crimescenecleanup

I was just poking around on the bpal site, and noticed that Soothing System from the Gris Grimly collection is described as a "lunatic's vintage cabernet". That sounds promising.

So...here's an allergy question for y'all. I have allergic reactions to cassia, or the varieties of spices most commonly sold in supermarkets as ground cinnamon. It triggers asthma attacks, nausea, and a skin reaction, and happens whether I eat it, wear it, or inhale it. However, much to my surprise, I do not have the same reaction to Ceylon Cinnamon, or true cinnamon. I have done repeated skin-tests with samples from several species, and this result has been consistent. Derivatives of cassia often turn up in sunscreens and alcohol-based perfumes, and I suspect this is why I often have bad allergic reactions to both. When perfumers list "cinnamon" as a note in an oil-based perfume, is it a catch-all phrase for all species of cinnamon? Or does it usually refer to either true cinnamon (cinnamon vera/cinnamon zeylanicum) or to cassia (cinnamon aromaticaum, cinnamon burmanii)? Unfortunately, I've found that a lot of food and cosmetic producers that list "ceylon cinnamon" as an ingredient only use the name for advertising, and just use cassia instead, because it is what people "expect cinnamon to taste and smell like", whereas real cinnamon is often described as tasting a bit like cedar shavings. It is also a heck of a lot cheaper. Since perfumery involves a great deal of poetic license, and creating accords (a facsimile that captures our idea of a scent more than the real thing does), I have to wonder if most "cinnamon" notes are actually based on cassia. You know, since cassia tastes and smells more like cinnamon to most people than actual cinnamon does.

Well, Carmen would have to be all about exotic scents for exotic and legendary locales! Jezirat Al Tennyn Uruk Sybaris Havana Port Royal El Dorado As for Enchantress, maybe Mage, from the RPG line, or The Witch Garden from Marchen, or Magic Do What You Will from The Last Unicorn series.

The discontinued Madrid was the strongest BPAL wine scent I've ever found, but also softly floral and wearable. It was GC for a very long time. Bottles of it seem to pop up on ebay and the forum pretty readily, so it might not be that hard to come by. If you looking for a wine that is unapologetically strong and boozy and dark, then Nosferatu might work. Athens also has a strong red wine note, to my nose.

@rawpotential...hmmm...have you tried 51 form wanderlust? Because it makes me think of winds over the mountains outside of San Diego. And you certainly seem to have an adventurous spirit that can appreciate a good mystery. For some reason, I'm also thinking Serpent's Kiss from Diabolus, House of Night from Ars Moriendi, and Intrigue from Bewitching Brews. The Aztec scents from Excolo might also suit you - Xiuhtecuhtli and Tezcatlipoca. They are both very rich, multi-layered scents that make me think of witty, bitingly intelligent, and charming middle-aged women who light up every room they enter, and become the life of every party they attend. They are very bright and pretty, but they have an air of maturity about them, I think. Since you mentioned being attracted to very intelligent older women, maybe you should give them a try.

What BPAL scent would Pam from True Blood wear?

Way back in the day, I tested some Dark Candles votives and fell in love with some of their scents - scents that are no longer available. Has anyone found replacements for their favorite discontinued DC stuff in the BPAL catalog? I'd be especially interested in finding something similar to Silver Bullet or Dark Grove. BPAL's Szepasszony had that same "cold rain" feel that I loved in Silver Bullet, but unfortunately that is not available anymore, either.

I always liked the subtle mintiness in Lantern Ghost of Oiwa from the Salon collection.

OK...when I log in to view my bank account balance, I see that I was charged through CCNOW for my Blackbear Moon order on Friday. On Saturday, CCNOW reversed the charges and refunded me. I have not received any communication from either the Lab or CCNow as to why charges would be reversed. Has anyone else had this happen? EDIT: d'oh. nevermind. found information on this back in the thread aways. Not sure how I missed it the first time. UPDATE: after CCNOW charged me twice and refunded me twice in 48 hours, they charge me a third time. An couple hours after that I got my CnS and this morning the package was waiting on my doorstep. So while CCNow and the USPS were a little off schedule, the Lab was right on time. Everything worked out OK in the end.

Aspen was one of my favorites, too. BPAL's Vinland was very close, in my mind. I think Aspen leaf was even in the notes, somewhere. Unfortunately I think it has been DC'ed. But maybe you will find a bottle through swaps or Ebay?

You could try something with a strong narcissus or hyacinth note...

I'm absolutely crushed about the Miller's Daughter being discontinued. I do miss it so. Anyone know of a close match?

woops sorry for the double post.

Seraglio, Harlot, Hetairae, and Mata Hari would be my pics. I know there is a, uh, theme going on there, and I don't mean to imply anything about dancers, I swear. But all of those scents seem to embody a rich sensuality - and tribal dance is all about that. Just reveling in the beauty of movement and enjoying the elaborate costumes, the color and music, and all of the dancers moving as one entity. It's very sensual. Also, all of the scents listed above imply a kind of power that doesn't sacrifice femininity.

Clever little satirical poems in the style of epitaphs written to tease the living and ease grief over a loved one's passing. Xocolatl, tequila, copal incense, smoke-dried jalapeños, vanilla pods, and cajeta. This is a traditional creme brulee with that smoky burnt-sugar crust on top. It is flavored with bitter cocoa and sweetened by real black vanilla pods. When you bite into it, you find that the cream underneath heavily and decadently spiced. In my opinion, it's the hands-down winner of this year's Halloweenies.

At first, opening the bottle, I get butter. butter butter butter. Yikes. wet, the butter calms down immediately and now I get rich doughnuts, like krispy kremes, with strawberry glaze (definite strawberry!) and a few crumbs of pink box-mix cake. Very sweet and light, totally foody - this is all sugary dessert, but there is a lot of layers to this dessert. It seems to morph a lot, with different notes popping to the forefront now and again, and never gets boring. Definitely not a traditional perfume, and I would hesitate to wear this to work - but if you have a sweet tooth, this could be your holy-grail scent.

OK, I should preface this with a big thank-you to the lab for a Flor de Muerto scent. I love the scent of marigolds, and have many happy memories of Day of the Dead, so I had to try this. I don't get a true marigold single note from this, rather a blend of related golden autumn flowers. There is definitely a strong and true chrysanthemum note, along with a cool and watery floral note I can't seem to place, and maybe sunflower. Overall, it is a cold, melancholy scent, and that I was not expecting. It is totally unique and I have found another floral blend that is anything like it. I have a hard time wearing straight up florals, but I think I will hold onto it for a while just because it is so unusual.

OK...so at first spray, I get pink grapefruit. Usually, I love citrus scents, grapefruit is a particular favorite when it makes a bold appearance - Baobhan Sith, I feel in Love with a Floating Brain, etc. However, this grapefruit I did not like and it did not like me. Oh, it was true pink grapefruit all right, but this is one bitter, acrid, pink grapefruit, destroyer of worlds. Very Lovecraftian. It frightened me. Sometimes Beth is scary good at her job - she can apparently design something that smells both refreshing and evil. I leave the room. Wait fifteen minutes. Come back. ARRRRGH pink grapefruit! nothing else. I continue my epic battle with the astral grapefruit. Strangely enough, I bought this because I was told that citrus-scents are good for space clearing and mood-lifting, getting rid of bad vibes, so to speak. Well, this stuff is strong enough to drive most anything away, very effective. No wonder the Zoogs have fled. It almost drove me away. However, I did not lose faith. In my experience, the BPTP atmosphere sprays soften and sweeten up considerably with time, becoming more complex as different notes come forward, so I waited. Fifteen minutes pass. I check again. The grapefruit is still there, still strong, but not as bitter. Oddly enough, it is kind of cheerful now. I feel like the tyrannical grapefruit has pummeled the zoogs to death and is now basking in its victory, radiating pleasure and calm. I grew up around many old citrus orchards, and this smells a bit like a grapefruit orchard warmed by the sun. This is a sunny summer scent. I leave for another fifteen minutes. Come back and hello! We have lemon verbena. A very sweet, herby lemon verbena, almost exactly like the kind used in Meyer's natural soaps. Every once in awhile I get a gentle hint of camellia, which is more astringent than floral, like the aroma wafting up from a cup of white tea. The grapefruit is still present but has faded into the background. Perhaps the stars are no longer right and the Elder Grapefruit has gone to sleep. And hour after spritzing, the Anti-Zoog spray is the scent of night air off the desert, so well blended you can't discern individual notes. It is remarkably similar to 51. We had a rough start, but in the end, I have to say this scent is a favorite. The drydown is lovely, and not a Zoog in sight. edited for: my typing sucks. typos fixed.

Sugar Skull, any year...any recommendations?

The Apothecary is my ultimate pharmacy scent. Although it has no sweetness, no syrup notes. Just straight up astringent and medicinal. Thorns had a medicinal bitterness to it. And I want to say that Silk Road had a funky cough syrup thing going on...but I'm not sure if I am remembering that right. It might be Kathmandu I'm thinking of.

Bliss has a similar in-your-face chocolate note, like DarkChocolateWhiskeyCognac does. Maybe Bliss layered with Mad Sweeney? And while I'm in this thread, I am in love with the particular vetiver from Fuwu Bansaku. Any close matches?

I get the exact same cake note from this that I get from Cockaigne - unfortunately, this note has a tendency to go kinda funky on me - a cross between burnt buttered popcorn and sourdough. Feeding the dead shouts CAKE CAKE CAKE FERMENTED CAKE and after a few minutes it develops an incense-stick undertone with a hearty dose of dry cinnamon. Cinnamon. blast! I was hoping the cinnamon some reviews mentioned was a mistake, maybe just a warm incense note that was similar to but not actually. No, it's definitely cinnamon. bummer. I was hoping for mostly incense with hops/grains and a smidge of foodiness. Instead, this is a rich, yeasty cinnamon-dusted cake scent with a background of gentle woodsy spice. Fans of Eat Me and Cockaigne will probably love this. The throw is moderate, while the staying power is truly impressive. This lasts for hours and I'm guessing will stay strong all day.

'sigh' I've been waiting for this scent to return for years so I could try it. I love booze scents, but rum has not been working on me at all. For some reason, it goes straight to fake butter. So with Creepy. Starts out as apple candy, sort of Jolly-rancher like, and then a hint of boozy coconut (smells just like Malibu!) and then...butter buds and cheap liquor. Just like Grog. and Hellcat. And Perversion. and Kill Devil. no more apple. or coconut. the butterscotch and caramel never showed up.Alas. Creepy really is creepy when combined with my wacky skin chemistry. why couldn't it have been whiskey or vodka with apples and butterscotch and coconut?'sigh' I've been waiting for this scent to return for years so I could try it. I love booze scents, but rum has not been working on me at all. For some reason, it goes straight to fake butter. So with Creepy. Starts out as apple candy, sort of Jolly-rancher like, and then a hint of boozy coconut (smells just like Malibu!) and then...butter buds and cheap liquor. Just like Grog. and Hellcat. And Perversion. and Kill Devil. no more apple. or coconut. the butterscotch and caramel never showed up.Alas. Creepy really is creepy when combined with my wacky skin chemistry. why couldn't it have been whiskey or vodka with apples and butterscotch and coconut?

Gorgeous, crisp, fresh apple. warm spices - but no cinnamon, thanks Gods. FRESH GINGER! sweet creamy milk and a hint of spiced ale. Mostly apple and ginger. Exactly what the description says, Lamb's wool is amazingly true to it's concept and delicious. The apple and ginger stay in the forefront in the drydown stage, but is basically the same wet as in the bottle. All the notes play together nicely and last through the drydown stage. This has gentle throw and good staying power. This also has the best milk note of all the BPAL I've tried - it smells sweet and creamy and light, and doesn't go plasticy or sour at any point. This blend reminds me of my beloved Shub-Niggurath, only way more wholesome and with less burning sensations. Not only is this a scent I would get a full bottle of, I think this is the first scent I will need multiple bottles of. Hmm...time to sign up for some overtime.

I was very surprised by Pomona. I was expecting all juicy dark fruits, maybe a bit of foody sweetness. Instead I get a very dry, woodsy scent. This is the scent of an orchard after a long, hot summer drought suddenly hit by an autumn cold snap. The last green leaves clinging to life, tart withering, frostbitten fruits, and hulls of nuts lying crushed on the ground. This is a very dry, earthy wood scent with just a hint of bitter, wine-like fruit. It fits the concept of an orchard Goddess very well - it's welcoming, gentle like a well-tended garden, but retains a hint of wildness from untamed woods. It is unusual and incredibly lovely. A full bottle for sure.