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BPAL Madness!

sprout

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Posts posted by sprout


  1. 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. 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. 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. 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.


  5. 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. 


  6. 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 

     

     


  7. 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)

     

     


  8. 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. 


  9. On 8/2/2019 at 1:34 PM, white_jenna63 said:

    I'm hoping this may be a place to find answers. :) I did the Goblin Grab Bag and my mystery imp is the most viscous brown oil I've ever seen, even after rolling. In the imp it's Bliss but on the skin it's a darker chocolate with a slight floral/powder note. Any ideas what it might be?

     

    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!


  10. 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. 

     

     


  11. 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!

     

     

     


  12. 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 

     


  13. 16 hours ago, Soupy Twist said:

    Coffee doesn't disappear on my skin, but I might recommend you try Guatemalan Coffee Bean and Spiced Rum Buttercream Coffee. Zonked has the same coffee note from Café Mille et un Nuits, so whatever that did on you, Zonked probably will as well.

     

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


  14. On 12/7/2018 at 3:05 PM, daddy420 said:

    51 is by far the most sexy masculine scent I've tried. And Back in 2012/14 i got a imp of Lilith and hated it. It smelled like like Cigarettes and alcohol, i was like 13 then. Something that's feel demoic and or evil. I now today love the smell of a sexy demon lady that kicks ass!, To me Lilith makes me think of Evelen for L.o.l. Ironically Succubus didn't smell like Lilith nor Eve in my mind.Oh and i have and love Belladonna. ~Daddy

     

    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;)

     

     


  15. 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.  


  16. Think you have plenty of Amber patchouli scents?  Well make way for one more because this one is gorgeous.  Less pumpkin foodie and more snuggly sugary patchouli.  

     

    I'm struggling to find words to capture the beautifully blended masterpiece but if you Google the namesake the cuddly fuzzy golden fur is what I think of with the scent.  There's no Punkin Spice in this,  if any pumpkin is appreciable it's fresh gourd. 

     

    It's definitely a warm, golden Amber with soft, smooth and slightly sugared patchouli and a creamy almond. The patchouli is different from the Silkybat one though. More vegetal floral than dirt or wood...

     

    I will definitely have to upgrade to a bottle.  This is the pinnacle of Amber patchouli union and will pair well with the many autumn Amber or pumpkin oil perfumes.


  17. Surprise hit for me.  It should have hit me over the head as this has quite a few notes of win so I'm wondering now why I hesitated...but perhaps it was the "tea leaf" note, which I hoped was literally tea and the black or green variety.  Ti leaf is more of an evergreen note and that's not what's contained.   But I digress...

     

    This started out a lovely Earl Grey tea with it's bergamot and I'm guessing green tea as white is often too high pitched for my enjoyment. There's a lovely ginger inclusion which gives a gentle nip,  not full on bite. No smoke note which is fine with me. 

     

    The drydown is a gorgeous incense, amber, and maybe bourbon but the last note wasn't very present although may be lending a mellow,  rounded character to the heart and base.  This is unquestionably my favorite bat!


  18. Like soupytwist,  this started as cherry syrup for me.  I considered scrubbing but hung in out of pure curiosity.   It wasn't an unpleasant experience,  just something I don't necessarily want to smell like.  There's a metallic twang suggestive of blood too.  I think this one is for folks who are in it for the sport?

     

    The cherry opening was dramatic and very quintessential BPAL , similar to the smell of general catalog Blood with less clove but the middle phase is just odd.  It's a bit tough to describe,  as I'm lacking in a frame of reference.  That's why I suppose antiseptic ointment comes to mind.  There's a hint of the blood metallic note,  a hint of cherry but it's more like that organic cherry cough syrup bark stuff I've purchased at Natural Grocers.  It's not cloying,  artificial,  or sweetened cherry.  It meshes with the cola vibe of the laudanum. My memory association here jumps between rockrose and antiseptic ointment.  Could there be a hint of saffron too, or is it just my imagination running away with me?

     

    The late drydown was actually very nice,  resin syrup cola; similar to the single note Rose of Sharon, which I loved and bought a back up.  As with soupytwist, my skin eats the cherry note and I am left with just laudanum. The antiseptic association is absent also.  This was comforting but close to the skin. This was never heady,  perfume like, or euphoria inducing as many of the Lab opium scents become on my skin. 

     

    I can understand why this was not a highly sought after decant but I'm glad to have tried it.  I rather like the base notes and I plan to retry this in a few months to see if it changes or if the scent development produces better sillage of the drydown phase as they have tendencies to do.  I'm chalking this one up to those experiential scents that folks enjoy with the Lab because they're unique.  I consider a bottle, but at this juncture,  I have to limit my collection to scents I love enough to wear frequently rather than when I'm of a mood.  I wouldn't be surprised if it grows in my mind and I end up getting more decants or a bottle, as I really liked the resinous drydown. 

     

    For the curious,  my Google Fu revealed interesting history behind the recipe development for laudanum: The original recipe for the potent tincture is attributed to physician Thomas Sydenham, known as the father of clinical medicine. Sydenham’s tincture included two ounces of opium, one ounce of saffron, a drachm of cinnamon and of cloves, dissolved into a pint of Canary wine...


  19. 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. 


  20. Tried this goat because zhe sounded from the notes roster like a previous Weenie I enjoyed (Witchcraft Scene) but in honest disclosure,  I didn't compare the notes nor did I view again before "blind testing. "  

     

    Patchouli is the note that stands out as familiar but it doesn't rule this roost, it's probably the only one that I can recognize without a list of notes.  This is delightfully green, evocative of the inspired art,  and artfully balanced.  I'm in love with it and need a bottle.  I'm always looking for green, plant like scent but I have quite a few forest and grass inspired ones; this is different, happily. 

     

    It's honestly too seamless or perhaps my nose is still amateur,  but nothing stands out except the Patchouli which is woody not dirty and quite smooth with a hint of zing from the pepper,  which is reminiscent of ivy.  The oudh is mellow and not animalistic or fecal. I'm really okay with those type of scents (must be that unconscious attraction,  blame my moon in Taurus) but this is different.  I thought the sandalwood would be dry but it's kept in check by the more juicy resins. Agree with zeezee, there's a suggestion of Lily but this plant party is more shrubland than meadow with flowers or woods.  Think steppes bordering the foothills of a drier mountain area and that's what this reminds me of.  Natural habitat for goats really!

     

    Don't let the notes intimidate,  this is a unisex win.  The sillage is more intimate than I prefer but the decant is new and only rested a couple of days after it's voyage.  Also, I was light on the application. 

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