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BPAL Madness!

Rheliwen

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Everything posted by Rheliwen

  1. Rheliwen

    Bathsheba

    Oh carnation lovers rejoice! Another beautiful blend! The original poster pretty much summed up my experience with Bathsheba. Bottle: Carnation and a tangy sweetness that comes from the plum, though I couldn't really "smell" plum per se. I just knew it was there because of its effects on the blend. Wet: The juicy plum seems to dominate with the carnation dirfting in to balance out the sweetness. It sort of smells like the blue sweet tarts. Dry: Carnation and musk! I am not familiar with Arabian musk, but it's light (not white musk light) and very subtle, though still commands a very beautiful presence. It has settled down to a nice musky scent, and the sweetness of the plum has now faded into the backdrop. Verdict: I liked it in all stages, but was a little disappointed with the sweet tarts phase. Fortunately, it changed into the scent I was really hoping it would be and now I am absolutely in love. Big bottle here I come!
  2. Rheliwen

    Rose Red

    I put on Snow White this morning but this one was calling to me so I put a bit on my hand to smell and walked around work eliciting compliments. Everyone was like, "It smells like rose." and I said, "duh, it's fresh cut rose." Everyone proceeded to say, "It does! Man, how did they do that!!??" So yes, Rose Red smells like fresh cut roses, and no, I don't have any idea how the lab did it. I have this love/hate relationaship with rose. I never really liked it until I went to London and smelled some lovely rose perfume. But now everytime I get a rose blend, whether it be BPAL or something else, it's that dusty, dead rose, grandma smell. And then I get all disappointed. But Rose Red, beautiful Rose Red is fresh and potent! It has HUGE throw (a little goes a long way. I put just a dab on and it has taken over Snow White which is slathered all over the place). I have finally found the rose scent I have been in search of! And it surprisingly smells yummy with the vanilla Snow White.
  3. Rheliwen

    Snow White

    Wow! This is nothing like what I was expecting...it is better! I was a bit worried that it would smell too white floraly. Boy am I glad that my worries were unfounded! This is so quintessentially Snow White. It's warm and inviting and chilly white all at the same time. The smell is the same in the bottle and on my skin, which is wonderul! I've been having a weird run with scents lately. Everything seems to be going to crayon wax on me. I've been in a bit of a body funk and it might be the weather. Scents I've worn before never used to do it, so I'm hoping it will go away. Snow White is doing this a bit on me...but it's yummy unscented beeswax instead of crayons. I really don't know how to describe Snow White, it is blended so well that I can't pick out any familiar notes. Snow, muskiness and and light frozen florals. This has definitely exceeded my expectations 10-fold.
  4. Rheliwen

    Dissipation

    In the bottle: Citrus and bark. Not terribly impressive, but it has a hint of something that makes me think this will be much neater on. Wet (first 30 mins): Lemon pledge! The citrus is very strong at first. I'm assuming it's the sassafras, but to be honest I have no idea what that smells like . As the lemony scent mellows I can smell the poppy! Dry: I don't get the lemon citrus anymore (thankfully since I don't like citrus), but a sweet, poppy scent that's a bit green (sweet green). I wanted to say it is floraly, but I can't think of any floral I know of to compare it to, so I've decided it's not floraly! I don't know what wormwood smells like, but this doesn't have any woodsy note that is very prominent. It's a very mellow scent and has the same kind of feel to it that Morrocco does (that nice clean musky scent). I am already mourning this one! If I can get enough imps of this I'll make my own 5ml to keep and cherish forever.
  5. Rheliwen

    Dragon's Bone

    Wet: Juicy Dragon's Blood and a bit of woodsy/musk note hiding in the background Dry: This has dried, like others have said, more than a typical dragon's blood scent does. I smell the wood (kind of smells like teak more than sandalwood) more than the dragon's blood, which is a surprise to my body chemistry (which amps up dragon's blood more than the other ingredients). Imagery I get from this is beard stubble. But nice, clean, lightly scented beard stubble of a man that works outdoors...totally weird I know. But it's how I would want every man's beard to smell! So, I think this is the most masculine of the dragon's blood blends I've tried (out of 6). I might try sneaking it on the BF and see what he thinks. Verdict: I think this is so different and wild. It makes me want to find some outdoorsman and cuddle up with them. I like it, and I have a feeling I'll like it more as time goes by.
  6. Rheliwen

    Dragon's Tears

    Mmmmm.... Wet: Dragon's blood and Midnight (pure white flowers) Dry: they blend a bit better and the dragon's blood get more prominent. I am beginning to think this is not a reflection of the scent, but rather my chemistry. Anything with Dragon's blood ends up smelling the same on me (namely Red Devil, Blood Amber and Red Moon). Though I am pleasantly surprised that this blend is not doing that as much. This is the type of aquatic blend I could wear because the dragon's blood give it a bit of a bite, tempering the high sharpness of the aquatic/flower note. Verdict: Beautiful!
  7. Rheliwen

    Midnight

    I took this out of the bubble wrap and I can smell it all over my house! This is potent stuff. In the bottle it smells just like potent night-blooming flowers should and a bit of aquatic. It's a bit potent, but I was compelled to try it because my house was starting to smell lovely because of it. Wet, it's very sharp. All flowers here. Sea of Glass is a little similar to this, but less flower and more aquatic. Dry, it turns a bit grainy (not quite powdery ) and also calms down a bit. It's a very clean smell. I get a muskiness to it as well...which is good since I can't take really floral fragrances. The musky smell tempers all the sharp florals, but I don't know what ingredint it is. It's not as in your face floral as I expected, both from the ingredients and from the smell from the bottle. It's mellowed quite a bit and I like it.
  8. Rheliwen

    French Creole

    I almost bought a 5ml of this when it was discontinued and decided to get in imp instead...I wish I had ordered the 5ml! This blend is very tart and a bit salty. I think it smells like grape syrup (the kind they use for shave ice or popsicles) and cloves. Wet, this is much more salty and high in the nose. It's a bit sour, but in a good way. Dry, the clove mellows the sour out and it becomes a nice, sweet perfume. Definitely different than anything you can find anywhere else.
  9. Brilliant idea! I did notice that a lot of people have bday's around now! Now they can feel extra special with their very own subforum!
  10. Rheliwen

    Sea of Glass

    Here is another blend that the lab has so accurately captured the description of the scent. This one is very clean, very aquatic. It turns soapy on me, but nice gourmet soap. Have you ever seen those scented rock potpourri packages they have at Target and other places? You'll often get a collection of scented sea glass (or wannabe sea glass) in ocean scents. Sea of Glass smells exactly like those, though a bit more up-scale! It definitely has some white florals in here, though I'm not good at picking out specific flowers. It's a beautiful scent, but not something I would wear. This is clean and pure and sparkly. It would be a nice bathroom fragrance! I did get a compliment from the guy who sits next to me at work. He thought it smelled like roses. I can kind of see that, but the floral is more white to me. This is a great scent for people who like crisp clean scents. Mmmm, if only my clothes could smell like this coming out of the dryer!
  11. Rheliwen

    R'lyeh

    I'm so impressed by R'Lyeh. I'm a sucker for imagery so as I was sniffing my wrists and reading the lab description, I could definitely smell menacing waters! It smells the same both wet and dry for me, though wet I get a it more of an incense pop. When it dries, the layers blend together better. I can sort of smell the grapefruit others have mentioned, but it's more like those dark colored grapefruits doused in sugar. It doesn't have any of that bitter citrus feel to it. This smell reminds me of the bodies of water where you're like, "I don't think I want to swim out there!" Think of the LotR part by the pond at the entrance to Moria...that's the first image that comes to my mind. It's a nice aquatic blend with a bit of sugared citrus in between. I'd say it's dark, but not your typical dark that involves lots of incense, musk and patchouli. It's a fresh scent. That makes it that more foreboding -- a fresh, evil scent sounds like a bit of an oxymoron.
  12. Morocco made the BF say (and I'm not kidding, this was so funny), "that makes me want to dry hump you." He's also complimented me on Red Devil. A guy at work likes Nemesis.
  13. Rheliwen

    Mars

    In the bottle: Tobacco and cinnamon. It smelled similar to blood amber but was bitter instead of sweet. I think Mars has dragon's blood so that's where the similarity begns and ends. Wet: Tobacco, cinnamon and pepper. The tobacco is a bit bitter at first and overwhelms the sweet/spicey cinnamon. I didn't have any other the lovely smells I got from the bottle. I can smell cigarette smoke all around me...I wasn't too pleased with this wet. Drydown: The tobacco is finally retreating a bit. I can now smell sweet dragon's blood and long with some yummy cinnamon with a dash of pepper. I kept thinking to myself, "this smells like yummy sweet tobacco! It smells familiar...what is it???" Then BAM: all cloves! It smells exactly the way cloves smell when they burn. How fitting this scent is to it namesake. It's fiery, masculine and seriously makes me want to get out there an kick some butt! I wish I had this when I was in Kung Fu...I think I would have been a machine had I worn this to practice. I think I'll enjoy my imp until it's gone. There are plenty other beautiful dragon's blood scents out there to replace it. Layer with Hellfire and there ya go! Not as good as the original, but it's a start
  14. Rheliwen

    Saint-Germain

    In the bottle: Very citrusy and light. I had to really sniff to get a good sense of it. Wet: Lemon/lime and ginger...nothing that's actually in it!! This my my reaction before I looked up what was in it again. Now that I'm educated, it seems like the carnation and the amber are creating this smell. Dry: The carnation pops out and citrus retreats a bit into the background and the lavender comes up to me it. It reminds me of babies for some reason. It has that clean right after the shower kind of smell to it, but it also has this smokey, spiciness to it as well. 30 mins: Now the amber is popping out a bit more and is blending better with the carnation. After putting this on I sent it to the swap pile but now I'm not so sure. It's changed from lemon/ginger to something more akin to the ingredients. I think it smells lovely. This would be a nice scent for a man who likes brighter type of notes, like aquatics. I'm thinking people who like Cool Water...less musky kind of scents. This would also be great for a women who likes bright, non-flower types of scents.
  15. Rheliwen

    Nemesis

    In the bottle: Pine and Patchouli. It smells a bit like Anne Bonny in the bottle to me. My friends and I all thought it wasn't so special. Wet: Ooooooooooooooo! Spicy cypress/pine and ginger to the max! The woodsy notes aren't as strong as they are in Anne Bonny, which lends to a more blended subtle mixture I think. This smells a lot more sweet than it did in the bottle...very different. About a minute later I can detect the rose, tonka and fig as well. Dry: This is blended so beautifully! It's earthy, musky, spicey, and floraly all at the same time. I have not gone wrong with any of the lab's tonka bean scents. It reminds me a little of R'Lyeh but instead of the aquatic, it's just slighty aquatic with the woodsy notes taking over the empty space. It's a bit more musky. My list of must haves is swelling so much! This went from "maybe I'll keep the imp (from the smell from the bottle) to "omg I need a giganto bottle of this one!" It's dark, slightly floral, slightly aquatic, and earthy. A beautiful scent for people who don't like heavy florals and are tired of the standard patchouli/spicey scents. This is far from standard!! A guy at work who likes to sniff all the lab's creations just kind of sighed and groaned a bit when sniffing this. I think he liked it
  16. Rheliwen

    Temple of Dreams

    In the Bottle: Very herby / lavender. It smells a lot like a bedtime linen spray I have. Wet: All lavender! I get a touch of lemon in there as well. The previous poster mentioned rosemary and I think I do get a whiff of something very herby like that. Dry: Still lavender and lemon. It has mellowed down and is starting to blend better. It tends to morph on me. One minute lav/lemon the next will be clove/rosemary/spice. I rather like it. Mmmm, this is one that just gets better with wear. The longer it lasts the less lemon I get and the more spice comes out. Sleep Time: It definitely calmed me and put me in a restful state, tucked under the covers. I don't really have a problem with sleep so I can't say how this affected it much.
  17. Rheliwen

    Bacchanalia

    I originally read all of the reviews for this scent and promptly took it off my list. But it called to me so I got it in a swap. Now I wish I could get more I love this scent! I can kind of see where people are getting the Dr. Pepper scent, but I think it smells a bit more complex on me. And the civet I can smell as well, but it only has a tiny animalistic quality to it and I consider it a good quality. I honestly get Snake Oil with grapes...very reminiscent of Snake Oil but a little less vanilla-y. So I'm sad I won't be able to get more of this...and from the above reviews, I doubt many have 5mls...oh well. I still have Snake Oil.
  18. Rheliwen

    Dracul

    I slathered on Dracul last night (wonderful freebie) and immediately rubbed my arms all over the BF. Man this scent is very erotic and sexual. I mostly smell the fir, tobacco and orange blossom...but it's a wonderful combination! I absolutely fell in love with it...but it's more of a scent I want to smell on my man than on me. It's VERY spicey and makes me want to bite people who are wearing it (I wrote that forgetting what this scent is named after. Man does Beth know how to make a scent!!!). It actually smells a lot like Old Spice to me...and I love the classic scent. And the best thing about it: the man likes it too and wore it today . Could this be the beginning of his BPAL addiction? He says it smells almost girly to him, but I honestly think he's a bit biased because he thinks everything from BPAL is girly (because girls buy from it...don't ask me how he gets his logic). This is definitely a sexual, wicked, spicey scent. I think it's gender neutral for sure, but it's a bit more masculine than something like Scherezade because it has a lot more spice to it. I totally recomment it and will be getting a big bottle for the BF
  19. Rheliwen

    CCNow Questions & Problems

    Morrighana, so you're basically saying that it has no bearing on when the lab actually receives the order from CCNow? I don't even bother looking at my order once it's submitted. I've done 3 orders now and all have come when they were supposed to. I wouldn't be too worried about it.
  20. Rheliwen

    Morocco

    Oh Morocco, how do I love thee! I've been smelling myself all morning and will try to describe it as best as I can, though I am having a hard time picking out elements. Bottle: I can't really distinguish anything here, it smells a bit sharp but not unpleasant. Wet: Oh my god! I almost bit my wrist off. It smells floral without being floraly and a bit spicey (but not cinnamon or clove spicey). Dry: It's gotten a bit powdery but is nothing like baby powder, so it's still a good thing. I definitely smell musk in the background that gives it a well-rounded scent and makes it warm and inviting. I think the spice is coming from the carnation and if so, I think I need to order every carnation scent in the world! It gives me some of the same warm feelings Snake Oil does (I think the musk is playing a similar role that the vanilla does in Snake Oil, but Morroco is less biting) but it doesn't have any of that incense shop quality to it. I was really expecting this to be more incensey, more like Scherezade, but it's nothing like that at all. This has officially made it to the top of my favorite list. Unfortunately, it doesn't last as long as some of the other scents. I'v already done 3 applications, but I do think my nose is a bit used to it and is probably WAY more powerful than I think it is.
  21. Rheliwen

    CCNow Questions & Problems

    From what I've been told is that your order has been shipped TO the lab...meaning they have it...that's all unfortunately.
  22. Anne Bonny's got a wonderful piney/woodsy scent.
  23. Rheliwen

    Scent for Halloween?

    Anne Bonny I got this one in my original order early this summer and was intrigued to learn more about her (since by boyfriend is currently obsessed with pirates). So...I decided to be her for Halloween! So it's a bit fitting to wear this perfume, don't ya think?
  24. Rheliwen

    When your favorite GC blends are discontinued

    I love Ulalume. It's a woodsy floral for people who don't like florals. I think your guess about Ulalume is genuine. It's a soft woodsy scent that isn't overpowering. Viola is also another woodsy/floral scent, though I did not like this one at all on me. --- Gentle tea rose, lilac, Calla Lily, and Somalian Rose layered over golden Peruvian amber, Spanish moss, red sandalwood, rosewood, and myrrh, with the lightest touch of Mandarin.
  25. Rheliwen

    O

    I really wanted to like this one since so many people rave about O. It smells divine in the bottle! But once I put it on, I smell nasty generic cherry cough syrup. And not the slightly yummy kind, but the icky kind (like cherry nyquil)The warmth transfers into this nasty medicine smell and gets more potent with time. I've loved every other BPAL scent I've tried except 1...well now 2 I'm hoping some of the other honey scents don't do this to me. I'm thinking it's the amber/honey combo though.
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