forspecial_plate

On me this is a light but lively candy + amber scent, just a little plasticky in the beginning, but as it dries the plastic fades, a little something milky comes in, it just gets nicer and nicer.  It's fun!  I always liked Trick Or Treat but it was just so light it kind of disappeared on me, this is light also but it has loads of staying power.  Hours later it is a skin scent but still here, and it has this amazing "bronzed" quality in this stage that I am loving, like a sweet golden amber.

I think I'll get a full bottle, because this decant isn't going to last long the way I've been wearing it!

I wasn't expecting this to smell like Djinn but that's exactly what it made me think of!  (But I could be the only one).  Maybe that's the nutmeg, because later the amber comes out stronger mixed with a dark powdery aspect from the rose I am guessing.  But I agree the rose stays mostly well hidden in this scent. 

Something about this reminds me of the cheesy horror movie Burnt Offerings, with the scary lady hidden away in the bedroom upstairs.  It's moody and atmospheric!

I am not sure how to describe what I'm smelling (and full disclosure, I don't know galbanum or balsam very well).  On me it's kind of springy and plant-like, and for the first 20-30 minutes I swear there's a phantom floral note just peeking around the edges, but I can't really say which flower exactly?  Something white.  Also I felt this is what I wanted the Petrichor trio to smell like, but that one is heavier on me like big drops of rain.  This seems more delicate. 

But later the phantom flower disappears and it's more like a fresh green mountain breeze kind of scent.  It's still light and almost makes me think of a green tea perfume.  I do recognize the ti leaf from Ti Leaf & Champaca Petals but this smells softer and less perfumey to me.  This smells "matte" to me if that makes sense to anyone, lol. 

I am not sure if I can pick out the balsam, it's not really standing out to me here.  Maybe a little woodsy tang in the later stages..but it would be like a blonde wood sap kind of note. 

I'm seriously considering a full bottle of this because it would be a great unusual scent for spring.  I haven't quite figured out if I love it or if it's just more of a weird fascination thing. 

Clean men's cologne.  I got a decant because the notes reminded me of Hessian of the Hollow, I always loved that and regretted not getting a full bottle.  This is totally nice and smells like a traditional men's cologne, almost like Hugo from Hugo Boss maybe?  Which does have moss and sandalwood in the base notes.. Or Eternity, something like that from the 90's.  

It does bring to mind Hessian of the Hollow, somewhat, but this seems cleaner and less spooky.  It also reminds me of something else recent, one of the painting scents, but I can't remember which one... I'll edit if I remember it.  

I do enjoy this, I just don't know if I really should get a full bottle or not.  I'm having to narrow down my Halloween choices here and I'm kind of torn on this one. 

I will say this - I was a little worried about the moss note going "aftershave" or just amping on me but it's totally well-behaved, not sharp or obnoxious at all (I have had issues in the past with moss).

Oh.  Oh, my.  This decant was added last minute, on a whim.  I have a few other gingerbread scents and just wanted to try this for fun.  Well, this is really really nice!  It's the familiar spicy toasty gingerbread note, just a little scorched, but I can smell the custardy creme brulee (especially if I sniff up close), just peeking out a little.  I didn't expect to be considering a 5ml bottle but here I am doing just that.  Yummmmmm.

Starts out bright lemon peel, blending seamlessly with the resins.  I think the frankincense is very smooth and the mastic - I think - smells almost creamy to me.  The lemon peel fades a lot, pretty quickly, but the overall lemony feeling lasts. 

This reminds me somewhat of the lab's "gold" scents, and also the "sun" scents that I've tried, a little bit.  Also I think this might be the same frankincense in this year's Midnight Mass. 

So. Smooth lemony resins, kind of glowing, bright, but also soft and mellow.  Overall low sillage on me and it fades to a close skin scent after a little while.  I will keep reapplying for that striking lemon peel opening. 

2023 - This year's Sugar Skull reminds me of pastel fruity marshmallows.  It's light and fluffy, somewhat like past versions but lighter and more fleeting on my skin.  I compared it to the 2007 version and that one has a presence of scorched sugar + incense that is not in this year's scent.  

I like this.  I think we moved back closer to the past years but it's also kind of updated.  This one seems more "safe for work" but carries on the spirit of the older ones.  I feel like it's a reformulation rather than an aging thing.  Sugar Skull is one of my favorite bpal scents and I love smelling all the different variations year after year.  ❤️

Weirdly I don't smell a lot of dead leaves in this dead leaves scent (but I know that's how it goes sometimes), I'm getting the slightly bitter light smoke note that I recognize from some other bpal smokey scents, a little bit leafy perhaps, with a kind of old paper note in the background.  Also weirdly I get some flashes of bright lemon here and there.  After some time the smoke fades and I think the paper comes out stronger, at least I think I recognize it from Bookcase Passage.  If you love the paper aspect of that, you might do really well with this.

Overall it's less burn-y than Burning Book single note or even Dead Leaves On Fire, it's a little more comfy-cozy to me but still spooky and atmospheric like the reviewer above mentioned.  I like it through all stages and I enjoy how it dries down, not sure if I need to upgrade my decant to a bottle but I'll be thinking about it. 

This is nice, I really like it!  I got a decant on a whim but I actually like this more than the original Perversion.  It's a sheer scent on me, light, sweet, and airy.  I really don't get much leather at all.  I think mostly I smell the caramelized tonka and black musk.  A really nice surprise, and yet another one I'm considering upgrading to a bottle.. And I haven't even received my bigger batch of decants yet!!  *cries*

Well, it's pretty simple, Bpal's pumpkin note with a realistic gasoline note.  I was feeling brave this morning and put on a good amount for testing.  In the very beginning there is something about the gasoline note that is earthy, like there's a tiny bit of dirt in it.  But really it's pumpkin and gas.  And I like it??  Seriously after about a half hour I grabbed my decant and put on more.  Like, a full real amount, more than just a test.  I like this!  It's so weird.  It doesn't really smell scorched to me, it's almost - medicinal maybe?  Kind of like tiger balm?  But again, it's pumpkin and gas, it's just that simple.

It doesn't have nuclear strength like some pumpkin scents can have on me.  It fades a lot after a couple hours.  But I think a decant will be enough for me because I'm not sure I would wear this very often, even though I do like it.  I'll see how often I end up reaching for it.  

This was the Bat most likely to win for me, and I was right!  On me it is on the lighter side but it's a bit of a sexed-up Cathedral.  At first I didn't think it smelled like Cathedral at all, but today I compared them, one on each arm.  Cathedral has always been a little woody, and a little waxy to my nose, with the rich incense notes swirling in the background.  Well, Batty Cathedral is strange because I get very little leather, but I smell a weird (unexpected) fizzy note like champagne.  Maybe the leather is just playing tricks on me?  But it reminds me of the sweet fizzy note from Visiting the Temple from way back.  So maybe it's the incense I'm smelling?  

Whatever is going on here it is fabulous on me, it's like Cathedral has a chic cousin, with a gin and tonic in hand.  It's a lighter scent as I mentioned before and after a couple hours it's more of a skin scent on me, so I may have to upgrade my decant to a bottle.  Which maybe I should have done in the first place, lol. 

This started out as a nice, warm scent with a lot of dead leaves, but a little sweet and spicy too, and I was enjoying it.  But slowly over time, after an hour or so, an aftershave-like note or notes started creeping out, and got stronger and stronger until it was just too much and unfortunately a little obnoxious on me.  I don't know if it's my skin or nose or what, but in this case I will blame the oakmoss, I know it has turned on me before.  I had only tried on a small amount but the aftershave feeling really amped up and this one just isn't for me.  

It seems in the past, when this happened to me with a couple other scents, they were pretty popular with other reviewers so I think this one will find its fans too!

This goes on fresh and brighter than I expected, not bad, kind of pleasant and spring-like on first impression.  Later on it settles into a perfumey powdery scent that is disagreeing with me.  It reminds me a lot of Witch Birds, perhaps it's the same sandalwood note?  I don't know, something is rubbing me the wrong way.  I'm glad I got to try it, but this was an unfortunate fail on my skin! 

Well, this is beautiful.  I'm getting a soft cypress, blackberry and myrrh scent.  The cypress note is stronger out of the gate and it's a little pine-like, but that quickly takes a back seat to the blackberry and myrrh.  It's mostly a blackberry and myrrh combination that is soft, pretty and quiet.  The woodsy/rooty elements must be very subtle.  It goes on that way for a long time, and I love it!  Could be kind of a softer cousin of Blackberry Moon.  I might have to get more of this. 

This works pretty well on me!  When I first put it on, it does remind me of a fall themed candle scent.  I think I'm mostly smelling the fig note at first.  But after a while more of the amber comes out, and the candle impression fades.  

So, it's mostly fig and amber on me.  It is a light scent.  A couple of times I thought I smelled a "band-aid" note, but that's not there today.  Also yesterday I would have sworn I smelled a faint campfire note, maybe that was the leaves playing tricks on me.  This does make me think of DL, Vanilla Bean, Pink Fig and Brandied Dates from last year, but I have NOT compared them directly so I could be wrong.  But it does seem like a similar fig note, to me. 

This is a beautiful lightly fruity tea scent on me.  It reminds me of a fall cousin of Moon Blep.  If I tried this without knowing what it was, and someone said "it's Witches' Tea", I would say, Yes! That is just what it smells like.  I don't really get a strong blackberry note, it's more of a vague fall fruit & tea scent.

After a while I think I'm getting a very light vine or wood note, unless that's just the power of suggestion and my brain is searching for something thorn-like. 

This is my favorite so far in my first batch of Halloweenies.  The only downside is that it's so light it mostly disappears after a while, on my skin.  I do love lighter scents, so I know there will be days when that is just what I want.  

This one was an unfortunate fail on my skin. It goes on and reminds me of a crisp, clean, myrrh and linen scent, not bad, I kind of liked it.  There's a little bit of violet, no plum.  But when I sniff up close I'm getting a faint hint of something sickly sweet, more on the exhale, that's like - I don't know, rot or something.  Kind of similar to Little Bird's experience in the above review.  Once I noticed it I couldn't ignore it, and eventually had to wash it off because it was giving me a queasy feeling.  And then I could still smell it!  I don't think this scent is for me. 

There's some funkiness for a while but it's not like... bathroom funkiness, it's more like the typical funkiness I get from ambergris (which to me smells different from oud's infamous funk).  Also somehow I'm picking up a bit of a narcissus feeling here even though it's not one of the notes.  Maybe THAT'S the oud, I'm not sure. 

But later on it smooths out a lot and it's more of the wistful seaside salty breeze that I was hoping for.  It is an herbal woody ambergris scent, like you would expect from the notes, but very smooth at this point.  I think I would enjoy even more salt in this and might play around with some layering options.  I do like this and I'm glad I took a chance with it.  

It does remind me of Bedroom a lot, I might not need both of them, I'll have to try them a few more times. 

This might be my favorite "version" of Samhain, of the ones I've tried.  It's very familiar, definitely recognizable as Samhain, but this one has something lighter and airy going on, makes me think of a light myrrh note in the background.  Later I get some of the fuzziness someone else mentioned except for me it's a little more fizzy like cola, makes me think again there might be some kind of resin note like myrrh or opoponax. 

I don't think I get as much apple as the other folks mentioned.  Maybe more of a baked apple or pumpkin note.  And I don't get as much patchouli as I am used to from the later versions.  Overall this is lovely, looking forward to wearing it again when fall truly starts coming in. 

On me this is a very barbershop lavender, kind of poofy and a little soapy (not a bad thing).  I can detect champaca orchid but it doesn't take over the scent like champaca sometimes does on me.  

I think after a while the rose starts to come out but it's polite.  I think the cypress comes out some more too, a softer woody note.  But overall the scent doesn't change a whole lot over time. 

I think this is a gentle and cozy lavender scent, like samanare said above.  It's not too similar to other bpal lavender scents I've tried.  Also it reminds me of a non-bpal scent called Antiheros, which makes me happy because I always wanted more of that but never got around to it (I have a little bit of a sample left). And this is actually better.

On me this is almost all champaca, a note I love but I was actually hoping some of the other notes would come out more (another note that I get along pretty well with).  I think the ashes come through a little.  I don't smell vetiver at all which is kind of amazing.  Either there is very little of it, or this is the smoothest vetiver ever and it's just blending with the other notes.  There is a hint of something tart, maybe the petitgrain.

Can't say I'm disappointed, I'm not, since I do love the lab's champaca note.  I think maybe I should compare this directly with Champa Resin, Charcoal and Tobacco Absolute, because in my mind they're very similar, but I bet side-by-side the differences would stand out more.

I couldn't resist trying this simply because of the artwork, I had to know what it smelled like (same with Angelvs Domini).  I wasn't buying decants for a while but started again because of these Paintings scents.  

*Edit because this did some kind of fruit-adjacent wine thing for the first few days I had it, but it's not really doing that now.  Now it's more white musk with some greenery and a hint of woods. 

After about an hour I start to get the white musk note coming in more (or maybe the pale amber, or both) and overall it becomes a little more "papery" to me.  It's overall a lighter scent through all stages but at this stage, it becomes closer to what I expected based on the notes.  It's basically the colors of the painting in scent form. 

It's a lovely scent and I particularly like how, if I stop trying to smell it and just go about my day, it kind of teases the air and makes itself known in a very subtle way.  I can't really say that I ever smelled wood or anything like rose.  There's a subtle green element but it's not like the dead leaves Halloween scents at all in my opinion.  It's nice and refreshing in the summer but I think if I wore this outside I would sweat it off before I even got to wherever I was going.  In a/c it lasted about 4 or 5 hours before it was mostly gone and I put on something else.  (That's about normal for me) 

Edit: I compared this to Meadow Elves and AoM is more woody than I originally thought.  I have to decide if I want a 5ml bottle of this, it's so great for late summer...

13 minutes ago, ScentCollector said:

Hey all, 

I want to get some bpal for a gift for someone that I know likes CK1, any recommendations?

The older version of Drag Is For Everyone smelled just like CK1 to me, but I haven't smelled the newer current one.  : ) 

I would describe this as a soft scent, about half blackberry and half perfumey haze.  I started loving the lab's blackberry note recently and this is like a soft, pillowy blackberry scent.  

I can't really pick apart the iris root and amber, except I do get a hint of something kind of rubbery that I think must be the iris root.  It adds a little interesting edge to the scent.  

Overall it's on the lighter side and lasts about 3 hours on me before it becomes just a skin scent.  I love it, so I'm happy to reapply.  It doesn't really change much, if at all, over time (except for fading).  I'm calling this a chic, elegant, blackberry scent.  

I'm having a similar experience to LavenderCoffee above.  When I first got this there was a sour chemical aspect that I couldn't get past, I really thought I didn't like this scent, and I put it aside for a while.  

Now it's like the sour aspect is still there, but it's not bad.  I'm actually liking it today.  Somber is the right word.  I think I'll enjoy this on rainy chilly days in the fall.  Right now I have an Animalic Chaos Theory on too, a sweeter scent that I think has some cardamom, and it's helping to balance out the austere sour aspect of Death Moon.  

As far as notes, I think I mostly smell resins with a hint of rose.  The rose isn't very strong but the presence is there.  It's a little herby too.  I'm glad I took a chance, this could be one of those scents that started out badly but grows on me more and more.