the.train.fiend

This smelled just like jasmine tea to me in the bottle, and was almost the same on my skin, just with a smudge of slightly tart apple. Yummy, but not foodie, and very soothing.

Sad, melancholy, wistful scents are my favorite scents! And here are some of my favorites in that category:

 

Berenice

Annabel Lee

Grief

Ephemera

The Unicorn

La Bella Donna Della Mia Mente

Tears Idle Tears

The Little Wooden Doll

The Cold Hour of Dawn

I know, this is super late and probably no one really cares by now, but I'm so sad for this beautiful component that died.

 

I care! Oh my god, you guys, I just found out The Unicorn was discontinued! Super late, I know, but I was basically on a four-year hiatus from BPAL and didn't even think to check if my favorites had been discontinued while I was gone. I'm so heartbroken. It's been one of my main scents for so long. Now I'm suddenly being overtaken by this feeling that I need to buy all the bottles of it I can find! I've still got one . . . but I don't want to be afraid to wear it. I hope and pray that whatever that component was, an alternative is found and this scent can come back.

 

Anyway, I'm testing The Darkling Thrush right now, and it's super lovely, but I feel like I've smelled this before recently! I've gone through my blends with snow notes in them and I can't seem to find out what this is, exactly. Anyone have any ideas?

 

I was just testing some things last night and was struck by how The Country of Eternal Light and Dust of Snow seemed like variations on the theme of The Darkling Thrush. Have you tried either of those recently by any chance?

Alice all the way! It always makes me think of a basket of clean white sheets fresh out of the laundry sitting in the sunshine . . . with a little black pepper spilled on top.

Surprising and completely different! This starts off very spicy, but it's an herby kind of spice completely different to any other I've smelled in a perfume before. It reminds me of very strong, fresh basil, crushed between fingers . . . perhaps the sage or chervil? There's a strong undercurrent (well, the whole thing is very strong) of freshly mown grass, and just the slightest bit of woodiness. Apple blossom peaks out for a moment, but it disappears quickly, which is okay with me. Actually, I'm surprised it fades so quickly because it usually amps like crazy on me and mows down everything in its path.

 

Once it dries down, the spicy herb mellows out and starts to make friends with the other notes instead of taking charge. Some unusual florals start showing up as well, and at this point, it smells almost exactly like a fcuk spray I have . . . but none of the notes in that match the notes in this. Could there secretly be some freesia or peony in here?

Woah! This is absolutely fascinating! I was hesitant about it at first, because the description isn't the most appealing, but I had to have just because it's Jane Eyre inspired.

 

I'm glad I had the chance to try it though, because it has completely blown me away. It's a major morpher, in the most apropos of ways. When I first put it on, it reminded me a lot of my beloved Berenice, only far drier. Then it began to shift. A soapiness appeared over the dry white flowers, but there was something deep and sinister in how clean it smelled. It stayed like that for about 45 minutes, then out of nowhere, it became an almost entirely different scent. I couldn't help but say "Wow!" several times aloud, it was so shocking . . . and perfect. It had turned into something gleefully wicked and scorched . . . all dark, wispy, smokiness. And not your average smokiness either, but something alive, almost tangible, and not without femininity. I don't know how this is possible - the way the scent did such a complete turnaround, and how appropriate it is to the story! I'm really impressed.

 

After a couple hours, it has become a creamy, soft, skin-close vanilla. Small, wistful, and distant, but very pretty and sweet, with a little tickle of spice.

 

What a glorious scent. The lab's description doesn't do it justice at all! It's a journey in three parts, and each part has a completely different personality. Madwoman is right!

I'm surprised only one other person has mentioned it before (I had to do a search to check) but this smells sooooo much like Midway. Only prettier. Seriously!

 

Whereas Midway is giddy and cheerful, Mouse is soft and wistful. Though Mouse is more complex and fragile than Midway, they smell very, very similar to my nose.

 

It is just so beautiful. It's a soft scent but not a weak one, a sweet scent but not a foody one, nor is it a cloying one. It's simple, yet it has striking depth, tinged with wistful longing.

Thank you, bpalscentsual!

 

This is heavier than I expected. Not that it's a heavy scent, but I expected something very fizzy and boozy, and ended up with something warm, spicy, and lightly syrupy. This keeps morphing constantly. The pineapple was front and center (and so delicious) to begin with, but faded quickly. The only thing that stays steady is the sherry (yum!), which creates a sweet, dry, slightly creamy base. Every now and then, there's a little waft of lemon glaze. There's also some kind of warm spice keeping this close to my skin. Could it be cinnamon? Or maybe nutmeg? I don't think I've ever tried anything with a rye note before, but it's absolutely gorgeous, earthy and bright. The biggest surprise is that my skin keeps amping a mystery note that smells exactly like celery! Is it just a trick of the mind, or is it really celery? I don't know, but I love it! This is a really intriguing scent, far more deep and complex than I expected. It keeps me sniffing and guessing!

Thank you for this, bpalscentsual!

 

This is so amazingly bubbly and delicious! It's very sparkly and crisp at first, so much so I can almost hear it fizzing, but it smoothes itself out after a few minutes. It's like Swank's happy pale pink little sister, with an undercurrent of soft musk underneath. Oddly, there's just a smudge of dustiness that reminds me of the Pirates of the Carribean ride . . . but I kind of like that. I'm totally in love!

 

ETA: I forgot to mention that I was a little worried about the strawberry note, because I can't do most foody blends, especially ones with that plasticky strawberry note. But happily, this is not a foody blend to me at all, and it's not a bit plasticky!

If I really think about it while sniffing, I can see this as a rich, sophisticated blend of lilies.

 

But it really just smells like Coke! Some other reviewers mentioned various flavored Cokes (so glad I'm not the only one who smells Coke!), but to me, it smells just like a can of sticky, flat Coke in the heat of summer. I'm keeping it just because it's oddly nostalgic. It reminds me of childhood summers.

Could it possibly be Le Serpent Qui Danse?

 

When, as by glaciers ground, the spate

Swells hissing from beneath,

The water of your mouth, elate,

Rises between your teeth --

 

It seems some old Bohemian vintage

Triumphant, fierce, and tart,

A liquid heaven that showers a mintage

Of stars across my heart.

 

A sinister, darkly seductive scent inspired by poetry of Charles Baudelaire. Violet entwined with vanilla and gardenia.

 

Reviews here.

I'd recommend Victomte de Valmont and Belladonna. They're both great mint scents, especially Vicomte. It's the ultimate mint to me.

 

Edited to correct AutoCorrect.