave, and Calico Jack is all manly Captain on the high seas (and whoo, boy - does it smell hawt on the hubby ). I'd say give both scents a try if you can.

Seconding (thirding?) some of what others have mentioned:

Phobos is pretty much straight lemon and white musk to my nose - it's bright, fresh, and perfect if you're looking for a soft, sweet lemon scent.

Severin - easily one of my *favourites* - is a gorgeous, delicate blend of lightly sweetened lemon and dark tea. Leather is also involved, but it works so well with the other notes that you can barely tell it's there. Highly recommended.

Carnaval Diabolique has quite a few notes listed, but all I ended up getting was pure candied lemon. It's another one I'd recommend snagging a decant of.

Bunny Musk didn't have any lemon in it (it's another one in my top ten ) - Delousing Powder, however, is like EBM's citrus twin. It was strongly reminiscent of a creamy lemon sherbert on my skin. If you can track some down, I think you'll really enjoy it.

The ultimate soft rose (for me, anyway) would definitely be Alice - it's so light and creamy.

My ultimate honey blend is currently tied between Litha (warm, golden honeymead) and Les Bijoux (more of a green, lightly fruit-kissed, effervescent honey - delish!) - though in the colder months, I'd reach for Bengal (anyone looking for a honey/ginger scent should try this one - it's gorgeous).

My plum/citrus pick would have to be Antonino.

Ultimate coconut is tougher, though:

- I love Black Pearl because it's a delicate, softly sweet, non-suntan lotion coconut blend you can wear anywhere

- Obatala is pure beach to my nose - cool water, a hint of salty breezes, and milky coconut - so amazing

- Brown Jenkins is a neat departure from 'usual' coconut scents - it's a darker, slightly toasted, almost EVIL coconut!

I haven't tried any choco/merlot blends, but it seems like Kali and Centzon Totochtin are the (only?) pair to try.

As for me, I'm still looking for the Ultimate:

- white musk (I've sampled most of bpal's WM, have many faves, but I'm always on the hunt for more!)

- lemon sugar blend

- true lilac (one that doesn't smell like a bathroom spray on me)

- freesia

- primrose

- chill rain (sans hairspray or cheapo-drugstore-parfoom effect)

In the imp: Cinnamon-scented bonfire - wooo!

On wet: Sweet, earthy cinnamon. It's making my skin tingle, too! Weird!

Drydown: Myrrh. Burning myrrh. Sweet n' spicy myrrh. I am pleased...except when I catch faint whiffs of something vaguely play-doh-y. It doesn't happen often, but when it does, my nose can't help but wrinkle. I am also reminded - much to my dismay - of a carpet treatment powder my grandmother used to use years and years ago. It smelled really good, too, but I never felt the urge to dab a little behind my ears, if ya know what I mean.

Overall: Big disappointment for me, this one. In addition to loving warm, spicy myrrh blends, I'm a HUGE Phoenix fan (the mythology, the gorgeous art that goes along with it, the X-Men character - hell, even the city!), so I fully expected to add another firebird to my well-stocked stable of Phoenixy scents. Instead, I get grama's carpet cleaner, and another imp for the swap pile. 2/5

In the imp: Sugared mint tea!

On wet: Mmm...sweet, fresh mint - green and growing. Lovely!

Drydown: I smell like pure honeyed tea leaves! No mint, no citrus (never got any noticeable citrussy notes, though), and the sweetness is more mellow, no longer sugary. It's gone drier, too - hence the tea leaf vibe, rather than the beverage.

Overall: This is quite nice. I rather enjoy all the notes included in this blend, but it's incredibly faint, and only lasted about half an hour on my wrist. If it was a bit more intense, I would definitely go for a bottle. As it stands now, I'll just continue to enjoy my imp. 3/5

In the imp: Wow - it really does smell like gingerale!

On wet: Ginger, woodiness, a touch of sweetness, and something else - something almost powdery underneath all the other notes.

Drydown: Boo...it's gone to pure soapy powder! Soap flakes with mixed with dusty plastic, at that - reminiscent of the icky drydown I get from orchid scents.

Overall: I've had this decant for almost two years now, hanging on in the hopes that it would age into something that liked me ('cause I rather liked it!), but, sadly, this has not happened. It's STILL not for me.

In the imp: Uber Almond! Yum!

On wet: Nothing but almond at first. A few seconds later, there's a tinge of darkness from the myrrh, a lighter sweetness that I'm attributing to the mandarin, and a delicate slither of snake oil. Mmm, I smell like a complicated amaretti cookie!

Drydown: Snake Oil + something smoky + a weird herbal peanut butter (wtf? where did *that* come from?) = a very strange, almost savoury version of my favourite GC fragrance. Not what I was hoping for, and not a scent I'm enjoying at the moment. It's actually kind of turning my stomach...

Overall: Well, I've found the first Snake Pit scent that doesn't work on me. It had to happen sometime, I just wasn't expecting it from one of my most anticipated combination of notes. A disappointed 2/5.

In the imp: A fresh, sweet scent - there's an almost dry sharpness to it that reminds me of the white sandalwood in Kuang Shi.

On wet: Mmm...a soft, sweet, unassuming citrus cream.

Drydown: Wow, has this ever gone perfumey! It's reminiscent of a scent I used to wear in high school, but I can't recall which one - Volupte? Tresor? I'm still getting whiffs of fresh orange cream underneath that intense headiness, though.

Overall: Quite a nice blend, even though it's completely different from what I expected. Not something I'll wear very often, but I'll definitely be hanging on to my decant. 3.5/5

Dragon Moon was very 'Neo-Tokyo-ish' on me. It's an LE - not too old, though - so if you can track down a decant, I'd give it a whirl.