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BPAL Madness!

bellumed

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Everything posted by bellumed

  1. bellumed

    Crossroads

    I scream, you scream, we all scream for jasmine! In most blends jasmine will immediately and loudly announce itself on me, and Crossroads holds true to form. Anything interesting - earthy and herbal notes - drops into the background of The Jasmine Show.
  2. bellumed

    Tombstone

    Gorgeous! Just the right amount of sweet, just the right amount of woodsy. A cream soda you're drinking out at a picnic table after a long walk through the woods.
  3. bellumed

    Mag Mell

    Pure grass and a sunny blast of verbena! What a wonderful scent. It's aged about ten years and divine. I get more amber and sage on my skin, not quite as good for me, but that's what scent lockets are for.
  4. bellumed

    Marie

    In the imp, florals with a strong, stinky rose. A little soapy when wet, but still, it's surprisingly sexy, not my usual association with florals. Is it possible there's some narcissus here? I swear that's what I'm smelling on drydown. But maybe it's the indole in tuberose instead. Either way it's a note that tends to read unpleasantly to me, faintly like urine. I had some hope for Marie for a moment there, but I think this one is just not for me.
  5. bellumed

    Two, Five & Seven

    This is a garden party. Yes, a bouquet of roses, but also some pretty pink cupcakes to go with them! Two, Five, and Seven reads very young to me, not quite "childish" but definitely a rose a teenager could wear.
  6. bellumed

    Snooty Rose

    I can pick up a little of everything here, other than bergamot, which is unusual for me! Normally just one or two notes will jump out. But yes, of course, strong rose. Ah, there we are: almost entirely rose on skin, though there's a woody note present as well. On drydown i get some of the plum back, but it's not the juicy plum I've enjoyed in other blends; instead it's a very dark purple-black note mixed in with dusty woods. Overall impression is a lush rose in another very dry perfume. I agree with the above comment: not a particularly feminine rose!
  7. bellumed

    The Lion

    This immediately made me think of Morocco, though it lacks the creaminess of that blend, as well as Bastet - in that case, more of a contrast. The Lion is the dry, baking-gloriously-in-the-sun scent I expected in Bastet. A little less regal and more housecat on my skin, but not in a bad way! More like when you put your face in a kitty's fur after they've been recharging in the sunlight. It just smells wholesome - with a smidge of haughty spice. The Lion is a really beautiful perfume! I might hunt up a bottle one of these days.
  8. bellumed

    Alice's Evidence

    What fun! Bright and fruity in an unusual way, all quince and spicy ginger. A keeper.
  9. bellumed

    Queen Alice

    All "sandy cider and wooly wine" in the imp, but I pick up more of the floral notes on my skin. Cider is the strongest note in both cases. On drydown I'm getting amber and carnation more than anything else - I still smell apple, but the scent has changed over completely and is no longer foodie at all... mayyybe there's ink at this stage? Queen Alice smells good, but it's not a standout for me, especially dry.
  10. bellumed

    Brusque Violet

    Wet Brusque Violet is surprisingly Christmasy, I suppose from evergreen osmanthus and mint. It's like a Yule version of Samhain. Dries down to a spicy floral that is still very heavy on the greenery.
  11. bellumed

    Penny Dreadful

    Penny Dreadful has always been a real oddball of the GC, it just doesn't smell like any other blend I can think of. Copper-smelling without that metallic tang and earth-smelling without the typical dirt note. I do remember, as others have noted, the bizarre scent of peanut butter cropping up when I've used this in the past; however after 5+ years of aging that is totally gone. I don't think I'll ever buy a bottle of Penny Dreadful, but it's always an interesting experience (and usually a pleasant one) to wear it.
  12. bellumed

    Vespertilio Proterus

    I see exactly what the previous reviewer meant by "effervescent" - this stuck as smelling nearly carbonated in the imp. It loses that aspect on skin, but it's still a great, spicy ginger-vanilla. Tragically I must report that, on drydown, I got the dreaded Play-doh effect. Oh, well...
  13. bellumed

    Summoning Stone Play Structure

    There's gentle florals here, but more than anything the grass note rules here. Simple but pretty! Very springy. Must try for fans of grassy scents.
  14. bellumed

    Dragon's Musk

    One of the least dragon's-bloodsy (a terrible word I've just invented) blends of the Ars Draconis line, which for me is a good thing. Mostly just yummy musk combined with that cherryish dragon's blood. I would go so far as to say that this is downright tolerable! Okay, I'm just not big on DB as a note. In seriousness, if you're the same but want to explore this category, I recommend this one as well as Dragon's Hide.
  15. bellumed

    Bezoar

    Spicy and, yes, smooth. Smells so tasty! Hay is a comforting, unsung note that I've been coming to appreciate more (see also: The Seekim, My Mommy in a Boat, L’Enlèvement), and the cardamom gives it a sexy kick. Witchy and cozy. Reminds me a lot of Third Charm.
  16. bellumed

    Ivanushka

    (Oh god) 15 years later, Ivanushka is quite nice. The initial impression is soft and fuzzy. A snuggly, comforting scent. The impression of fur fades off on drydown, leaving a light musk with powdery amber as the dominant note. Still cozy, but I do miss that opening fur note!
  17. bellumed

    Economic Recovery

    Ambrette seed and patchouli stand out immediately - this reminds me of The Triumph of Death, another blend with those two notes. Otherwise, though, Economic Recovery reads more like the TALs I've smelled than a perfume... which makes sense given the premise. Earthy and herbal-sweet on skin, then it grows darker (muskier?) and more bitter over time. Much like the hedonic treadmill at the heart of capitalism! Or something like that. The end result actually smells more like a perfume than it did in the imp, probably the patchouli coming to the forefront. 10 years later, this has aged very nicely.
  18. bellumed

    The Sea Foams Milk

    Milk cresting on an ocean wave. Aged about five years: Bright-smelling, a bit of citrus and a lot of salt. Smelled nearly carbonated in the imp and wet but dried to a more recognizable ozone/aquatic scent. The creaminess is subtle. A unisex scent, easy to wear. I remember opening The Sea Foams Milk in the past and not liking it as much - I don't know if it's changed or I have, but I dig it now.
  19. Have you been able to try any of the other Lunar/Chinese New Year blends? If so, how did they compare for you?
  20. bellumed

    The Dormouse

    Big morpher. The Dormouse does nothing for me at the start, an herbal, soapy scent. But soon the tea note becomes stronger and finally, on drydown, lovely peony, which is one of my favorite floral scents. A tiny bit sharp but overall quite beautiful once it dries.
  21. bellumed

    Death Cap

    A gentle garden scent. Soil without any of the associated "dirtiness." On drydown it becomes a creamy, almost salty skin scent.
  22. bellumed

    Eat Me

    I love gourmands, and Eat Me was one of the very first BPALs whose descriptions got me excited far back in the day when I was a wee newbie. However, every time I open it I always find it... disappointing. Yes, it is a foodie. Yes, it smells nice. Not bad at all. It's just so very dull, as far as foodies go. Sure, it's sweet cakey berries. I bet I'd be very happy to eat this cake with a cup of tea. But Eat Me makes my nose bored. It's fine. I'll keep my imp around, probably. But there's dozens of more interesting foodies out there.
  23. bellumed

    Sherlock Holmes

    Does smell very clean in the imp, but that wore off on my skin. The descriptions sounds very masculine, but IMO the effect was really juuuust on the masc side of unisex. Smoke and rosin, a touch of leather. A distinguished and quiet cologne that nearly disappears on drydown.
  24. bellumed

    Gorg's Garden

    Mildly sweet and earthy. It's hard to describe, a barely-there vegetation scent, but it's very pretty on drydown. Natural, like real flower blossoms as opposed to "florals."
  25. bellumed

    How Doth the Little Crocodile

    Instantly reminds me of Schrödinger's Cat, which makes sense, as that is another chocolate-peppermint-oakmoss blend. And similarly... not a fan. I think I prefer to eat chocolate and mint together rather than smell like them. Plus the rest is all oakmoss and cedar, neither of which are winners for me.
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