BoneBone24

There's some good recs in here: http://www.bpal.org/topic/78155-art-supplies/

Don't worry, there are scents for you here, my friend!

My skin was turning everything sweet when I first got into BPAL, so I feel your pain. It still does, I suppose, but it's either lessened somewhat, or my nose has gotten used to sweet, or some combination of the two. It's taken me a while to figure out which flowers are actually ok on me, vs all of the horrible ones, too. Here are my resistant-to-sweetness enhancing/creating-skin chemistry recs:

(all GC)

Anne Bonny

Black Forest

Cathode

Cayote

Dee

Djinn

Dwarf

Fighter

Iago

Incantation

Omen

R'Lyeh

Rogue

The Red Rider

The Robotic Scarab

Feel free to stalk my reviews – I always mention when the slightest hint of sweetness pops up, especially when there are no sweet notes to explain it.

Expectation: Incensey Aquatic Pear

First Sniff: Wow, ok, so I caught an initial whiff of what can only be described as a sour pungency, then that went away, leaving a far mellower essence of... jungle? Yeah, it basically smells like jungle. It seems like this one’s gonna be a wild morpher and I'm curious to see where it goes.

Wet on Skin: Yeep. There’s that intense note again. At first I think dill pickle, then I realize it’s olive juice. Just as I figure that out (within the first 5 seconds) it calms down a bit and a cleaner, sweeter aquatic note presents itself.

Drydown: I get an ‘aha!’ moment and realize that it basically smells like a dirty martini. For the first 15 minutes or so it continues in that vein, becoming cleaner and crisper as it dries. Finally the olive turns to salty brine, and the rest of the blend sweetens up, settling into a wearable, yet complex aquatic.

Dry: A deep, briney aquatic with a hint incense and pear. I’d classify it as a gender-neutral all-year-round scent. I have to say, the transformation from first sniff to the dry stage is pretty incredible. My advice is to bear with this one, because the endgame is worth it.

9 out of 10 bones

(2017)

Expectation: Dark Smoky Rain

Wet: Sweet ozone that's dusty at the edges. There's a hint of a sticky purple fruit that right now is reading as grape.

Drydown thru Dry: Soft, almost powdered plum, kissed by ozone. There’s just the barest hint of opium smoke, which is floral-leaning when paired with the plum. I’m not really getting any incense, but I imagine it’s responsible for softening the plum. And I'm not noticing any wormwood either.

Overall, this is a very wearable scent. I’m a little disappointed that it’s not as atmospheric or unique as I was expecting, but at the same time it’s nice that it’s a scent that I can wear to work.

7.5 out of 10 bones

(2017)

Expectation: Sexy Metallic Gardenia

First Sniff: It smells fancy. Clean, but sophisticated. Bright, but not sharp. I'm intrigued…

Wet: Sweet, warm, and clean. The ambergris mixes with the vanilla musk, creating a shimmering impression, like white flecked with gold and even brighter white.

Drydown: Beachy, sultry, fancy, and bright. I’m getting everything but the chrome, and the mix is glorious. It smells very expensive – wearing it makes me imagine that I’m some beautiful executive lounging near the ocean while sporting expensive sunglasses and a perfect manicure. The white tea and gardenia are partnered up, bringing the clean, almost lemony vibe, the amber is tucked in beneath that to provide an undeniable sexiness, while the ambergris and vanilla musk continue to work together to add a shimmery, sweet slightly-beachy quality.

Dry: More of the same, but stronger! Which is great, because my skin eats, or at least holds very close, most BPALs, so sometimes I want something that actually gets noticed. And this is a wonderful scent for getting noticed! It’s clean and inoffensive, yet alluring, delicious, and smart. A perfect first impression scent for damn-near any occasion.

9 out of 10 bones

The Dodo is my go-to for this time of year. I actually think of it as my Renn Faire scent because faire season is late summer into fall around here.

I don't wear a lot of apple scents because the note tends to either amp or vanish on me, but I image most apple scents would make a lot of sense to wear this time of year too.

Seconding Defututa, and adding Morocco, All Night Long, Wolf's Heart, and Fenris Wolf to list of possible imps to try out.

Expectation: Smoky Spicy Clove Tea

First Sniff: It smells like candle magic and chai tea. It's soft, earthy, and wonderfully familiar.

On Skin: Clove city! Warm, savory, enticing clove, backed by the tart brightness of tea. Lurking in the shadows is something dry and crumbly. It’s not quite ashy, but certainly smells burnt. But mostly, this is beautiful, beautiful clove.

(note: this one’s a non-morpher)

8.5 out of 10 bones

(2017)

Expectation: Sexy Smoky Cocktail

Wet: Sinister with a wink. I literally just said “OHooooooooh” out loud. And that's the throaty, deep-voiced kind of oooh, not that high-pitched shit used for pandering. Hold on, please. I need a minute with this one… okay. Whew. This is all black, ashy shadows splashed with gin. I'm definitely gonna enjoy this dance.

Drydown: The greenness comes out, but it’s shrouded in darkness. Lime sweetened by orange blossom, then tobacco. The lime is sweet, almost candied, and the tobacco curls into the black musk to form a beautiful, shadowy cloud. I’m catching just a hint of gin at the edges, giving it a dry, dangerous bite.

Dry: Each note is present and balanced. Black musk takes the lead, fusing with smoky, sinister tobacco. Sweet lime and orange blossom hover at the sides, adding just enough brightness to drive the blend forward. The gin hangs back, waiting to bite when you’re least expecting it. And the bay rum, all tingly and delicious, stands in the center, hiding beneath the shroud of shadow, holding the blend together.

8.5 out of 10 bones

It doesn't have a note list, but Black Cat is usually interpreted as mainly mint and rose, although the reviews are a bit all over the place. You can read them here: http://www.bpal.org/topic/4935-black-cat/page-1

Expectation: Ghostly Frozen Apple

Wet: A great big juicy apple, that’s a touch frozen in the center. I think I recognize a cold note from Blood Popsicle, and something wistfully romantic that reminds me Lady Amalthea.

Drydown: The apple becomes less distinct and the rosewood steps up. It becomes a sweet, creamy floral blend that is somehow both juicy and powdery at the same time. By the end of the drydown it’s become so creamy that I actually had to check the note list several times to look for tonka, or milk, or vanilla. Is it the snow? I’m not sure where it’s coming from, but I like it.

Dry: A creamy, ethereal blend of rosewood and osmanthus with a hint of frozen apple in the background. It’s a strange and beautiful scent that I can see myself reaching for often.

8.5 out of 10 bones

Expectation: Golden Citrusy Lilac

Wet: This is striking. Generally speaking, it's a lighter floral/floriental, but there's something about it that's utterly unique. Yeah, just striking.

Drydown: Distinctively blue lilac, over sweet citrus and fizzy ginger. It’s bright and happy, yet fancy at the same time. It becomes a bit headier as it dries, with the lily coming in to partner up with the lilac. Girlish, yet sophisticated.

Dry: The florals have become creamy and spiced, and at last the beeswax has come to the forefront to really smooth over the edges of the citrus notes. It smells clean, yet contains many layers. It’s utterly feminine without being too floral or too sweet or too anything at all. Well-blended and not too much of a throw. As someone who is very picky about florals, I have to give this blend major props staying pleasant to my nose throughout all of its phases.

8 out of 10 bones

Expectation: Tropical Golden-Green Incense

First Sniff: Dark and earthy, with a deep brown sweetness that's almost chocolatey. Weaving through that is a dense, dusky lavender. It belongs in the same scent family as Gaueko. I might need to go to bed with this one.

Wet on skin: Lavender-dominant, but not overwhelmingly so. It’s soft and earthy, and as it starts to dry it becomes dustier and smokier. It’s very comfortable, like sitting on a well-worn leather couch wrapped in your coziest blanket.

Drydown: Masculine, but very approachable. The bay comes out, bringing a touch of coolness to the soft, earthy, smoky vibes. The lavender is still there, but it’s mixed in with the other notes now, instead of laying on top of them. Soft, earthy, and herbal, straddling both the cool and the warm. It fades into this feathery flurry of incense and herbs and smoke that’s so soft and light you almost forget that you’re the one that’s wearing it.

Dry: The softest lavender and the coziest benzoin, nestled together in a bed of incense ash. It’s beautifully androgynous and witchy, with the barest hint of something bold and sexy hiding in the background. Lime-kissed patchouli perhaps? Whatever it is, it’s adding a gorgeous layer of depth. Overall, it’s a comforting, yet mysterious scent that’s perfect for several kinds of bedtime.

8 out of 10 bones

R'Lyeh - I swear by it! Refreshing and clean, but not in the way that makes you sneeze. Plus, it's damn sexy.

oh....

Day Old Ham is an understatement. This is like Month Old Ham Sitting Under a Heat Lamp. Egads it's foul. I braved a small skin test and will say it's less intense on the skin. But still...

I think I'll save this decant for a much-deserved prank. Otherwise I have no idea what to do with it.

Nomnomnom. Yummy clove takes the lead in this scent. It’s sweet, spicy, and that lovely shade of dark brown so deep it verges on green. At the throw level it almost smells like spice cookies, such is the fierceness of its yumminess. But at the wrist the clove is partnered by beautiful clouds of blackened tobacco. Keeping the darkness in check is the frankincense, giving a touch of that shimmery-bronze resin quality that it has. Gorgeously balanced and exactly what I wanted it to be. If you like spice and smoke this is a no-brainer.

9 out of 10 bones

2015

This. This is what I’ve been waiting for. This is what the sugar ruined for me in Dorian and what the leather ruined for me in Jareth. This is that oh-so-unf-y-where-has-this-been-all-my-life-good-gods-it’s-beautiful blend of creamy fougere, pale musk, and tea that I was hoping it would be. It’s absolutely perfect. No morphing, no over-amping, no vanishing. Every note intertwines with the next in the loveliest way. The fougere sits on top, softened by white musk and sweetened with vanilla. The tea enhances the bergamot brightness, without ever taking it into the land of high-pitched or sour. It’s just right. The jasmine adds just a subtle floral smokiness at the base of the scent, so softly that it’s barely noticeable. A beautiful masterpiece.

9.5 out of 10 bones

Wet: A bright, smoked citrus note with a hint of gummy sweetness hiding just below the surface, along with a touch of incense and flowers, plus a shot of neon green something.

Drydown: Nose-tickling verbena held in check by a wee bit of smoky vetiver. This is a polite vetiver; it doesn’t rear its head and demand attention, but rather acts as a supporting note, enhancing and flavoring the rest of the cast. Beneath the verbena is a touch of lavender and candy-ish plum. The rest of the notes are wispy and swirling – some romantic, some shadowy, some clean, some sweet. White musk fuses all of the layers together, giving the blend an airy lightness. It reminds me of the day after it rains, when the air smells sweet and clean, but also a little bit dirty.

Dry: It smells like a LUSH store!

7.5 out of 10 bones

Oooh! I love that you went into such detail, that makes it easier for us to make good recs!

I know I'm repeating some that have already been mentioned, but here's what popped into my mind:

Dorian - Victorian fougere, three pale musks, sugared vanilla tea (a crowd favorite and for good reason)

Eden - fig leaf, fig fruit, honeyed almond milk, toasted coconut, sandalwood

Iulia, L'Artiste du Diable - white tea, sugar cane, orange blossom, rockrose, lemon balm, white mint, honey

Kubla Khan - sunlit caves of ice, roses, opium smoke, amber tobacco, golden sandalwood, champaca, tea leaf, sugared lily, ginger, hay absolute, leather, dark vanilla, mandarin, balsam, Moroccan jasmine (don't worry, it's nowhere near as dark as it sounds)

Lady Una - honey musk, green tea leaf, blackberry leaf, vanilla bean, fae spices (ymmv, but I didn't get any spices from this one, mostly honey)

Lyonesse - golden vanilla and gilded musk, stargazer lily, white sandalwood, grey amber, elemi, orris root, ambergris, sea moss (beachy vanilla)

Obatala - milk, coconut meat, shea butter, cool water

Sea Foam's Milk - milk, ocean

Shoggoth - white amber, green coconut meat, iris, palmarosa, Chinese peony, lime, water lily, snowdrop, muguet, lemongrass, osmanthus, wisteria, glassy musk, hinoki

And once the Yules come around, you should definitely order Snow White! - - virgin snow, crisp winter wind, night-blooming flowers (there's much speculation about the actual notes, but it definitely has something creamy, a la vanilla or coconut or tonka)

Wet: I was afraid to try this one for fear of amping vetiver, which was silly because the moment it hit my skin all I could smell was a very soft, very light earth note.

Drydown: The vetiver is the central note, but it’s very very light. I think it’s actual fusing with the black musk to create this soft, earthy shadow impression. The honey is golden and glowing and brings a sort of dewy sweetness to the smokiness of the other notes. If I hold my wrist to my nose I can detect the lemon peel, but it’s definitely more of a supporting note. This is sort of crazy, but it reminds me so much of O at this stage. Like a complex reinterpretation of O. Or maybe O plus The Dodo. I dunno, it’s very familiar and resinous and sexy in any case.

Dry: Musky, resinous, and very sensual. Smokey black musk deepened by vetiver and drizzled with just the right amount of honey. I can’t detect the saffron, but that probably speaks to the fact that I’m not familiar with it as a note. It does smell exotic though, which very well might be the saffron. And the blackenedness I can definitely smell. As a whole it’s very dark and smokey and shadowy. It’s a gorgeous blend, but not for the shy. Part earthy hippy, part domineering seductress, and part shadow lord.

In three words: Dark Sex Magic

8.5 out of 10 bones

Wet: Suuuuuper smoky. After that comes an herb-tinged waft of clove.

Drydown: Earthy and spicy with a hint of dry, bitter leaves folded in. The smokiness is soft and dusty, almost ash-like. Patchouli asserts itself as the boss, followed by clove, allspice, and chamomile. It’s a very warm and cozy blend, perfectly capturing fall. I get just a moment of strawberry tea, and then it’s back to shades of brown and tan.

Dry: The moss joins in, bringing out the woodiness of the patchouli. It smells very much like a walk through the woods, with autumn leaves carpeting the ground. I keep catching little fleeting moments of strawberry, like there’s a fairy following me around and then vanishing when I turn to see her. What a treasure!

8.5 out of 10 bones

Wet: Wow! This really does smell like gingerbread! It’s not too foodie though, there’s something dark and smoky grounding it.

Drydown: I’m amazed at how well this straddles the line between foodie and not foodie. I smell delicious but not too sweet, and certainly not simple. Gingerbread is the overall theme, but there’s a lot more going on in the background. About halfway through the drydown the clove amps and suddenly I am in clove heaven. This is no ordinary clove.; This is the clove of ecstasy; The clove foreseen by prophecy. This is hip-hop worthy clove. Allow me to wax poetic:

An Ode to Clove

I like big clove and I cannot lie

You other BPALers can’t deny

When a spice walks in first so shy and thin

Then a BIG CLOVE hits your nose

You get sprung!

Wanna get a bottle

Cuz you notice that clove’s full throttle

Deep in the ginger it was camping

And now it’s out and amping

Oh Subb-y, I wanna get with ya

And instagram your picture

The forum tried to warn me

That your ginger spice would make me so horny

Ooh Shubb-Niggurath

You say you got evil gingerbread?

Well morph on me, morph on me, I ain’t your average groupie

I saw your ginger spice

Thought it was so nice

But your clove, it grows, makin me wanna propose

Tired of commercial perfumes

Saying florientals are the thing

Take the average BPALista and ask her that

She’ll say that BPAL’s where it’s at

So Forumites (yeah) Forumites (yeah)

Has your perfume got some spice (hell yeah)

Well slather it, slather it, slather that great big clove

Shubby’s got spice

I broke out my Samhain imp over the weekend and it was the loveliest. The sad thing is that it's a fader on my skin. I think I'll try Samhainophobia next week. It has a lot more oomph, so I feel like I need to wait for the temps to drop out of the 80's before wearing it.

Wet: Hellllooooo plum! Plummy gummy plum is front and center, blocking the audience’s view of the rest of the notes.

Drydown: The plum is here to stay, but it’s stepped back a bit, so as not to hog all the spotlight. A touch of light musk and a hint of warm jasmine are just noticeable beneath the purple fruit.

Dry: Softer and more well-rounded. The plum is brighter now, more tart than sticky. The flowers are muddled together, smelling warm like sunshine and soft like cotton; they temper the plum’s sweetness just enough without taking over. The overall effect is lightweight, feminine, flirty, and fresh.

7.5 bones out of 10

My favorite notes are: Vanilla, Caramel, Violet, Honey, Marshmallow, Coconut, Booze, Maple, Carnation, Spices(not nutmeg) Strawberry and Mint!

 

Death Notes: Rose, Black Tea, Pumpkin, Chocolate, Neroli/Orange Blossom, and Woodsmoke(I don't hate it but my skin amps it like no other)

 

We have very different tastes it seems, but there are a few of your notes that I can make recs for:

Honey - Light of Men's Lives (smoky creamy beeswax heaven!)

Mint - Mad Hatter (creamy-musky mint, unisex)

Violet - Wings of Azrael (smells like a magical forest with violets)

Strawberry - Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo (smells like strawberry starbursts to my nose)

Vanilla - Kubla Khan (super complex and awesome), Tamora (peachy vanilla, very smooth)

Booze - Juke Joint (intensely boozy and minty), Perversion (dark and delicious booziness)

Carnation - Morocco (lightly spiced and simply gorgeous)

(All GC/impable)