inurbanus

When I think of "perfume", my mind comes up with something close to 51, which feels more commercial than most of the BPAL scents I've tried. This isn't a bad thing, and 51 is lovely, but be forewarned that there is a lot of scent packed into this 5 ml. This isn't one of those BPALs that comes in layers -- one me the notes are all mixed up in a cloud of fruits and flowers, so it's hard to pick out individual ones. I really wanted to smell the honeydew, but it wasn't in the cards. I'm disappointed in 51; based on the notes I thought it would be heaven on me. It's very good, but it doesn't have that special kick that my special favorites do. Still, it's close, and I know I'll enjoy wearing it.

4.5/5

ETA -- Some more thoughts:

I tried Fairy Market the other day, and it really reminded me of this, so when it came time for me to reassess this one, I kept it in mind. I think the thing is that they both remind me of sitting on our deck in the summer at sunset, watching the fireflies come out. There's something humid about 51 that I didn't mention in my above review -- it's really intensified by the way the notes heap on top of each other. I have to admit, I don't like the beginning of this (it's too bitter for me), but when the freesia comes and out the fruits mellow, it produces something absolutely lovely. This is one of those scents that memories are made of.

I'm disappointed. I wanted to smell like Dr. Pepper, but instead this smells exactly like Vixen on me. It must be the patchouli. I'm not especially fond of the scent, but it's very well-blended -- earth with a layer of powdery sweetness. This one has a more old-fashioned feel, like a vintage perfume. I'd be interested in smelling this in a scent locket, just to see how much my body chemistry affected it.

3/5

Cool, crisp, refreshing -- Embalming Fluid is like a cold glass of lemonade. The aloe is a great touch; it keeps the lemon fresh. This is perfect for summer or a conservative work environment. It deserves its status as a "BPAL Classic".

4/5

Yowza! That's some heavy ozone. It's pretty thick, but clean, as if you were sitting on a porch, watching clouds gather and the air is humid. This is very lemony and I can totally see a guy wearing this. It also has a pretty strong throw, which I'm not used to with ozone blends. I really like this on my wrist, but I think it would be dynamite in an oil burner. This isn't exactly a big bottle scent, but I'll definitely be keeping the imp.

3.5/5

In the imp, this is warm, sweet butter with a hint of rose. When I first applied it, it smelled like roses with a creamy background. It was completely delicious, and because of the awesomeness of the lab's rose blends, I've stopped fearing anything with that flower. Unfortunately, the cream went away and the blend become more muted and musty -- it kind of smelled like coffee, which I didn't really enjoy. It was a big shame, since this started out so nice.

3/5

Would you describe Funeral Home as light or heady? Is it green from the stems? Musty from the "oriental carpet"? It sounds interesting.

 

House of Night has quite a bit of evergreen in it, so it probably won't compare.

It's really strong, like a room crowded with bouquets. The floral is thick and very fresh, like it's been misted with water. The flowers in Languor are the same "type" as the ones in Funeral Home, even if they don't smell the same, if that makes any sense. I can't really smell the carpet or mahogany -- my nose only picks up the flowers.

Thanks for warning me about House of Night -- evergreen and I don't get along very well.

A thick, tangy aquatic overlaid with sweet incense and flowers. The word "decay" in the description spooked me, but it turned out to be quite interesting -- the image I got from this was of a humid island, where things are constantly growing over each other. The smell was very deep with lots of layers blending together all at once. Be forewarned, this has a lot of throw! I don't know if I would wear this one again, but it wasn't unpleasant. I would recommend it to anyone who likes Bayou, which has the same aquatic note.

3/5

To add some retro style to my flapper costume, I wore Lucy's Kiss.

This is exactly what I expected the muse of romantic poetry to smell like: soft, powdery rose. It's sweet and very pretty, but not that exciting.

3/5

I love the blend of flowers in Demeter's Funeral Home spray. Unfortunately, it doesn't last very long, so I've decided to hunt for something with more lasting power. Here is the description off the website:

Funeral Home is a blend of classic white flowers: lilies, carnations, gladiolus, chrysanthemums with stems and leaves, with a hint of mahogany and oriental carpet. This scent actually started out to be Flower Show. Now our founding perfumer personally did NOT like most white flowers so this was a tough fragrance for him to develop, so he consulted on it with partner, Christopher Gable. When he first smelled this one, Christopher Gable exclaimed “It smells like my Grandfather’s funeral… Let’s call it Funeral Home!” So we did.

I've read through the descriptions in the Ars Moriendi section. These are the ones that seem like they could work:

Epitaph

Eternal

The Ghost

House of Night

Midnight

The Phantom Wooer

Can anyone confirm/deny these or suggest other oils to try?

In the imp, this was juicy, bubble-gummy goodness. I was a little worried about the dragon's blood, which usually doesn't turn out well on my skin. However, this one evolved into a sexy, smoky scent that clung to my wrist like a second skin. I would gladly wear it as an "everyday" scent, but the way it morphs from fun to sultry is perfect for a day-to-night perfume as well.

Grade: 4/5

A shop in Yellow Springs sells "Fizzy Pop" incense that smells exactly like the first 20 minutes of Leo 2007. Effervescent, bubbly, and delicious, it was not what I was expecting, but a fantastic surprise. After a half an hour, the "fizzy" part morphs into a beautiful amber shot with frankincense. It's not a terribly overbearing smell--regal but kind of relaxed too. I absolutely love it.

5/5

I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked Wanton--usually anything rosey is a no-go for me. However, the sandalwood and patchouli both bring out the warmth of the rose without making it cloying. The mood this perfume invokes is more sensual than outright sexy. It's a very inviting smell; I can't stop sniffing my wrist!

4.5/5

This starts off smelling like pears--it's very strong, even though I didn't put a lot on, and has a nice tartness. Later on, it dries down into a soft powder that seems very innocent. It reminds me a bit of the perfume I used to wear when I was little. I'm not really smelling the lily of the valley, but as time goes on, this keeps getting sweeter, so they're definitely lurking in there somewhere. I don't know that I would wear this really often, but it's nice enough, and I think it gets better the longer it's worn.

3/5

I've been experimenting with my oil burner, and Grog is a fantastic room scent. It's warm and eveloping and buttery and mmm... Diluted, it's just strong enough to have a good throw without being obnoxiously strong. Are there any other great "foody" scents that work well in burners?

I second the rec for Titania--it starts out very sweet, cool, and melon-y.

Thunderbird, too--it's very crisp and refreshing.

A lot of the reviews for 51 mention a strong honeydew note, but it's blended with musks, so I don't know how strong the melon component is. Maybe someone who's tried it can confirm?

I've noticed that I associate BPAL with classical music a lot.

Ulalume reminds me of Faure's Pie Jesu.

Dance of Death made me immediately think of Liszt's Totentanz.

Kali is really evocative of Danse Bacchanale.

Does anyone know which scents would match:

Fantasia on a Theme By Thomas Tallis

Jupiter from The Planets

The Bartered Bride Overture

Dvorak's Carnival Overture

Carnival of the Animals: The Cuckoo

Our whole downstairs ended up smelling like Libertine after I tried it one night. It was good for me, because I thought it smelled gorgeous, but I felt bad for the family members not used to BPAL's strength. I would love to try some in an oil burner, but I'm kind of afraid our whole neighborhood would start smelling like Libertine!

I never would have picked this one out on my own, but the lab was kind enough to send this as a frimp, and I'm so glad I got to try it.

It's not one of those scents that is really "perfumey"--it smells very natural, like you're wearing something you just took off a clothesline. Because of that, it reminds me of Summer, and I think it would make a great everyday perfume when it gets a little bit warmer outside. I don't know if I can describe the actual components of this, because they're blended together so well, but overall, this one is more floral than anything.

I love it and would easily get a big bottle of it. 5/5

I was a little scared to try this, because for some reason I thought it would smell like Black Forest or Hades, both which did not do well with my body chemistry. I'm really glad I did, though.

This is a dark, elegant smell--exactly what Lady Death should smell like. It's also very sensual, in an earthy sort of way. My nose keeps picking out sandalwood, even though that's not listed in the description. I'm getting a little bit of dryness now that I'v been wearing this awhile, but it's not really noticeable.

I'd definitely wear this again, maybe even buy a large bottle of it.

4/5

This scent is lovely. It smells exactly as it's described: crushed leaves and a faint mist. I remember a day a few years ago when a couple of friends and I went on a photo taking expedition in the morning. The leaves were changing and the ground was covered in dew. Ulalume smells exactly like that. While it's strong in the bottle, it eventually dries into a beautiful aquatic with a little hint of lily. If you don't like heavy fragrances, I would definitely recommend checking this one out.

5/5

This scent screams LAVENDER! It's very soothing, even though I wore it during the day instead of before bed. I think it would make a nice room fragrance or linen scent, but I can't see myself wearing it as a perfume. Lavender isn't really my thing, and it smelled a little sour on me when I first applied it. If you know that your body chemistry reacts well with lavender and sandalwood, I would suggest finding an imp of this. It's a very mellow and laid-back scent.