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sprout

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Everything posted by sprout

  1. sprout

    Statistically Favorite Scent

    I want to do this analysis because I see it will have good predictive value for blind bottles and guessing which scents will be winners. In part I'm a little worried about taking the magic out of the smellies or unintentionally excluding blends that would unexpectedly work. That being said, I'm going to do this anyway. I've noticed that I seem to have a bimodal predilection for scents, first type is crystalline, musky and cold; second type warm, spicy, resinous and sweet. I wonder if this will skew my results or perhaps reveal a common denominator?
  2. sprout

    Portal of Death! Atmosphere Spray

    This is a very sweet plum for me, with sweet orange blossom round the edges, darkened by floral patchouli. It seems to be a child of Madam Moriarty with a brighter, fruitier plum, candy notes, and sugared patchouli. Not exactly Autumnal or deathlike. Fruit juice fiends must give this a whirl. A candied, fruitier version of Mme Moriarty sans red musk. If red musk made Mme not to your taste or you want a younger, sweeter version, this is it!
  3. sprout

    Single Note: Clown White

    Vial: Creamy almonds. Wet: Almond or cherry? Interestingly, I get vanilla like icecream and maybe almond or cherry. Drydown: If I had not smelled Zombie Moon, I would be at a loss to describe this, but it smells like the fragrance oil equivalent to the Zombie Moon atmo spray. I am guessing almond/cherry (my nose mixes those up, it smells like either, both) with a creamy and slightly musky base. The base does give the olfactory impression of cosmetics products, like lightly scented creams, etc. so I can see how this will evoke stage make up. But it smells enough like cherry vanilla icecream to make this foody lover happy. It does not smell exactly like cherry vanilla icecream but it does suggest those things. So, maybe cherry vanilla scented stage make-up? Final analysis: Almond (or cherry) vanilla with a light musk like you find in many skin care or cosmetic products. Somewhere between clean musky and foody. This lasted only about 4 hours on me, and had less than average sillage. It may age to become more predominantly vanilla and almond/cherry (I really cannot decide which!) and since I think it would complement the ZM atmo nicely, I will definitely get more of this. I think it would be interesting layered with Polyester Spiderweb too. It definitely nails the "Clown White" concept. Source: Decant from TrailerTrashPrincess. Tested on inside of both wrists.
  4. sprout

    Zombie Moon Atmosphere Spray

    Zombie Moon is unexpectedly foody. I get no blood note, which I expected to be clove or DBR, I think it is a tongue in cheek reference to cherry vanilla. Or maybe it has some blood musk in it. It smells like cherry vanilla icecream and sand. I wonder if there is not a hint of sandalwood in this. It does evoke a cherry vanilla icecream scoop lying on slightly wet sand. Maybe there are lunar oils too, because it smells like wet sand at night. I wish I could get this as a fragrance oil, but I will use it to spray on scarves, bedclothes, and clothing to get my sniffing on. . There is hope, I think that Clown White could pair well with Zombie Moon...
  5. sprout

    Single Note: Polyester Spiderweb

    Okay, poor little Polyester Spiderwebs gets no love, so I had to review it first of my Weenie decants. In the vial: Melon? Hope this is not going to be aquatic. Creamy florals like the Lab's snow scents. Wet: Very synthetic hair spray and plastic smell like the foil bows at Christmas and plastic decorations. My mental image is one of those crazy aluminum Christmas trees we had in the 70s. I agree with the Spencer's store reference. Drying: Hairspray, plastic, the not quite snow and not quite aquatic notes from BPAL Yule scent: Winter Time. It hovers between floral, aquatic, and maybe metallic. I cannot pin down any specific notes, I guess that is the point, but my olfactory associations include Aquanet hairspray, that smell of new clothes purchased for "back to school," a hint of melon scented hand cream, a light floral such as daffodil, jonquil, hyacinth, narcissus or snow drops. Late drydown: No notes that I can identify, scent associations are fabric softner, so probably generic musk (not soapy though!), cotton blossoms, the linen note of Sticky Pillowcase without the candy, Aquanet hairspray dried, and the slightly floral notes as above (nonwhite Spring florals, slightly creamy). Final analysis: This was surprise hit for me. It quite defies categorization, as I would not really lump it in with the floral scents, aquatics, metallic, botanical, or "clean/skin musk" scents, but it certainly has elements of all of those. There is no foody component, wood or resin that I could sniff out. But, if you wanted a clean scent that did was not high pitched, soapy, aggressively floral or ozoney, this hits the mark as it smells fresh and clean without becoming too much in those areas. It reminds me of Stardust without the white floral aspects (no tuberose) as it is sort of synthetic like hair spray or like the discontinued scent, Asphodel, as it is a ghostly, not white Springy, diaphanous floral or cool aquatic that isn't dime store man body spray, like Wintertime. A synthesis of Stardust minus the white floral aspects, Sea of Glass without the aquatic aspect, plus Sticky Pillowcase, minus the candy. I found myself sniffing compulsively, and not just to figure out the scent as it's quite nice in the drydown. I rather think this would be nice as an unobtrusive clean scent for really hot summer days or wearing when you don't want your scent to be noticeable but you want to smell fresh. The wet, Aquanet phase did make me worry about getting a headache but its just shy of that. This also has layering possibilities. Or, maybe you just want to have that "new clothes" smell. Since I miss the discontinued Asphodel and this sort of reminds me of that scent, I think I will try and upgrade to a bottle. I suggest trying this if you like scents like Sea of Glass, if you are nostalgic for Stardust or Asphodel (or Aquanet!), if you wanted a more complex and natural version of BBW Cottonblossoms, "Clean Laundry", etc. Source: Decant from TrailerTrashPrincess tested on inside of both wrists Sillage: slight, it was mostly a skin scent and wear time was better than average, I'd guess 5-6 hours
  6. sprout

    Dead Leaves, Bourbon Vanilla, and Myrrh

    In the vial: Hmmm, must be a misnomer. This is definitely a wet leaf note. Wet: Still wet leaves, the same note as in October and the other "Leaves and..." scents. Unfortunately, either my skin chemistry changes this to, or my nose perceives this as, bell pepper. Drying: The myrrh begins to amp, the wet leaves note, aka bell pepper, becomes a dry, more dessicated leaves note. Now it actually smells like dead leaves and myrrh. Late drydown: Dry, dessicated leaves, resinous myrrh, and a hint of sweet vanilla. No cakes or cookies in this vanilla, just a hint of sweetness. Myrrh tends to go sweet and just shy of powder on my skin, and I also tend to amp it. So this is 40/40/20 dead leaves/myrrh/vanilla. This is no surprise as I think this particular blend, per upthread reviews, is heavy on the leaf note and my skin amps myrrh like gangbusters. Poor vanilla did not have much of a chance. Final analysis: Very nice realistic vegetal note, which unfortunately brings to mind bell peppers, which quickly mixes and dries with the skin chemicalz to become a realistic dry leaf note, with a hint of powdery and slightly sweet resin. I tend to like myrrh, despite it being a diva of a note, amping and overshadowing the others on my skin, because it usually smells good. Being relatively unaged, this is more powdery and with less throw and sweetness than how it will probably become in just a few weeks to a couple of months. The vanilla note that is hardly noticeable now will likely become more prominent with age and sweeter with better sillage. The myrrh will undoubtedly become more complex, resinous and sweeter. The dead leaf note will hopefully become less bell peppery. I am torn. I will certainly keep this to age it and I am enough of a vanilla hoor to probably track down a bottle or a partial because I think this will age into something very nice. But, I will be taking a chance, because the wet phase is almost intolerable. I know from other blends with the wet leaf note that it is likely to mellow out so I can probably get past that bell pepper thing and besides, it calms down pretty quickly on my skin to become a more realistic leaf note. I do wonder if this is different enough from other Autumnal scents--like Sonnet D'Automne as Dark Alice astutely pointed out--to justify the purchase. For a certainty I will keep and hoarde imps and if I come across a well priced partial bottle or more decants, I will invest in those. Thus far, Red Musk, Neroli and Dry Leaves is winning as my favorite of the series but there is something about the myrrh and vanilla combo that I really like and I have to admit I have been compulsively sniffing. Source: Decant from TrailerTrashPrincess Test Sites: Antecubital spaces both arms
  7. sprout

    Sinus Amoris

    oh oh oh oh oh oh oh ah ah ah ah ah ah I am interrupting my smell-gasm to report this Sinus Amoris oil is sexy vanilla incense good. I mean, nothing to see here people, keep moving, ALL YR SINUS AMORIS ARE BELONG TO US! I am getting mostly vanilla myrrh (think La Petit Mort, but but more vanilla! with a hint of incense) Mostly, this is a nonfoody vanilla candle that just extinguished. Not a Yankee Candle or something you get at BBW, this a high quality candle you can only get in the most booshey upscale French salon. And, if like me you don't know French, you cannot even begin to pronounce it. The closest thing that I have sniffed to this vanilla is Vanille Cannelle by CSP, but there isn't any ginger or cinnamon in this. It is not foody at all, not cupcakes or cookies or anything like that. Just really, really good vanilla with incense and the gentlest of myrrh. No pepper for me, which is why I did not get multiple bottles and I am SO SAD that I didn't. Final analysis: Mainly myrrh, vanilla and sandalwood/champaca. No burning, no foodiness, no powder, just the best vanilla incense you ever smelled. But, don't hunt this down, because I am going to need more.
  8. sprout

    Apple II

    Wet, this smells fruity, with equal balance between the pink pepper, lemon and apple initially, then it becomes pink lemonade. Although I detected the juniper berry initially, instead of smelling of evergreen, it actually does come off as more of a berry note in this mix. So, pink berry lemonade with a hint of apple. Fresh but without being high pitched or cloying. Also, the lemon did not go Pledge cleaner on me, which I thought could be a distinct possibility paired with an evergreen like juniper. Drying on bare skin, the apple really is not a match for these other power hitters, so I get predominantly LEMON, PINK PEPPER, a hint of berry, and a ghost of apple. So, it is slightly sweet, that could be the influence of the apple or something else, see my comments on the dry down. The apples were not tart on me, and quite overpowered by the lemon, pepper and berry but sweet and candy-ish. This would be a wonderful summer scent when you want to cool off or a Hello, time to wake up! scent. I really thought that the pink pepper would kill it for me, so I am glad to have purchased a decant as I almost passed on it. The pink pepper in Jiggery P0k3ry made me slightly nauseous, so I thought it was a note of doom, but that is not the case here. Perhaps the tart lemon keeps it in check. I am actually contemplating a partial bottle and will certainly hoard the imp. This would be wonderful for a quick swipe when I need to wake up and focus. It's definitely an uplifting and energizing scent. ETA: This lasted only about 3.5 hours and I question if there is a teensy bit of tonka in the dry down, it was just slightly sweet and powdery. I guess it could have been the juniper berry, I think it is a little resinous. It did not morph much and stayed true to the wet stage with predominantly berry pink lemonade juicy happiness all the way through. I think it really did help me focus. The throw was not too impressive, it hovered pretty close to the skin, so this is a good one when you don't want to be too sexy or obvious you are wearing scent. Very well balanced, not too foody and definitely not one dimensional if lacking in throw and longevity. A surprise hit! If you like things like Zanthe and Pet Magah Bird, give this a whirl. Source (decanted imp) Tested on wrist and hand
  9. Well my favorite Winter scents, as in smells like Winter are these: Black Ice Talvikuu The Carpathian mountains Cloister Graveyard in the Snow Hunger Moon Ice (Kubuki series) Snow Flakes The Darkling Thrush To get snow in a forest, I'd layer one of the snow and ice scents with forest scents (Andyl nailed my top favorites for forest scents, Jersey Devil, Black Forest, or Ranger), unless of course you can actually get some Carpathian mountains, which already combined snow + forest, beautifully.
  10. sprout

    Sugary or creamy delicate floral scents

    Muse of Fire Midnight on the Midway
  11. sprout

    Pure Applesauce

    This was pretty consistent from start to finish. Top notes may have contained apple blossom because the blossom on me is sweet and has impressive throw. Wet and early dry, this smells like pure applesauce, convincingly so. Mott's applesauce is my childhood memory reference and this smells just like it. Tobacco note or accord is missing for me. There is a hint of black tea in the dry phase but I have to sniff for it. Overall, this is sweet apple mush and sugar with a hint of tea. Maybe aging will allow for more development of the tobacco and tea notes because this would benefit from some grounding notes. Lovely and accurate in it's depiction of applesauce but lacking in complexity. If aging does bring out the tobacco more, I'll update this review and upgrade to a bottle. I'm keeping my decant to retest and enjoy.
  12. sprout

    Tranquility

    My experience is pretty similar to reviews up thread. Initial notes are synthetic banana, the Laffy Taffy one is on point. It became more like an actual squished banana as it dried. Later, I smell breakfast cereal, Lucky Charms to be exact or maybe Honeycomb. A hint of latte foam is suggested. This becomes more dry and sweet as it wears, eventually more vanilla marshmallow. Final analysis: This was very true to the description, impressively so, quite realistic. Unfortunately for me, banana is not my jam. I was fearful actually that the coffee would be too intense but I barely detected it. This was a delightful and whimsical scent that captured the back story with accuracy and beauty. I'll keep my decant but the banana note holds me back from the bottle upgrade. That I would keep the imp is a testament to the beauty of the rest of the scent since I strongly dislike banana fruit and especially synthetic banana flavoring like the candy.
  13. sprout

    The Organ Grinder (2015)

    I got creamy almond milk at the beginning followed by milky sassafras, but never did I mistake this for a rootbeer float, no icecream. The wet phase was very delightful. About a half hour in the tobacco makes a show, gets a bit smoky for a bit but is smoothed out by the sassafrass. This doesn't become cigarette smoke on my skin, thank goodness, just smoky and herbal with predominant tobacco leaves, but smooth, yo. For the heart, this was mainly smoky tobacco and a hint of herbal, not quite rootbeer flavor from the "sasparilla." Dry down was very powdery, reminded me a bit of Pickled Imp in fact, wondering if that is the Pine Tar. I don't get the suntan coconut feel from the coconut in this, it just added to the creamy feel and on drydown it was very dry coconut husk (nonfoody) and pine resin. There is no vanilla here, like Pickled Imp, but the coconut adds a bit of creaminess that my nose is reading as foody, but dry and soft, not like Coconut milk or fruit, more like dried coconut flakes. In combination with the Pine resin, it is quite similar to Pickled Imp to my nose (and memory). This is not OG going coconuts, or OG on tropical vacation, this is OG becoming creamier, smoother, and almost foody but dry and rich and creamy. The newer Organ Grinder 2015 was a bit powdery for my taste, but I think this is just because my imp is fresh, this will age into greatness, never doubt it. I tested this against the Old Formula OG (Organ Grinder) and the older version has mellowed into a resinous wonder with the lovely pine tar resin similar to that in Pickled Imp and a hint of tobacco and herbal High John and patch. If you fear the patchouli, it is not strong here, I can barely smell it, even in my aged imp. The addition of the new notes really mellows this one out and takes it just shy of foody territory. Tobacco lovers must give this a test, it hovers between smoking tobacco and fresh dried leaves. I like this better than Interfector as the latter is almost too masculine but this one is truly Unisex IMO. It is woody, herbal, slightly foody, and resinous. I will definitely get a new bottle to age but I will also enjoy layering the new OG with the original OG so I can enjoy both the foody, almost cookie like top notes with the mellow, resinous base. Not only will this probably be a multi bottle love, I could see this being a signature scent!
  14. sprout

    Pomona

    Initially this is apple blossom, slightly more floral but very apple smelling (yes, it does smell like shampoo, the eighties turned out all sorts of hair products with apple smells and it is hard to avoid the association) but this smells like fresh pressed apple juice mainly with a hint of Pom juice (I had to read the notes to appreciate it, it blends well with the apple smell) there is a hint of Nutella smelling nut spread, somewhere between chocolaty and nutty but it is brief. Berries other than Pom juice are not appreciable on me. Azaroles evidently are the haw or fruit of the hawthorn tree. I had to use google fu to learn that, and I have no frame of reference as to how they smell, so I am not sure I smell anything like that here. If you like apple scents, this is a must try, and I agree with the Punkie Night comparison, but this is more of a fresh apple, no spice or booze notes. It would be great for layering with other Weenies that don't have as much apple as I'd like. I am going to hope that cellaring will bring out a bit more of the other notes like berries and nuts, but my guess is that this is the 2009 version (purchased from the Lab's Etsy page) so the berries may have aged out?) This smells like apple orchards to me, flowers and juice--maybe a hint of nuts but the throw is all APPLE!. I wish I had sniffed the dirt that other reviewers smelled as this lacks complexity, but it will be good for layering, so there's that. I am keeping my bottle.
  15. sprout

    Sleepytime BPAL

    Somnus puts me into deep sleep. There is lavender present but on me it smells quite floral, mainly jasmine with a hint of rose. No notes listed so I have no idea but it works. I actually like the smell of Baku the best, it's almost all lavender on me, but Somnus is what I wear when I desperately need sleep. Nanshe works well too and is mainly lemon verbena.
  16. sprout

    Muddy Puddles

    Have you ever huffed a packet of Swiss Miss Cocoa? Well, I have, I guess I am weird like that, and this oil is a dead ringer! It even smells a slight bit powdery, like the cocoa mix but not like baby powder. I dabbed just a little on the indentation above my collarbone and the crook of my elbow, and the throw was good. I got very little morphing, it stays pretty true to the Swiss Miss cocoa scent for a few hours. I am at the 5 hour mark now, give or take, and it is now just pure vanilla. I never smelled the dirt note. This is a decant, and I am not sure but I am betting my decanter mixed well before pouring, but I did not get any dirt notes (no sludge or chocolate bits floating in my decant like in the Sprinklecake or the other chocolate accord BPALz). As far as I know, my skin neither amps nor absorbs dirt notes excessively, and I am only slightly disappointed that I did not get any dirt notes, because I have plenty I can layer and this is just the loveliest smell, it takes me back to being a kid and having a nice cup of cocoa on a cold day. Pure Swiss Miss people. Uncut, straight up, and no chaser. Oh yeah, no question I will upgrade to a bottle.
  17. sprout

    Something sweet and STRONG? *newbie*

    Suggest adding Le Serpent Qui Danse Belle Epoque and seconding above suggestions Lysander and Morocco
  18. sprout

    When Stars are Weeping

    Wondering if this needs to age. I get the honeysuckle and what I am speculating is water lettuce and a hint of bergamot at the top. Heart notes are very nice, crystalline musk, watery florals and maybe the carrot seed, but it isn't effervescent like other blends with carrot seed. I am wondering if there may be amber, though or if this is just the type of musk that goes straight to powder because this is breaking my heart, as it dries to baby powder. I have yet to have amber do this, so I am wondering if it is the musk. All the other blue and crystal musk blends I have tried have been wonderful, nose to wrist, YES YES YES smells for me, so I blind purchased this one in the hopes it would be similar to Yvraine or other lovely blue musk smellies. I am going to cellar this, in the hopes that aging will turn it into glory. I don't get any violet, leaf or otherwise, and only a hint of vanilla. Since my experience is quite different from other reviewers and no one else complained of powder, I am going to chalk this up to a decant that was not mixed well or just being too fresh and try again. I really wanted to love this. TThe wet phase is more my vibe, so maybe I will try a scent locket. If aging improves the baby powder bit and turns this into the blue musk I adore, then I will report back.
  19. sprout

    Scents for late summer into autumn

    I'm thinking Carnival scents especially Snakes are good for the transition but I have to limit the really sweet ones as they amp in the heat and are a little too much. In the theme of "Second Spring" and Autumn Coolness, Lupers are what I will try for these agonizingly hot days. Also, Sol Ivictus, Sportive Sun, and amber blends like Coyote and the Lion aren't too sweet or overwhelming. When it's super hot (over 85° here this week) I like to wear something cooling like Nuclear Winter or Ice (Kubuki). I'll check my stash of scents to test for some DDLM.
  20. sprout

    Scents for late summer into autumn

    Little bump for ideas of late summer scents to wear while it's still hot and waiting for Weenie weather (and waiting for decants)
  21. sprout

    EPIC BPAL Spreadsheet Thread

    I'm old school too. I use the spreadsheet to find older things that I want to try, but I write my scent trials in a little black book, titled simply, "My BPAL Journal."
  22. sprout

    Osmanthus

    Fairy bites has more osmanthus I think but it has to complete with other foodie notes.
  23. sprout

    Sugared incense

    Fairy Market is wonderful. Temple Viper is my hands down favorite sugary incense though.
  24. sprout

    Evil

    Preconceived notions: None really, I expected it to be resinous because, well, "evil" but I did not look at the notes first. Often vetiver is used to evil things up. I think I was expecting a little brimstone too--sometimes I am a bit too literal In the imp: Woody, rubbery, fruity wtf? (in hindsight, it is probably the opium tar smelling like rubber, it probably needs to age quite a bit to smell more like the opium tar I like, this is a very new, lab fresh imp) Wet: Starburst candy-like fruity liquid, smells sweet like a melon slushie, which is probably the green tea (green tea usually goes sweet on me, YMMV) and fresh barely ripe plum--the fruity liquid over a woody background, which is, in retrospect, the tobacco. The woody aspect is quite mellow, not evergreen or hamster cagey. The tobacco is mostly stems and leaves, not tobacco flower or smoke, like fresh plants, not dried. Drying: Ambergris takes this to a golden, not quite salty place, like amber light plus salt. I would swear there is black musk in this, but no such note listed, perhaps that is the ambrette (I have not smelled single note, but it tends to be musky on me and slightly sweet) marrying with the opium tar and khus (vetiver!) which are slightly smokey. Drydown: Mostly ambrette, ambergris and plum, musky and slightly sweet, shy of powdery, with a hint of sea salt. Green tea gone. Verdict: Yeah, evidently I like evil. Vetiver lovers need not fear the Khus, it is really not present in large quantities here and well tempered by the ambrette which keeps it sweet. Initially this is astringent and fruity (like Starbursts if they were liquified--yeah, that is my scent association, but its good, trust me) but dries down into a plummy musk that is a distant relative to Mme. Moriarty (perhaps an evil nephew?) and perhaps, Intrigue (although Intrigue is fig, not plum). If you like Intrigue but want sweet, this is it. If you want a more masculine MME, this could be your jam, no snake oil of course. This is meant for layering so it isn't as in yo face as I would expect of an evil oil. I am going to age this and retest to see if I need a bottle. I find vetiver gets more potent and smoky over time and I imagine the opium tar will get more hazy and resinous as well. I am predicting this will be quite yummy then and can be used to "evil things up," like florals and foodies that need a little oomph.
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