Teamama

I bought my bottle of Fake News when it first came out in 2017. I like it a lot, but hardly ever wear it. I have to wait for weekends to wear it, because it's a strong statement. The bitterness while wet is not my jam, but once it's dry...magic. It's got an upmarket patchouli note, not the hippie kind. The tobacco & pink pepper end up blending together into an oudh-like note. It's like patchouli & oudh, that makes me feel underdressed. Seriously, this is some haughty stuff.

I immediately thought about the RPG scents for you, @ShleepySnorlax. The layering opportunities & variety of notes give you a lot to play with, plus so much girl/geek imagination fun. The lab has an Imp Pack for RPG – Classes, but not for the races, alignments or adventuring gear, alas. (I picked up most of my RPG imps through forum sales & swaps.) Hufflepuff, love of color & introvert made me think of Elf + Neutral + Dwarven Ale. Or maybe Druid + Good + Chaotic. BPAL has a lot of blends that don't pigeonhole into masculine or feminine, as well as blends with a lot of notes are definitely traditionally worn by one gender. Bewitched, Coyote & The Small Brown Cat are blends that are super-comfortable, as well as flexible re: feminine/tom-boy. That's all I came up with, but I know the Forum dwellers will have some others .

Fear of juniper & cypress kept me from buying a bottle, but it's lovely. I get vanilla fennel softness. It reminds me of those French candies with aniseed in the middle. Finally finished my decant. If it turns up on Etsy, I might grab one.

I'm also getting tonka + tobacco as the primary notes, with a rose background. Sweet & a little bit dirty. I'm glad I got a decant.

Bottle from a forum purchase. Aged to perfection! Sweet musk & delicious cinnamon. The musk seems like a black musk variety. It's a little bit raunchier than the majority of BPAL black musks, with a hint of an animalic edge to it. The cinnamon is airy, spicy, & gentle. No burning at all on my cheap thin skin. It reminds me just a little of the dry spiciness of Silk Road Resurrected. On drydown, a hint of vanilla emerges. An exceptional blend--I'm glad I got a bottle.

Oh, Baby! I regret not trying this earlier. I was afraid that the teak might dominate, or that the oudh might be the one that is too intense (fecal) on my skin. Nope & nope. I'm so happy I obtained a decant: it's PERFECT. Our Hearts Condemn Us is more cedar on me than teak; I love BPAL cedar. The rose otto & oudh are exactly in balance: the rich sweetness of the rose keeps all that woody, resinous goodness from being too dry. On my wishlist for a bottle, ASAP.

Another test courtesy of the kind & generous @Lucchesa. In the bottle, I smelled green herbs, soft florals, possibly white musk, & fruit. That's my daughter's jam, so we both tried it on. My girl immediately said "Dandelions! and vegetables!" I could sort of get dandelions, but no vegetables. However, she was backed up by our hairstylist. "Cooked vegetables." So we struck out with the Globules. Me because the florals & fruits turned soapy (which is why I suspect white musk,) & Teadaughter because...vegetables.

I got to test Alias thanks to the always generous @Lucchesa. In the bottle, the citrus & rose geranium stood out, with a faint hint of vanilla & sandalwood. On my skin, the rose geranium immediately took over, & never relinquished control. I haven't tried many blends containing that note, but in this blend at least, I amp it to high heaven. After an hour or so, the overall effect became soap-like, as more sandalwood peeked through. Skin chemistry fail.

Delicate Oudh, fig, and Patchouli. The honey & vanilla cream stay far in the background in this blend. It stays pretty close to the skin. I really like it, which is no surprise. I expected good things, as the notes are usually winners for me. I'm glad I got a partial bottle. 2022 update: I hunted down another bottle after using up my partial. This has gotten a little bolder with age. Sweet Amber Oud is one to watch for!

Bottle from a Forum swap. Amber & blue musk were the notes that drew me to look for this blend. Black amber, olive blossom, lavender, blue musk, rose attar, and cedar are all notes of win for me. Black orchid, black currant, & wood violet are unknown quantities, though violet is usually a good 'un.  Since this has aged since 2007, it's smooth as silk; no trace of "screechy". I like aged BPAL ambers best. It's got a creamy vibe. Verdict: the smooth, sweet musk + amber make this a winner, with pleasant, undemanding florals as an accent. The cedar stays far in the background on me. Very good, I'm glad I was able to get this!

In the bottle, that teak is strong! It's almost like a petroleum accord. Wet on my skin, teak takes a few minutes to cool its jets. Once it has, apple blossom, caramel & white honey do a good job of imitating fruit. It makes me think of some of the Dragon Con peach blends I have tried. On dry-down, it's a sweet, sweet creamy amber. The fruitiness is subdued, & the rest of the notes are subtle. This is a winner for me, but not a standout. Happy to have a partial bottle .

This is so true. My OTP for Mouse's Long & Sad Tale. Medium wear, light & pleasant fragrance. A total winner.

I was expecting something robust, like Womb Furie with orange blossom & cinnamon. This is an unexpectedly delicate blend. The vanilla of Snake Oil & wildflower honey are the most dominant notes on my skin. Cinnamon is barely detectable on me. I will definitely use up the decant. Possible bottle.

The Lab does not stint with samples--my first imp pack purchase came with "frimps." My first purchase of bottles was for one blend from the imp pack order, & one of the frimped blends that hadn't even been on my radar. Namaste, Incubus, & Villain seem like good fresh options. Coyote is fantastic, if leather & musk work for you. Becoming Thunder & Take The Moon both have fresh notes, too. Bright makes me think of Eyes Skyward, Eyes Shut. That was a limited edition, though, so you'd have to find that through forum sales, or other means. Forum sales are also a great way to get your hands on a lot of imps without breaking the bank. Good luck, & enjoy your voyage of discovery!

Om nom nom. I was hoping 2 things when I ordered a decant: 1. For the clove to be held in check ( I usually amp it,) 2. For the honey to be prominent. I got #1, which is super-rare. Instead of #2, I got the world's sweetest brown musk, rolled up in cuddly butterscotch labdanum with just a wee hint of clove. Tonka, rum & honey aren't much in evidence on my skin, but I don't mind. Teapapa says when it's freshly applied, it reminds him of his father's pipe tobacco. I'm loving it, but I bet it will be excellent on him, too.

There's a category of BPAL scents that I love, but am rubbish at describing, because there are lots of notes interacting in lots of ways. Some examples: Kubla Khan, Scarecrow Turned Philosopher, Day of Skulls, The Dream is Big Enough for Everyone. Swing Carousel is one of those blends. I can't often wear citrus, but all the other notes got me so intrigued that I risked a decant. I'm really glad I did, because I am thrilled by how warm & golden Swing Carousel smells. The interplay between amber, spice, orange & gingerbread seems like it would go in a foody direction, but the cedar & incense keep it out of the pantry. Medium throw, medium wear length. Good on my skin & in a scent locket. I definitely need at least a partial bottle.

2009 version, from a forum purchase. Overall, it's a spicy musk with benzoin. Mama-Ji is the closest blend I can think of. Like Lucchesa, I'm impressed by the longevity. On my skin, the nutmeg & chili pepper notes don't really smell like themselves. Spices can be hit or miss with my skin chemistry. Cinnamon & cassia are usually hits. Clove is a miss, because my skin amps it so much, it throws off the balance of any blend containing it. Cardamom & nutmeg sometimes work, so I always want to try them. I wonder if the same thing that causes my skin to amp cloves is somehow distorting the nutmeg & chili pepper? Raven Moon 2009 smells better in the bottle than on my skin, & better on my skin than in a silver scent locket. I'm glad I got to try it, but I hardly ever reach for it. Edited to add: The 2009 label art is super awesome.

On me, the Burgundy oudh does the same thing that the oudh in Bestla did. It blooms into bovine barnsmell. Only by washing my arm can I get a hint of the delightful balance of oudh, musk & lavender in this blend. I will have to try it in my locket, because my skin wrecks it. Fans of Bestla should love this.

From a testable empty frimped by a generous forumite. Color me surprised! The listed notes did not prepare me for the bergamot's surprise attack of floral goodness in this blend. It's like the bergamot comes upon the unsuspecting patchouli, salt, white sandalwood & honey, ties them up, & bursts into flower. This is really nice, & now I kind of want some more.

I am smitten with my decant. The black rose reminds me of Peacock Queen, in that rose is definitely center stage. Like Mandragora369, I'm finding the rest of the notes to be pretty subtle on me, although the leather is noticeable. I hope somebody who loves Whip gets in & reviews this blend, because Fourth Lash is what I was hoping Whip would be (I blame my skin.) More testing is needed, but it's a strong bottle contender. The last 12 months of BPAL roses have been SO FINE 🌹.

Wonderful! It's the sex honey from Entertaining the Heian Court Maiden, with sweet, grassy vetiver. The patchouli is subtle, the labdanum adds sweetness. At dry-down, this is ridiculously good. I can't quit huffing my arm. I want at least a partial bottle. ETA: For beeswax fans, adding that my daughter says this is "strong beeswax" on me. She's a beeswax candle huffer from birth. One year later, the patchouli is a little stronger, & the labdanum is more pronounced.

I think Edie Sedgwick would wear Hollywood Babylon, Dance of Death, or Amsterdam. All of those seem like they might have appealed to her, & be appropriate for a 60's era heiress in torment.

Beeswax & resins. Both dry & sweet. Beautiful. This is so complex, I can't even pick out my beloved frankincense. I know there is sage & balsam in here, because it smells like my childhood. There's a desert plant in eastern WA whose dried seed heads look like tiny brown velvet buttons on an dill weed flower (I think it's yarrow, but I'm a lousy botanist.) It smells like the resins in No. 93 Engine. I am all about this fragrance, & have been buying up imps waiting for it to come back in stock.

Strong at first, like a bundle of cut sage &evergreen branches in your face. The dry-down a gentle but persistent green/resin. I'm glad I got a decant, but I probably won't wear this often.

In the decant & freshly applied, the cedar came at me with a 2x4. That faded quickly, letting the patchouli, vanilla & mint strut their stuff. After a few chaotic minutes, the patchouli emerged as the dominant note. It's my favorite, the sweet & cuddly patchouli from Goblin. The vanilla & mint pair beautifully with the patch. Good wear length, medium throw. I like this a lot, & will wear up all of this decant. It's close enough to my beloved Goblin that I don't think I need a bottle, but definitely A++. Edited to add: Bottle needed. This is now Patchouli & Cedar Lick It. Om nom nom!