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BPAL Madness!

sprout

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Everything posted by sprout

  1. sprout

    Alchemical Laboratory

    I had a chance to buy a partial of this from an off forum decanter who shall remain unnamed. But I have also had a few Goblin squirts come my way over the years, just never a fresh bottle to review. Mostly Rosy frankincense with a hint of geranium. The incense blend is as others have commented cozy, comforting, high end, and nostalgia inducing. I would describe this as a resin floral hybrid but there is a hint of "cleanliness" in it which it not musk or elemi, I can't put my finger on it. It does not smell like a dank cellar or a chemistry lab--being a former lab assistant, I am quite familiar with the hint of benzene in the air and bit of sulfuric too. I would bet that the "deamondrops" or dragon blood resin is the "soapy" hint that reviewers are mentioning. I have no idea what cinnabar accord smells like but there is a hint of spice to this, which blends quite nicely with the rosy geranium. Of course the benzoin base note makes this a must sniff more and uplifting fragrance. I am very much in favor. If this is what the BPAL lab smells like, I would indenture myself just to enjoy this smell every day at work!
  2. sprout

    Coraline Jones

    On this is a sleeper hit for me--who knew I wanted to smell like a kid again? As advertised, this smells like clean skin musk with good bit of moss and barely there berry. Slightly sweet, very musky in I just showered and I am so clean way. Not in a too much artificial musk BBW kind of way--which is good. I enjoy a nice scent from BBW now and again, but they smell all so similar and remind me of being a tween in the mall in the 90s. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but this is a more natural, organic, mature version on that theme. I like this much more than I thought I would. I think the musk is like the Velvet Nudie we had some years back. Yes, I want to smell like a kid rolling around in the grass. While I would not call this a man's cologne, it is pretty unisex. This is the sort of fragrance that says that you are clean, well-groomed, and want to smell good but not to offend anyone. Like, my skin but better? I wish there was more grass in this and I got a nice whiff at the beginning but it was gone too soon. I can see a real niche for this on those days when I want to smell nice and clean but it is too freaking hot to wear anything cloying or resin-y. The joys of moss as a basenote in the hot ass summer cannot be overstated.
  3. sprout

    Ghost Dragon’s Mama

    Ghost Dragon's Mama is the Singularity blend that I took the biggest risk to buy a big bottle and I was disappointed to learn that DBR is a real amper on me. It figures, as I was hoping for that bubblegummy lotus and this did not smell in the least what I was hoping. I am usually a huge fan of BPAL's pink lotus note, and it is nicely present in the bottle but it disappears on my skin as does the hint of sugary vanilla cream. I don't get any cream which is probably a plus since it often goes to sour milk territory on me or smells like I slathered myself in butter (yes, as a matter of fact I do have an olfactory reference for that, don't ask why). I was hoping for a floral, springtime Dragon's milk but this is more of an incense with a hint of bubblegum. Well, I will retry in many months as it takes a lot of aging for the original Dragon Milk to work for me and maybe this is similar. I just hope the florals don't age out.
  4. Happy Holidays Colleen!

     

    I know it has been a while.  Things have been crazy.

     

    Are you guys having an ice storm?  I thought I saw this on the news and I am anticipating a huge artic blast here tomorrow, going to be in the double digits below zero, which has not happened here in a long time!

     

    I was hoping to score some bottles if you still have these left?

     

    9th Lash

    Ephemera

    Dusty Menorah Wax

    Gingerbread + leather

    Lenus Mars

    Peach Brandy SO

    Moon of the Terrible

     

    Please let me know and I hope you are having good holidays,

     

    Chrissy

     

     

  5. sprout

    All-Father

    Wednesday guided his wolf-now a huge and charcoal-gray beast with green eyes-over to Shadow. Shadow's mount caracoled away from it, and Shadow stroked its neck and told it not to be afraid. Its tiger tail swished, aggressively. It occurred to Shadow that there was another wolf, a twin to the one that Wednesday was riding, keeping pace with them in the sand dunes, just a moment out of sight. "Do you know me, Shadow?" said Wednesday. He rode his wolf with his head high. His right eye glittered and flashed, his left eye was dull. He wore a cloak with a deep, monklike cowl, and his face stared out from the shadows. "I told you I would tell you my names. This is what they call me. I am called Glad-of-War, Grim, Raider, and Third. I am One-Eyed. I am called Highest, and True-Guesser. I am Grimnir, and I am the Hooded One. I am All-Father, and I am Gondlir Wand-Bearer. I have as many names as there are winds, as many titles as there are ways to die. My ravens are Huginn and Muninn, Thought and Memory; my wolves are Freki and Geri; my horse is the gallows." Two ghostly-gray ravens, like transparent skins of birds, landed on Wednesday's shoulders, pushed their beaks into the side of Wednesday's head as if tasting his mind, and flapped out into the world once more. Oak leaves and ash, honey mead, wolf musk, a flutter of black feathers, and bronze fennel. This reminds me a little of the GC Odin scent, appropriately. Opening, I can appreciate some woody notes, not sure if I could distinguish oak, but it's there in the notes. The Wolf musk predominates, and it's similar to the musk of Faunalia or Buck Moon. Drying, I amplify clouds of sweet honey. It's shy of powdery and blends very nicely with the Wolf musk. I think there may be a hint of opoponox for the flutter of black feathers. Late drydown this is mostly Honey and Wolf musk. Final assessment: I purchased this full bottle for the Wolf musk and I have a drive to collect all scent related to Odin. The art is gorgeous. This exceeded my expectations. If you like Faunalia and Buck Moon, this is a must try. For me, this is a honeyed Buck Moon with oak instead of pine.
  6. sprout

    Nyarlathotep

    From an aged bottle--by aged I mean at least 7 years old because there was no date on it and I started labeling the bottles with dates in 2014. Lemon verbena is the predominant note on my wrist which is where things evaporate the fastest. In the crook of my elbow and on first huff directly from the bottle I can confirm that at least part of the incense is labdanum because it has a nice cola aspect and myrrh because that one always smells fuzzy for lack of a better word and to throw a little synesthesia in there. This smells similar to Egypt from the Wanderlust category--which makes sense, as Nyaralthotep is Egyptian. I am wondering if the lemony smell is due to some benzoin inclusion? As time goes by this becomes a soft, fuzzy, sweet incense which does not have any fiery or burnt smell to it as some incense scents do. It is more of the smell you get from the drapes and cloth surfaces that absorb the odors of the incense after it has burned. I have to get in very close as it becomes very close to the skin. The sillage is pretty close to a few inches or no more than a foot. If anyone makes the ole, "it smells like incense in here" comment then I will update the thread but I think this is a pretty personal scent at this point. Thankfully most of the lemon aspect is gone--I enjoy lemon but not in huge quantities. And, this does not smell like Pledge to me or cleaning products. I am mainly getting the incense. I think newer imps have more of an ozone aspect but that has aged out of this particular bottle. I may have to dig up a fresher imp and layer because I like ozone and given the Lovecraft Story, I feel ozone is a very appropriate accord to include. This one is definitely FB worthy and I like it on overcast or rainy meditative kind of days.
  7. sprout

    Rose of Sharon

    [No additional description provided.] Okay, I hate going first, but in case anyone needs this review to make a purchase decision, here we go. In the bottle, this smells of hibiscus tea. But on skin, it is undoubtedly rock rose, the resin. If you aren't familiar with rock rose, it's a resin distilled from the sap of an evergreen bush that grows in Mediterranean areas. The sap is collected as tears from the shrubs, similar to harvesting frankincense. Reading more about how it's made, I learned it can also be steam distilled from the leaves of the plant and the flowers. The sap is sticky and can be brushed from the wool of sheep after they rub against the sap during grazing. As a resin, the odor is similar to frankincense or myrrh, but it is sweeter and less airy than frankincense and less powdery or sweet as myrrh. It did have a slightly floral, almost rosy hint initially but drying down, it's a sweet, slightly woody, musky and amber like resin. It isn't smoky or metallic like DBR. Interestingly, this oil is used for calming the nerves during terror states and it's evidently present in Bach's flower remedy. I love this and I am considering a backup. The sillage is modest at this point but I expect that will improve with age. This is quite fresh from the mailbox, arriving yesterday and only giving it overnight to settle. I will report back later with how long it lasts. ETA, lasted approximately 3.5 hours, fresh. I predict aging will improve the longevity. The throw/sillage was fairly mild, close to the skin.
  8. sprout

    In Hideous Darkness

    The elements manifested their sorrow at this great man’s departure from England. For the Sun on that day at the 6th hour shrouded his glorious face, as the poets say, in hideous darkness, agitating the hearts of men by an eclipse; and on the 6th day of the week early in the morning there was so great an earthquake that the ground appeared absolutely to sink down; an horrid noise being first heard beneath the surface. – Historia Novella, William of Malmesbury on the death of Henry I Golden amber and ambergris, sage and white cedar, rockrose, bourbon tobacco, and vetiver. This is predominantly tobacco and ambergris on my skin. The tobacco is the note from Bulgarian tobacco single note. It's a little chewy, in a good way. The ambergris is in support, less perfumy than usual, adding a bit of sweetness and salt. Drying, I still smell tobacco mainly but the amber and rockrose make a nice base. This is earthy and sweet. The cedarwood is quite mellow, there is an absence of the hamster fluffy material, for which I am grateful. Overall, this is very well blended. The vetiver and cedar are quite restrained. I am enjoying the tobacco and ambergris pairing with the earthy resinous under layer: Like leaves of drying tobacco strewn over a forest floor. I'll be keeping the bottle. It should pair well with Hag Grey hair gloss, but the gloss is heavier on the ambergris and the tobacco in the gloss is floral, whereas this is exactly like the dried plants.
  9. sprout

    Mrs. Wilson

    No. 123, keeps a first class house, with six lady boarders, handsomely dressed, of pleasing manners, ready wit, and sparkling eyes. It is the finest house on the street, and superbly furnished. Effervescent grapefruit musk with a cluster of jasmine petals and a swish of blood orange and lime. I really hate to review first but this is beautiful and deserves praise. It's less effervescent than expected but there's a mimosa quality at the onset. This would be the orange and the bubbly note. I'm getting just a hint of the lime and it's authentic, less sugared than the note in Clown Princess of Crime or the Single Note released earlier this year or last? The jasmine is definitely present and supports and bridges the sparkling opening but this becomes all about the grapefruit musk thirty minutes or so and this dominates the dry phase. This note is fresh, youthful, and uplifting. The musk is a low pitched thrumming which grounds and complements the grapefruit and jasmine beautifully. It also marks this scent as a fragrance rather than an aromatherapy blend, yet I nevertheless appreciate the mood elevation and cognitive boosting effect from the citrus, in particular the grapefruit. Adjectives which come to mind are youthful, upscale, optimistic, ebullient. I am eternally grateful to my Fairy for purchasing this on my behalf. I think it's best for Spring however I will look to this for an uplifting feeling in the Winter when sunny days, warmth, and tanned skin are fading memory. I'm glad to have a bottle and would gladly purchase a backup if they're offered on Etsy or secondary market sales.
  10. sprout

    Serpent's Kiss

    well, I find it surprising that I have not reviewed this. On the love hate spectrum of vetyver sniffers, I fall on the love side--which of course tempers this review. If you are not a fan of vetyver, or dragon's blood for that matter, you must be reviewing this scent for science because if you are not a fan of either, this has nothing for you. Myself, I have nothing but love for both these notes. My bottle is very aged and the dragons blood is has mellowed so it is more of a metallic, incense odor and none of the floral aspect I usually detect when it is fresher. The vetyver is very earthy and primal. This does not smell like the blood of the dragon, more like the musky funk of a long ago abandoned lair. This is what I imagine Bilbo sniffed as he was slowly descending into Smaug's treasure hold. It is dry and slightly sweet with a earthy pungency and hint of long ago blaze. The "spice" in this scent is probably black pepper or cinnamon adjacent, I highly doubt it is cassia or cinnamon because I am a mega amper of those oils and they usually smell like red hots candy on me. Plus, no skin burn. If you forced me to guess, maybe nutmeg or fennel. The spice has likely aged out of my ancient-ish bottle. I recommend this if you love DBR or vetyver. I agree with the earlier poster who called this BloodLust* light, but Bloodlust is more fiery on me and definitely spicier, probably does have cinnamon in it. This one is like the dry, earthy feeling you would get from a snake's mouth, flickering tongue and all. Interesting concept, brilliantly executed. May be good for layering purposes. Of course I did not realize this was discontinued or I would be more hoarding of my bottle, like Smaug and all. So no layering, just savoring for moi.
  11. I'll see if I can come up with some suggestions for you to try...maybe in the interest of saving cash, you can score some inexpensive second hand imps via sales on forums. I would try to narrow down imps for 1 or 2$ or get discounts for buying in bulk. White Musk may be the culprit smelling soapy. And you probably have figured out that your skin turns things sweet. Green, sweet, fruity, mossy scents for daily wear Squirting cucumber Tweedledee &Tweedledee Cheshire Cat Cathode The Dormouse Strangler Fig Cordelia Y'ha Nthlei Shoggoth 51 Rome Lear Titus Andronicus Maiden Crossroads Vicomte de Valmont Yggdrasil Something that smells like the California coast with a lot of greenery (sea air, sagebrush?) Not sure, maybe Amsterdam Lyonesse Glasgow Bayou Caliban Prague Windward Passage Lady of Shallot Sea of Glass Two Five and Seven Kumari Kandem Gourmand - I want to smell like dessert without it being cloying Queen Alice Halfling Cockaigne Bordello Drink Me Knave of Hearts Bliss White Rabbit Shub Niggurath Hecate Queen of Sheba Death Cap Penny Dreadful Bengal Stimulating Sassafras Strengther Some notes that I like - lavender, tonka, rosemary, guava, fig, pumpkin, apple, citrus juice Eden Paris Zeiba Tree Zephyr Tombstone Dee Anubis? Akuma Pain Envy Gaeko Nephilim Hope this helps
  12. sprout

    Looking for a bpal that embodies beeswax

    Dusty Accumulated Menorah Wax Bunraku Theater Hanarot Halalu (original if you can find one) Day of the Skulls '17 Blossoms in Springtime Quintessence of Dust from the OLLA series Defututa and No. 93 Engine from the general catalog available as imps Half Elf has a hint of it and also GC but wait for the dry down Definitely agree with the recommendations for Candles Moon, Val Hanissam and Lights of Men's Lives (this last one also GC and imps available)
  13. sprout

    The Perfect Lavender

    The Mysterious Warning Daybreak Plush Viscera Motherhood
  14. sprout

    No One is Above the Law

    This one ticks off all the boxes for me. Starting off with a golden citrus note that I am guessing is the bergamot. Here it's less cologne and more like sweet nectar orange, like peeling a sweet orange. I think that's probably the orange blossom Honey in support. That sweet orange top note never lasts on my thirsty skin but what it lacked in duration it made up for in amplitude. All you orange lovers take note. The heart of this is really too seamless to pick apart notes but it has that sweet benzoin amber vanilla base with a golden amber. I don't mean to start a stampede but this amber vanilla just glows. I can still smell it 12 hours later on my skin too. (Without silage mind you but in my experience that improves with aging. ) This is going to age magnificently. Best of all, this smells like the sun coming out on a cloudy day. It smells like your heart filling with the happiness and glow of justice.
  15. sprout

    Long Lasting Patchouli?

    Agree with above posts and add Ask the Nearest Hippie to that list plus Fake News. Not GC but available on the site now and for an unspecified period...
  16. Could it be an extremely aged Cerberus? Cerberus, Lab description: "Cerberus, the Three-Headed watchdog that guards the gate to Hades. Loyal, dutiful and ferocious to its master’s enemies, but possessed of a distracting fondness for honey cakes and the song of the lyre. A deep, rumbling scent, warm, soft and as cozy as a dog by a hearthfire, but with a fierce and feral soul: deep chocolate, deeper musks, with a dash of fig, bittersweet walnut, and the wild essences of juniper berry, cubeb and rum." Black musk comes off as slightly floral and powdery to me. I definitely get deep chocolate with this cuddly puppy and I could definitely see this rare being a grab bag imp. It's age and the chocolate would make it very thick!
  17. sprout

    The Crown Hair Gloss

    I really took a gamble on this because metallic scents are usually awful on me but it was a small decant and since it's hair gloss, my rationale was, if it doesn't work out, I'll scent my laundry with it.. Well, it worked. This is the lovely shining gold note (accord, I presume) from The Imperator [Tarot: The Emperor series ] , I think. If not, they're kissing cousins. It smells like, a crown of shining gold light. With maybe some bay and crimson musk. But take that with a large grain of salt because I'm shite at guessing notes. But I can throw adjectives at you all day; this smells like Apollo's golden boy, a white knight, expensive without being flashy, regal, sunlight reflected on water. It's a bit more virile than I tend to wear and not for those who prefer their scents on the traditionally femme side of the spectrum but I'm wearing it this summer. Should pair well with Sportive Sun or any of the Emperor's scents. I think also with Anthony or Titus Andronicus.
  18. I really enjoyed Unicorn Junk which has a sort of coconut meringue fluffy thing going on. Anybody have some new foodie scent loves to pimp here cuz our thread needs love?
  19. I'm going to leave this link here and necrobump the thread. I think you have officially found your tribe. We may be quiet lately because we are probably sniffing ourselves in dark corners all Gollum like. There have been many, many gourmand scents released recently and it's been relatively easy to score decants on the sales threads. Enjoy the read. I try not to read when hungry BTW because, triggering!
  20. sprout

    Finding a BPAL fragrance for myself

    Off the top of my head, these following general catalog scents you should be able to find inexpensive samples of to try? ( these could be in your wheelhouse) and I find fairly androgynous or at least not too girly: The Lion Anubis Coyote Bloodlust Fenris Wolf Golden Priapus Jersey Devil Antikythera Mechanism Tombstone The Black Rider
  21. sprout

    Coffee notes?

    Coffee is fairly short lived for me. I second Soupytwist's recommendation as well as trying it over an unscented moisturizer...
  22. sprout

    I need something like 51 and og Lilith

    It's probably the ambergris in 51 that is doing that sexy masculine thing for you. If coconut isn't a deal breaker for you, Shoggoth is probably the nearest GC in stock scent that is similar to 51. Also, give Tavern of Hell, Y'Ha Nthlei, and Lyonesse a try. Black Forest may also be in the area of sexy, virile ambergris scents. If you like Anthony, you may like those. And, if you find yourself an ambergris whore like me, here's a thread for you. Ambergris shows up also as grey amber and is similar to white amber also which may help you zero in on these heavenly smells... Happy hunting;)
  23. sprout

    Old books... Books, paper, libraries

    OLLA Kit reminds me of libraries and books. It's like sitting in the corner of the library with old books and a shaft of pale sunlight illuminating the dust motes...
  24. sprout

    Boy with Goat in a Landscape

    Rudolf Koller Grapevine and ivy, olive blossom, lavender, cypress, bay leaf, honey myrtle, Tuscany sage, and jasmine sambac. This one is mostly a yes on me. I didn't bottle it unsniffed because I dislike grape but this definitely smells of grape vines not leaf or fruit. Oddly, honey myrtle has been problematic before also but it's balanced by the sweet and floral notes. Open, wet is definitely the highlight of this cabrito for me, it was lovely osmanthus, grapevine (I've smelled those in vivo, this is my first encounter in vitro) and a zingy ivy but just a hint. Drying, this has gone mostly floral with jasmine sambac bitch slapping the tamer plant notes. The sage and cypress are in subdued support. This unfortunately becomes a jasmine dominatrix scent which means I may now have an amplifier problem whereas I've previously maintained a mostly symbiotic relationship with it. I'm probably going to pass up a bottle upgrade but I loved the top notes. I'm going to search for a partial I think or a few more decants and try this in a scent locket because the wet opening was everything I wanted from this. Plus, label art = adorbs. It's definitely a purchase factor for me.
  25. sprout

    But Men Loved Darkness Rather Than Light

    This is all about the base on me. Just a hint o' spice, no cinnamon detected, and no skin (weal) burn. At first a bit sour but that is not unusual for my experience with labdanum--YMMV. I had sort of written this off as having too many questionable notes--myrrh I can take in small doses or the whole thing becomes bandaid smell or generic powder, allspice is usually a hard pass on me, clove tends to try to take over, and I am not a fan of pimento. So, is this the case of death notes all cancelling each other out, methinks. Drydown, I am getting a hint of the spice, nothing standing out as dominant, so I cannot really pick out ginger, saffron, allspice, (and none of these notes are wallflowers for me, usually, so they must all be singing in perfect harmony) but the sage is present and adding a mystic quality (which may just be my idiosyncratic way of relating to the note) the clove is subdued (the bitter clove tends to work much better for me) and the vanilla is beginning to round out and sweeten the composition. Patchouli is also a bit sweet to my nose but this is a very mellow patchouli and not dirty or woody. I get zero wood notes from this. The oakmoss sort of came and went (as I tend to amp anything powdery, oakmoss is also a risky inclusion). I do catch a hint of the pimento berry, which I only recognize from the list of notes--not really a stand out and definitely melding with the bitter clove which is becoming a bit more evident as the fragrance hums along. The so-called smoky vanilla is not a woodsmoke or sulfur note. This is like baby bear, just right in many, many ways. I expect this composition will come together even better with age and become fairly seamless. Does not lean particularly feminine or masculine to my nose. I have many, many resin blends especially patchouli ones and wish this one either kicked up the spicy aspect or better yet had the labdanum go more cola-ish if I was being choosy. What I like about this is that it is not too spicy, sweet, or powdery. Damn the torpedoes, I may be talking myself into a full bottle of this. The dry down gets better and better and that is how this will smell in a year or so. TL;DR: Old school BPAL with smooth patchouli, vanilla myrrh bridge, a hint of bitter clove and other spice, pairing with syrupy cistus labdanum . This gorgeous, classic, androgynous resin blend is skillfully balanced and unquestionably will age into bass note perfection. It's pretty timeless too, could be worn regardless of the season.
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