arsinoe9

Xiuhtecuhtli:

Copal, plumeria and sweet orange and the smoke of South American incense and crushed jungle blooms.

Somehow I missed when Casanova got discontinued. Anything out there that is similarly delicious, unisex and a mix of leather and spices?

I second Crowley & would also recommend...

The Bow & Crown of Conquest:

Sage, carnation and cedar with lavender, vanilla, white musk and leather.

...but in my latest order, I opened three out of 7 bottles to find the clear part just sitting on top of the bottle opening after the black lid was removed...

I've experienced the same thing with my last few lab orders. I'm not sure if they're supposed to be glued together, as I've not tried to pry apart any of the older "sealed" lids. I considered gluing them together myself, but decided against it. I'd hate to alter or ruin the scent by doing so. Though I'm a little bit worried about the potential for leakage with these bottles, I've noticed that the wandcapped lids are made without the little plastic piece. The wandcapped bottles are known to leak a bit sometimes, but not disastrously so. I'd love to hear suggestions from more experienced BPALers, too.

Any ideas? I come across glass swizzle sticks once in awhile but they're way too thick...

I use Dixie stir straws. They come in boxes of 1000. I cut them in half and keep 2 cups in the cabinet with my oils: one full of clean straws and one to hold the used ones. The used straws fill the cabinet with the most delicious scent. I dip an unused straw to the bottom of the 5mL. When I lift it out of the bottle, it retains about 2-3 mm of oil plus a thin coating on the outside of the straw. After dabbing behind my ears, I blow the rest out onto my wrist. Enough for a moderate application without double-dipping or bottle contamination.

Edited b/c applying "2-3 mL" of oil would be a pretty bad idea, I think.

TwilightEyes-

Fantastic pics. Thank you so much! I've already said it about 32 times, but I'll say it again... I LOVE this year's labels.

Also, your dogs are precious

Thank you, Poison Queen & Kashmira! Autumn Fancies is seriously creepy cool. I'm really digging these old photos for labels.

I'm just updating on how my traveling went with my bottles!...I arrived in Ireland with no spills or leaks or anything

Yay! I hope you acclimate quickly. I also hope your stay in Ireland is everything you hope it will be and more. I'm so excited for you.

The oils you've taken with you, especially the ones in heavy rotation for the first few weeks, will be like a magic time machine for you two years from now. They'll bypass your brain & go straight to your subconscious, allowing you to relive the excitement of how "alive" you feel right now

How much is shipping currently, if you do a paypal order for a few bottles?

Shipping costs are listed on this page:

http://www.blackphoenixalchemylab.com/faq.html

White Peacock:

Teak, ebony wood, osmanthus, patchouli, red sandalwood, vanilla orchid, tonka bean, tobacco, wild musk, spikenard, and sugandh kokila.

Xiuhtecuhtli:

Copal, plumeria and sweet orange and the smoke of South American incense and crushed jungle blooms.

Hi

Interfector and French Tobacco are very similar on my skin, too. You might like these:

HERR DROSSELMEYER 2010

Pipe smoke, sweet leather, woods and linen.

THE ARABIAN DANCE 2010

Leather, coffee, hazelnut, tobacco, and Middle Eastern spices.

I actually sold Herr Drosselmeyer, The Arabian Dance, and Sugar Skull because they were all too sweet for me. Dripping, sticky, burnt sugar. I'll probably eventually sell Interfector and French Tobacco for the same reason. If I dislike them all for the same reason, maybe you'll like them all for the same reason?

...Plus a few more. I don't have strong opinions about any of these. Just suggestions...

ELEGBA


His ofrenda contains coconut, tobacco and sweet, sugared rum.

HAVANA


Date palm, dried tobacco, snakeroot, and leather.

HELLFIRE


A swirl of pipe tobacco, hot leather, ambergris, dark musk and the lingering incense smoke from their Black Mass.

KUBLA KHAN
 (haven't tried it, but I'd like to)

Through sunlit caves of ice, roses unfurl amidst dancing waves of serpentine opium smoke and amber tobacco, golden sandalwood, champaca, tea leaf, sugared lily, ginger, rich hay absolute, leather, dark vanilla, mandarin, peru balsam, and Moroccan jasmine.

PERVERSION


Smoky rum and black tobacco with a whisper of steamy leather with a splash of crystalline chardonnay, layered over a sensual, sweet, and deceptively magnetic base of tonka.

TOBACCO HONEY

THE ANTIKYTHERA MECHANISM
 (I second ladymeag's suggestion. It's awesome.)

Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, and tobacco.

Hmmmm. Do you guys know of any good place to purchase normal bottle caps for BPAL bottles? I'm considering purchasing caps without wands for travel...

Hope I'm not leading you on a wild goose chase, but I'd suggest scanning through this thread:

http://www.bpal.org/topic/45993-bottles-containers-and-supplies/

Also, perhaps you could email customer service at the Lab? Explain your dilemma and ask which supplier they use. They might not tell you, but it wouldn't hurt to try.

It really sucks to lose a lot of stuff.

I can't imagine. It gave me a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach just reading about it. I'm so sorry

eta-

I have also received decants sealed with finger cots (miniature finger condoms) under the caps. Bath oils and massage oils, too. I purchased them all aged & second hand from the same seller on LJ. I actually thought it was a brilliant idea, as none of them leaked. None of them smelled off to me with one possible exception. That one was in a semi-soft squeezable plastic squirt bottle. It was half-full and misshapen. I still believe the slightly altered scent was due to the ancient container, not the finger cot. That said, I did remove all of the finger cots the night the package arrived.

Huh. Seems like others have had bad experiences with bottles that have been sealed that way...

 

And now for a PSA, brought to you by an extremely sad arlith....

If you buy a bottle of bath oil second hand, you should ask them not to seal the inside of the bottle. Just tape on the outside. Also, if the bottle is sealed on the inside (by plastic wrap or some other method), remove it as soon as possible. It will ruin your bottle of oil...instead of a lovely bottle of Tricksy, you will have a bottle of sticky, skunky ass. In fact, you will have 5 bottles of it. And no more Tricksy.

 

It took me a long time to figure out what had gone wrong with my bottles. Out of the 8 I managed to scrounge up, I ended up with 5 bottles that are so horrible that I have to throw them away. I inventoried my remaining bottles, and finally figured out the issue. When I got them, I just happily put them away in my cupboard without checking them out first.

 

Edit: My story is so very sad, that I believe it means Tricksy should come back. I spent a lot of time and money collecting the bottles, and now they're all ruined.

Can I try?!

I'm 25 years old, 5'1", brunette - I look young and always get carded. Very much the quiet and observant type - people usually don't realize how much I'm taking in/mentally processing until suddenly I say something really witty or profound - I don't say much, but what I do say is meaningful. I tend to be very "tough love" when giving advice or opinions - I'm straightforward and hate to sugarcoat things just to make someone feel better. I can be a complete smartass and even a little mean sometimes, but I have an empathetic streak that runs deep. I probably spend more time joking around than being serious - when I'm around my friends or coworkers, I tend to lapse into singing, funny voices, lots of swearing, and making jokes about everything. I'm pretty fun once you get to know me but I definitely have a thick outer shell. I'll never be the first one dancing or contributing to a conversation among strangers, but once I get to know you I'm likely to be the perfect partner in crime for all types of shenanigans. Among my coworkers I'm clearly the "whimsical" one, as they never stop reminding me.

 

Other stuff: I'm a zookeeper so obviously I love animals (cats of all sizes are kind of my area of specialization). I love to read and write fiction, and I find the presence of books very comforting - let me loose in a used bookstore and I'll be content for hours. I'm perfectly comfortable spending time by myself, and most nights after work I prefer to just unwind at home with a book or some TV, but I do enjoy the occasional night out, and I do love me some strong drinks! My room and my car are always messy. I love eye makeup and bright nail polish, and my clothes are usually dark and fairly casual.

 

I've only tried a small fraction of BPAL scents, but my favorites so far are: Dorian, The Apothecary, Akuma, Hellcat, and Glasgow. I tend to steer clear of anything too heavy or too floral, but I'm open to new possibilities.

 

(Any suggestions are welcome, but I'm especially interested in possible Carnival options since rumors are strong that it might be coming back sometime soon and I've never tried anything from the CD!)

Thanks!

Zookeeper! What a fantastic job.

...for a cat lover and kindred spirit who's ok with toys strewn about the house...

LIL' MENES FELINE ENTERTAINMENTS 2012 (YULE: THE MISKATONIC VALLEY YULETIDE FAIRE)

A delightful selection of Ultharian cat toys and offerings, guaranteed to propitiate even the orneriest kitty!

THE CAT

Sleek, black, dark, and clever: benzoin, honey, cedar, and dark musk.

BASTET

Bast, Ubasti, Ailuros, Ba-en-Aset. Represented as both a domestic cat and a fierce lioness, she truly evidences traits of both. She is the Mother of All Cats, Goddess of Sensuality, Fertility, and a guardian and protector of women. She is also one of the Eyes of Ra, and in that aspect is an Avenging Goddess, seeking retribution and punishing enemies of her people. Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus.

WULRIC, THE WOLFMAN (CARNAVAL DIABOLIQUE)

Friendly, charming, and cuddly, but possessing one hell of a mean streak: cocoa absolute, French vanilla, birch tar, lavender, bourbon vetiver, wild musk, clary sage, and cistus.

THEODOSIUS, THE LEGERDEMAIN (CARNAVAL DIABOLIQUE)

Earl Grey tea leaves, a white fougere, jasmine leaf, pearlescent white musk, and vanilla bean.

...and finally, one of my top BPAL scents of all time, because I think everyone should try it...

WILF

Warm fur coupled with red and black musk, vanilla bean, patchouli, champaca flower, juniper berry, chocolate peppermint, frangipani, browned sandalwood, ferntop ash resin, and massoia bark.

eta- How could I have forgotten Bastet?

First post on the site, whee! Hello, everybody! This looks fascinating and I wanted to give it a shot.

 

Okay, so:

 

20 years old, 5 foot 2, plain old brown hair and eyes, 122 lb. College sophomore, theatre major/classics minor. Lover of Old, Middle, and Early Modern English. Shakespearean actress. 8 years of Latin, 2 of Attic Greek and I can read both with some facility. Fan of Discworld, A Song of Ice and Fire, Potter, Tolkien, Hitchhiker's Guide, Homer, Beowulf, Chaucer, Marlowe, and Shakespeare above all else. Snarky as all hell, loyal to friends and family, passionate about learning and working hard, usually isolated but not by choice, quick to anger and slow to forgive.

 

 

My absolute favorite BPAL scent is Rumpelstilzchen, which suits me to the point of being 'creepily fitting', according to a friend. In that same vein, if you want a good picture of my personality, think of a slightly toned-down version of Rumplestiltskin/Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time. Minus the magic and murder.

 

If anybody has recommendations, I'd be more than happy to hear them!

My boss is a playwright. I went in to visit with him yesterday and noticed a calendar hanging on the wall behind his head. "YORICK" in giant letters was the image of the month. I see BPAL everywhere I look.

...for the Shakespearean actress who's unafraid of oddity in a perfume...

YORICK

Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio; a fellow of infinite jest, of most excellent fancy; he hath borne me on his back a thousand times; and now, how abhorred in my imagination it is! My gorge rises at it. Here hung those lips that I have kissed I know not how oft. Where be your gibes now?

Grave dirt, bone, decay, angel's trumpet, and moldering scraps of shroud: the essence of finality.

Portrait of Sarah Bernhardt as Hamlet with Yorick as a skull.

Ciaobonefish-

Wandcapped bottles do tend to leak. Perhaps you could try using the plumbers tape the way the plumber does. Wrap a bit on the bottle thread while the cap is off prior to screwing the lid on tightly. Then a little more plumbers tape afterwards? I actually prefer using electrical tape, but that'd be too thick to wrap the thread. Be careful removing the lid so that no little stringy bits fall in the bottle. I've received leak-free decants of massage oil from decanters who did it that way.

I hope your stay in Ireland is amazing!!!

Is there another scent that uses the same Apricot note that's found in Depraved?

I really like that Apricot note, but the patchouli kills it for me in that blend - and I haven't found a Apricot note that smells similar, or is that potent in another blend...am I out of luck?

Hi Funny you should ask... Today I'm wearing a fabulous apricot blend...

HALOES
 (Retail Only Salon, call Courtney at Healthy Living in Vermont, 802.863.2569)

Haloes, Louis Welden Hawkins

Oak, tonka, vanilla, white sandalwood, lily of the valley, white ginger, amber, and apricot.

Haloes is oak/vanilla/apricot on my skin. Oak is a pretty distinctive note. I'm not sure how you'd feel about it if you don't like patchouli. I tend to like darker woods & resins, and I love me some patchouli (and Depraved). I've not tried any of the following, but a few general collection scents from the lab including an apricot note include:

SIREN


A thrilling, exotic blend — deceptively sweet, but spiked with malice. White ginger, jasmine, and a touch of vanilla and apricot.

GRAND GUIGNOL

Our Grand Guignol perfume is a shot of sweet apricot brandy.

KATHARINA


A strong, willful blend with a soft, utterly lovely soul: white musk with a trickle of bright, sharp apricot and orange blossom.

PANDY (don't think this one's impable)

Fresh white musk, honeycomb, sweet apricot, elemi, orange blossom, and mischievous pink pepper.

Strangler Fig is awesome. I also really like...

THE GRAVE-PIG

Fig, oakmoss, mushroom caps, and patchouli.

I haven't tried but really want to...

EDEN

Fig leaf, fig fruit, honeyed almond milk, toasted coconut and sandalwood.

And a few more suggestions...

THE APOTHECARY


Tea leaf with three mosses, green grass, a medley of herbal notes, and a drop of ginger and fig.

CARNAL


Bold, bright mandarin paired with the sweet, sensual earthiness of fig.

GOMORRAH

Ripe fig, date and currant with black herbs.

HETAIRAE


Golden honey, fiery patchouli, sweet fig and clove, and a blushing touch of ylang ylang.

INTRIGUE


Black palm, with cocoa, fig and shadowy wooded notes.

LAWFUL


Rigid oak, blue chamomile, rhubarb, and fig leaf.

NEPHILIM


Holy frankincense and hyssop in union with earthy fig, defiled by black patchouli and vetiver, with a chaotic infusion of lavender, cardamom, tamarind, rosemary, oakmoss and cypress.

TWEEDLEDUM:

Green mango, fig, patchouli and green tea.

Coconut fragrances of almost any kind tend set off my asthma issues.

Oh, dear. I'm sorry to hear that. Probably best to avoid it, then. Completely.

Do the Ars Draconis GCs use the standard GC label, or do they have a "special" one like Picnic in Arkham, Bow and Crown of Conquest, etc?

My bottle of Dragon's Heart has a black label. There's a red dragon to the left. "Dragon's Heart" is in purple ink off to the right.

*BLOODLUST


Dragon's blood essence, heavy red musk, Indonesian patchouli and swarthy vetiver with a drop of cinnamon.

*CZERNOBOG


A combination of three musks, with splashes of dark myrrh, vetiver and mullein.

*LUCIFER


Lucifer, Franz von Stuck


Indonesian red patchouli, amber, oak wood, pimento berry, fig leaf, and vetiver.

(Retail only salon, still available at Healthy Living in Vermont 802.863.2569, ask to speak to Courtney)

*TOMBEUR


Vanilla-infused sandalwood, blood musk, antique patchouli, vetiver, lavender, bitter almond, amber, and a trickle of Snake Oil.

...Those are my personal favorites (I also have & love Death Adder & The Great He-Goat), but here are a few more...

A COUNTENANCE FORBODING EVIL


Patchouli, ylang ylang, blood orange, and vetiver.

ALECTO


Olive leaf, raspberry leaf, vetiver and cedarwood.

AZATHOTH

Tangerine, saffron, vetiver, black amber and cedarwood.

BLACK ANNIS


Damp cave lichen and oak leaf with a hint of vetiver, civet and anise.

BLUEBEARD


Violet, lavender, white musk and vetiver.

DEATH ON A PALE HORSE


White musk and mint seeped with solemn lavender, doleful patchouli and vetiver, scythe-sharp yuzu and lime, with geranium bourbon, white sandalwood and calla lily.

FALLEN


White sandalwood and golden musk with a dark halo of amber, a breath of imperial florals, unbending woods, and the shadow cast by vetiver and violet.

HIGHWAYMAN


Vetiver with gardenia, blood red rose, night-blooming jasmine, a dash of cinnamon and a faint hint of leather.

IAGO


Black musk, wet leather and vetiver.

LAMIA

Pale orchid, vanilla amber, black currant, white peach, champaca, coconut, Arabian myrrh, Burmese vetiver, and oude.

LOVE’S TORMENTS

White sandalwood, neroli, and vetiver.

MALEDICTION


Red patchouli and vetivert.

MARQUISE de MERTEUIL


Galbanum and amber, glistening peach, and a bouquet of French florals, with a merciless undertone of jonquil and heartless vetiver.

ORC


Field grey courgette musk, roughly cured leather, and vetiver.


PRURIENCE


Red amber and scorched musk with voluptuous carnation, charred vetiver, sensuous tonka, and orris.

SANTA MUERTE

Lovers’ roses, solemn chrysanthemum, dark vetiver and dazzling cactus flowers.

THE SCALES OF DEPRIVATION


Lemon peel, white sage, frankincense, lavender fougere, sandalwood, vetiver and labdanum.

SLOTH


Thick, dark, sluggish and heavy with indolence: vetiver over black myrrh.

UMBRA


East African black patchouli, cedarwood, vetiver and a dribble of cinnamon.

YÜREI

White tea, hibiscus, Arabian sandalwood, white amber, ho leaf, pale Japanese flowers, and vetiver.

Whataboutprom- Thanks so much for that information. I had no idea that some "unscented" lotions actually contained a scent-suppressing chemical. I have, however, noticed that some of my unscented lotions & face/neck creams seem to kill a scent quickly.

Sidhechaos- Somewhere on this forum Poenari said she prefers to moisturize first with coconut oil. I tried it & it works really well. I buy giant 16oz tubs of organic extra virgin coconut oil. It's solid at room temperature but liquifies very quickly as it warms to body temperature. I transfer enough to fill a ketchup-type squirt bottle & keep it on the floor of the shower. The hot water warms it enough to squirt on my arms at the end of my shower & the coconut scent fades within 10 minutes. I don't find that the scent interferes with any of the perfumes I apply afterwards, but someone who hates the scent of coconuts might. I tried this with the unscented Neutrogena Rainbath oil first, but had much better results with the coconut oil. Haven't tried the jojoba oil yet, but I'd like to.

I will be interviewing at an environmental law firm for a receptionist position.

I wear BPAL every day and wouldn't quite feel right without it. I would like a scent that comes across as competent, confident, and professional. The kind of person you would trust to greet fancy guests at the door and to make sure all the lunch orders are correct. This isn't usually the kind of thing I'm thinking of when I'm sniffing, so I'm at somewhat at a loss. Help?

Hi I wore Ambergris SN earlier this week, and thought it was a really great neutral scent. Not foody, sexy, girly, masculine, hippy, headshop, quirky, or attention-grabbing. Neutral but really nice. Almost elegant in a really laid back kind of way. I hope your interview goes really well!

How frustrating! The first two BPAL scents I tried were both bottles I purchased unsniffed via eBay. Hexennacht 2008 and Wolf Moon 2007. I loved them both, and probably wouldn't be here right now if I hadn't. That said, I have to be careful about when/how I test new things...

- I cannot test more than one at a time. More than one scent at a time will usually cause a nauseous headache. Even sniffing numerous scents that arrive in a package (without applying any of them) will trigger a nauseous headache.

- I cannot test anything if I'm very, very hungry.

- I cannot test anything if I'm very full. Or if I've had too much sugar.

- I cannot test anything when I'm really hot.

- I cannot test anything if I've had a shit day.

I kindov sound like Goldilocks, don't I?

Application of any scent at the wrong time can really put me off wearing it again, even if it's one I've previously enjoyed. I get better results by testing one scent sparingly before my morning shower. Or after an evening bath.

In a week or two, when your nose is fresh and you're no longer feeling let down or disappointed about your order, try again. Maybe one scent daily?

I hope you find a few that you love! It's so much fun when you do