Archaic Smile

Like others here have already said, it is indeed sweet, but it's a nice kind of sweet thats very subtle and light-hearted. I like it!

This is without a doubt moving to my BPAL favorites list. The leather can be a little strong at the initial application, but once it dries it settles into a warm, well worn leather with an under-current of sweet spice. I tend to favor scents that are earthy/feminine, but "The butchest, manliest of musks covered in well-worn leather," is freaking fabulous on my skin.

Saint-Germain is exactly why I never get rid of imps that I initially don't like. I set it aside several months ago because the lavender was way too strong, but when I tried it again last night I found that I have a real fondness for it.

With a little age the lavender has calmed down while the amber & mosses have become more pronounced. It still has some of the the sharpness of a floral colonge, but it's fresh, not cloying, and is simple enough to layer well with other scents.

As for throw and longevity on me it hangs around only two or three hours before I lose the scent of it completely, but most perfumes with floral top notes don't last very long on my skin anyway. Dispite that I think I may end up getting a bottle.

This scent makes me think of the Tim Burton film, Sleepy Hollow. More specifically the burial tree of the Headless Horseman. It's very much like how I would imagine the smell of a foreboding ancient oak forest covered with sweet, damp, loamy earth, ghostly mists, and decaying leaves - something straight out of a fireside tale. I also get the slight impression of cologne, but to me it seems pretty gender neutral. Then again I don't really mind wearing BPAL scents that are somewhat masculine. I just apply less or layer them with something a little lighter in tone. Oh! This might go really well with one of the Pumkin scents!

I'm totally in the mood for wool sweaters, scarves, hot soup, and cozy blankets now.

I searched, but couldn't find a review so...*gulp*...here goes.

At first sniff from the bottle I definitely got white floral (Oleander?) with wet greenery. It's very pleasant and immediately made me think of what a tropical greenhouse smells like in the fall. On my skin and on the dry down the floral softens a bit and the greenery gets a little stronger. Not strong as in mossy - it's almost like fresh cut stems directly from the garden.

Altogether it's very pretty and feminine, but not girly, the throw is very good and it seems to have better than average longevity. I'm so glad I took a chance and bought a big bottle!

Robin Goodfellow smells very similar to Roux-Ga-Roux on my skin with maybe a touch less floral. Hopefully the aging process doesn't change Robin too much, because I'd love to have a GC backup for when my beloved Roux-Ga-Roux runs out.

I definately recommend Roux-Ga-Roux (LE) for swampy mossy goodness: Spanish moss, swamp jessamine, bog water, cypress, hickory wood, lobelia, sweet flag, wisteria, and marsh milkweed. A lot of people were put off by bog water, cypress, and hickory wood in the description so it might be a little difficult to track down a decant or bottle, but it's worth it. Roux-Ga-Roux really is a wonderful mossy aquatic with light floral notes dancing in the background. Plus it has a nice throw and good longevity.

I'm big into moss, too. I have Bayou on order plus I'm going to give Robin Goodfellow a try. It's a bit of a wild card, but the dark musk, moss-covered wood, ragwort, heather, and sage sounded too lovely to pass up.

Yep. A very "sharp and spicy" mens cologne that's a bit powdery to my nose on the drydown. Not bad. It's nice. It's just a little too...well...traditional.

I'll add another Tamora recommendation. It's a wonderful scent - perfect for spring and summer. I also recommend, Desdemona: Sweet pea, carnation, and waterlily. It's a nice simple floral (not too cloying or powdery) that just gets better with age.

I have a feeling that this is going to be one of those BPAL oils that ages beautifully. Straight from the bottle it's very light and springy and stays that way on the drydown. There's no powder, no cloying sharpness, just a nice sunny fresh cut floral that makes me smile.

Love the lable, too.

In the bottle and freshly applied I definitely get the chocolate mint chip ice cream and thin mint cookie comparisons - I also get a mental picture of Godzilla in a girl scout uniform. On the dry down the mint fades and the scent becomes very similar to Drink Me on my skin, but not nearly as heavy and in your face foody.

I like it! It's not something that I would wear on a regular basis, but it'll be nice to have around for those days when I'm craving something totally different from my usual earthy florals.

My skin rejected this one outright. I was so hoping for peachy goodness, but all that stood out was a salty patchouli scent. And not of the lovely Anne Bonny variety, either.

After three tries I have finally given up on Imp. This is the first BPAL scent that my skin actually refuses to get along with.

Yup. I get strong lemon and lavender, too. But despite the lavender, which my skin tends to turn into a not so nice soapy smell, I really like Nanshe.

As for it's influence, I've tried it twice so far before bed and both times I had a very deep restful sleep. However, when I woke the following morning I couldn't recall even the smallest detail from my dreams. This was very odd for me because I usually have no trouble remembering something from them even if it's just a flash of color or feeling.

Right now I'm thinking this was just a fun coincidence, but the next time I have a really bad day or I'm stressed about something I'm going to give this stuff another go. Like most people, my dreams tend to be really intense and chaotic when I'm under a lot of stress - I'd like to see what effect Nanshe might have on them then.

Thank you Labbies for the frimp!

Cedar and evergreen stand out at first, but it quickly dries down to a very pleasant, light and almost chilly floral with a subtle musk note. Normally scents like this don't last very long on my skin, but time adds strength to BPAL and I'm happy to say Crow Moon's throw and longevity has increased substantially over the past few weeks: At least up to 5 hours with an average decrease in throw.

Actually, this scent would be perfect for a locket.

Does anyone know if Bayou is similar to Roux-Ga-Roux? Or is there something else in the GC that would be a closer match?

Mmmmm. Soft floral with a woody base - I knew I would love it. The big test for me though is its longevity. Aquatics and florals tend to disappear on my skin after only an hour or two, but this one has some staying power. I put a small amount on before I went to bed and I woke up to that lovely scent the following morning.

For a snarling beast, she smells so very nice.

EDIT: I love the label, too.

Woops! Duplicate post.

ADDED April 9:

Regan is a very pretty scent and I love vanilla orchid, but the stephanotis makes this blend is little too sharp for my nose. Even after four hours it still makes me sneeze - that said it has quite a throw and good staying power.

I'm not ready to give up, though. Maybe I'll try this again with a single note vanilla or amber.

Wet: it's a very strong, sharp scent. Dry: it's beautiful soft gardienia and sugared violets - so pretty. Unfortunately, after 30 minutes it almost completely disappears on my skin.

I'm stashing my imp for a few weeks in the hope that it's staying power strengthens with a little bit of aging.

When I first tried the madam she pulled a disappearing act on my skin, but as the day wore on she became stronger and oh so lovely. Such a seductive and mysterious warm scent - very similar to Snake Oil, but without the strong smell of cherry cordials. It's easy to imagine walking the carnaval grounds, catching this heady perfume drifting on the air and following it to the fortune teller's tent.

If I could only have one BPAL scent this would be it.

EDIT 02/20/07: Thought I would also add that Mme. Moriarty has very good staying power, too. Seven hours with only one application today and it's still alive and kicking though obviously somewhat subdued.

When I tried Namaste almost a month ago I wasn't an immediate fan, but I set it aside for a while in the hope that a little aging might mellow the lemon a bit. I tried it again yesterday and I was really pleased to find that the lemon grass had indeed mellowed.

Now I'm in love.

Definately a very rich almost over-the-top foody scent - a little goes a long way. It's lovely and warm, but not something that I would wear very often because my skin really amps this scent up.

For me, Undertow is "The Great Below" by Nine Inch Nails

Now I have to try Undertow because "The Great Below" is my favorite NIN song.

Speaking of, Libertine makes me think of "The Perfect Drug."

Archaic -- I haven't found anything in the BPAL catalog that matches the scent of GAP Om. Have you tried GAP outlet stores? They still stock Om, last time I checked.

Yeah I could always count on my local Gap Outlet, but these days all they have left are the OM body mist and moisturizer. The manager told me they have no plans to restock anymore of the fragrances. Bummer.

At least I can count on BPAL for something new and unusual.

Much thanks to you both! I put your suggestions on my Imps list for my next order.

My skin used to love the Gap's fragrance OM - unfortunately it was discontinued. Does anyone know of a nice BPAL equivilant?

My memory is kind of iffy, but the notes were: musk (maybe white), sandalwood, and a slight hint of white florals. It's definatly a warm scent and not too insence-y.

Help?