zazkea

Very happy this exists! Berry come in mostly, background: grass and (non-alcoholic) wine... Not overly sweet...really well-blended - really, really nice! The image this evokes in me is: a landhouse in a forest (I dont smell these, this is just the mental association), tomorrow on a late summers day, there are two non-gendered people prosting their glasses without words, just looking in each others eyes, and thinking of older, more magical times. They look neither old or young, the fabrics they wear are of good quality, but at the same time not from the current time period. I see a clock ticking on a chimney, reminding the two persons of passing time, which they dont feel themselves.

I like dwarf very much stone is a scent i only recently discovered in bpal; and hops is cool. I am happy I don't smell metal like in robotic scarab, which I found tricky. to me, scents are often about associated images. this is not how I picture a dwarf smelling because this is so nice:) and a dwarf would be rougher in my imagination. in sum, on my skin, this is a bucket with hops in a rather sweet beer-factory (I have visited 2 in my life), and stone and far away brown leather and something floral if I am not imagining it. It's such a lovely idea. I'm happy that dwarfs smell so fresh.

Very interesting scent. Bottle Night-dark, but at the same time also moon-lit. Fresh. (this is how I wanted this to smell on my skin as well). Wet On my skin, I get Jasmine (usually, Jasmine is nice on my Skin and usually I like it, but this is a bitter Jasmine) and orchid (I typically dislike to stick my nose into orchids too deeply, as real flowers (which I have), because I find them "cold". So it may be that I dont really like it as perfume either, but i had to try). Dry I get a clear and bitter clove note now, and it is smoothened by something - I expect by moonflower, but I dont know the note yet. I dont get a vanilla tone from the orchird; only orchid. More vanilla would have smoothened this for me, but also would have made it less interesting. (And I would have liked a stronger Jasmine at this stage, but only because I would see a night garden, if I had more jasmine. Also, if cardamon is listed, I wish for more cardamon, because I think that some spice would help getting away from this garden-feeling that I have. Yes, I am sure now: actually, I would have put more spice in this, but maybe this comes back with aging. For the Image of a night priestess, low spice like it is, is, however, good). Overal This is a well-blended scent and its hard for me to capture the individual notes. I am probably not a real fan of either moonflower or the orchid, because to me, this has a too bittersweet note in it. Associations I wonder, why this is not a lunacy scent, because my first impression was moonlight White. In my mind, the Night Priestess is somehow the sister of Anthe, although they dont smell alike. I just imagine the two on the same mental Image somehow. I also have the feeling of something ritualistic or magical in this scent, which I only had by The Initiation so far, which also doesnt smell like this one. But those are my associations, and I dont know where they come from. Image: If I were a hero, I would definately NOT follow this scent or the white, shaky, and somewhat etheral apperance of a guiding-person that comes with this scent, because I would be very alert of this leading to a swamp of Magic, for me to either die or to being forced to procreate on a bed of moonflowers. Before you decide, where to go, I feel like the appearance is a swarm when you see it more closely; an Illusion of a moon-lit path behind it, an unreal smile and a welcoming hand. The appearance is not good or bad, it just exists to misguide heros, and make the journey more winding. In sum: This is not my scent, personally. but I will wear it now and then, to have this weird experience;)

In the bottle When I open it, there is a cloud of blueberry hanging in the air at around 1m radius from the bottle; thus, this is strong! Sniffing, I get blueberry and citrus. The blueberry is not real to me, and the scent is sweet. Image: a crépe wiith blueberries. Wet On my skin, this is a well-blended, sweet tangerine zest, with just a bit of citrus. Image: a pine tree with a blueberry cake in front of it. plus wasps. Dry This is cold flowers with a bit of citrus. Image of "White". After one hour I have a blueberry cloud around me; warm and sweet. The blueberry still isnt "real", but I suppose this is hard to create. Luckily it doesnt go "artificial" either. Its just not a real blueberry (blueberries, as real fruit, dont have a smell to me, but the taste the ripe and good ones have, interestingly, is similar to this scent). Image: night, something powerful and orange or sand-colored nearby Overall To me, this is a strong perfume: sweet, fruity, heavy, warm. In the future, I may want to experiment with layering this one; but on its own, I like it as well.

Wow This is a true mood-scent, not perfume. As such, this is a total new direction than the bpal scents I am used to - and it is really good! It is grey, gravel, silk, and so well blended that I dont get single notes. Although yes, I can recognize myrrh and patchouli, maybe violet incense, but only if I am searching for them. I even got a short moment of almond. Stone, darkness, majestic. But its more the feeling / mood this expresses: I have the image of a roadtrip with no clear destination, asphalt, and something powerful nearby. -- Edit (original post was 2018, edit is 2023): This is my favourite BPAL scent now, because it fits me very well somehow. So happy it exists!

The spray comes as fine mist from the bottle. On my long, thick hair, the main thing I get is ginger, then sandalwood. Fruit is on the background. Initially, I thought I dont get amber. But I do - only very far away and after a while. (I have to see what happens with a little aging.) I dont know, I always have to sneeze once after the application. When applied on dry hair, I dont see a benefit; it actually seems to become a bit "rougher" when combing. The scent, especially the ginger, fits me though. Thus, I like it for the smell. Springtime education seems complex, as if there is more to come... slightly curious. Yet, around me, it vanishes fairly quickly. Conclusions Its probably good for all genders, and its good for in the office. I like to combine it with rose bouquet or amber scents. Its nice.

Douze is light, balanced, pink rose and a bit of orchid and hay in the background, not sweet or girly. Apologies, I think this is my shortest review so far, as this doesnt change a lot or create images, when applied on my skin. "Nice". Straight.

Wet Orange-BAM! (not neccessarily blood orange) Dry Sandalwood(?) + bitter orange (still not neccessarily blood orange) + red rose. Background: + subtle resins + citrus + sugar and/or fruit (?). ... somehow this reminds me of sitting in the garden of my childhood with my grandmother (who was then younger) serving gooseberry cake (though I dont consciously smell these notes, this is just the image I get from this scent). I dont know why the image contains sun-burned, yellow flowers after a long summer day (I dont actively smell related scents, but the image is clear). Edit: Woa, 1.5 hours after applying this, its is a strong cloud of the scent around me. Conclusions It doesnt "fascinate" me like other scents, but its really nice on my skin (its great that this doesnt become "artificial" or "clean"). Summer evening. Easy scent; subtle red rose and orange (but not "in your face"). Can easily be worn in the office.

Decant, 1ml, tested on my wrist, one month after it arrived. Wet Once applied, I mainly get a pink rose. BUT this is not overly sweet or girly on my skin. The cotton candy en vanilla are more subtle and more in the background. In the first 10min, all notes fly by individually. Dry I can relate why others think this is comparable with Lush's Rose Jam. But I think that they differ. When I put them side to side, they seem related like siblings, but they are not smelling similarly. Also, these handcuffs have somthing "fuzzy"; there is something that feels unbalanced when it's on my skin (in a good, light way): .... image: maybe a pixie that annoyed you in the last days, who is flying again and again against a lightsource, while you watch this from your couch, without feeling anything for this happening nearby... After 10min Once it warms up, it's warmer with more, but still not "sweet", cotton candy and warm vanilla. Also, on my skin this is now more balanced now - and it remains a sugared rose for the entire wearing time. The smell is not strong and it vanishes a bit. Conclusions You can easily wear this at work, because people probably wont even notice it. I would have loved to have a bath in this or spray my hair with ithis scent (BPTP, if you read this, please go ahead!!!). Edit: In 2020... I absolutely adore this and wish I had more. There is nothing unbalanced anymore now, and it also doesn't smell like Rose Jam to me, which is a good thing. Lovely subtle rose with a topping of sugar dust. Lovely lovely lovely...and the pixie is still alive and hitting the light bulb.

Bottle nice, florals! No snake oil (I like SO very much, but I also like flowers very much, so no problem so far). Wet on skin no florals - at all --> huge question mark in my brain, *what I smell... but it isnt good. Dry on skin ... narcissssssssssssssssssssssssssss....... after 30 min: large bowl with piss... (both on my and on my mother's skin, same effect) the flowers all seem very ... dead, with dead water (you know, what happes to the water if you leave dead flowers in it for a longer time). --> *wash off Conclusions I never had amps, and *all oils I have worked very easily so far, and all were well-blended and interesting, in their own ways - some more my desire, some less, but all were good so far - and I like bpal soo much, usually. With this one, I cannot cope - I only got narciss, so maybe this is the first that my skin screams at. No snake oil, maybe good to mention. --> Not.for.me.at.all.

After 3 months Wet Sharp cinnamon, literally white cognac, winter season Dry golden incense is the fitting woord, but the other notes are also there. Conclusions I'm not sure I personally like the clove frankincense combi in this one, and I do get a slight headache. Luckily the fieryness vanishes; what remains is nice, but I prefer other scents.

From a secondhand bottle (2013 I think). Bottle Love! Orange, flour, christmasbaking-kitchen. Wet Same as above. But now with ginger and tea --> foody scent (doesnt reach the sweetness of other bpal cake/cookie scents and I like it that way). Dry Loads of white flour. Tea now. Sugar. Orange (bitter and sweet). Spices like maybe cardamon and a lemon... cant say, because I am distracted by more white (not deep/complex, but plain shallow white) sugar. I wish for more ginger tea, but it shifts between flour, butter, tea and baked stuff. It is a bit simple and superficial in its own nice way now and I like that, because it doesnt want much from me, I can just enjoy it. Conclusions I guess its christmas every day with this scent? Though really more the pre-fun of baking. Baking... American cookies, to be clear. (I am not American or living there - I wish for European pastries/baked stuff/cake/cookies now. In fact, I would like glutenfree German cookies now, please I am sure the glutenfree can be a scent, because I am very confident in the lab's skills). I feel this is a slightly nerdy scent. I like it! Yes, even in March.

Bottle Fresh! Wet What I get is a bit sour wine, bitter mead, a very green something, plus apple. Dry The notes blend now, so I cannot identify them individually anymore. What I get is fantastic On my skin, this is rather fresh, mild-sour. Fresh linen, tendency to (not bad) powdery, but without becoming powder. Reading the description now, I can say that I do not get much snake oil (and not knowing Dorian, i cant identify him). Not "woody" at all on my skin, but a bit salt may be there (but only from the description this is what I get, so the salt may be imagined/primed). Also, getting warmer on the skin, it gets more depth and warmth, less freshness and not sour anymore - now balanced and remains like this. Though I am afraid this may not linger for a long time. Conclusions Not a typical snake oil variant, in fact I do not get much snake oil. I like it because it is fresh, a bit like autumn. Compared to Fruit and Cotton Phoenix, this is a tad to clean on my skin, but that makes it a scent that can be worn in the office. Edit after 2.5 years: I adore this! Its more wood now and I could wear this every day if the oil weren't decreasing in the bottle.

Wet Lovely, creamy snake oil, sweetened by snow white, sweet, milky almond, warm almost foody musk, almost gourmand. Marshmellow very much in the back. Dry Excellent blend. PS: Oh now, after 45min, there is a weird stage where it smells animalistic. Hopefully that vanishes. Edit: Yes. Good! Back to the nice scent.

First snif Initially, this was shrimp + sharpness on my skin! So I put this into the box and waited, because in my experience, bpal scents get better after some time. In the bottle (re-opened after 3 months) I get mainly pomegranate (not, per se, black) and only a bit of snake oil (the latter, I really like) and maaabye citrus. Unfortunately, I do not know Schwarzer Mond and Krampus, so I cannot get these individually, but what I do get is a feeling of a bit of darkness, which I, in this case, like. I do get a bit of dark amber and maybe myrrh (?) - very much in the background though. Wet The black currant comes, now also more snake oil. So not really spicy, not really fruity. Not bad either. My opinion so far is neutral... Dry I find this is too balanced to identify individual notes, so I cannot really tell a good story of "first this comes, than that", because its all there at the same time. Certainly, it becomes a bit deeper when developing/warming-up on the skin. What I do get when this has been on the skin for a while, is: a feeling of brownish-red, honeyed-myrrh, carribbean (?) snake-oil in the far back (by that i mean not too sweet or too bitter, and somehow I get an impression of a very far away non-sweet but maybe woody rum (?)), warm amber, maaabye sweetened patchouli (?). And I only get black currant or pomegranate if I imagine them, so I am not sure they are really there. Again, this is all simultaneously and hard to tell. Conclusions Fruit Phoenix is slightly sweet AND bitter on my skin at the same time; warm and nicely accompanying. There is fruit, but I would not call this fruity. Not per se snake-oily. Well-balanced. Good for all seasons. I clearly like it, but it doesnt make me go "wow". Can be worn in the office.

Okay, Alcestis,... now you! It has been such a battle with you. Initially When I smelled Alcie in the beginning, I immediately hated that it felt like an overdominating buckthorn berry, which switched my gender and my stomache. I was actually quite shocked by disliking the smell, after it has had such a nice description (Sassy. Impetuous. Loya.l) and listed notes, which I all like. So I immediately put this away, and was very much thinking about selling her. But I didnt do it because I had hope. And because the label is pretty;) (young red-haired girl) I have aged this and its time for a review. After 1 year Its much more balanced now Now, I get a fresh, green, slightly sweet scent. Nothing dominates - Meaning that individual notes are hard to identify now. Maybe this is how it was supposed to smell like. Nectarine and honey combine to a fresh background sweetness. (Only) If I do my best I get the sandalwood and oakmoss in the background; it's not woody or herbal. Conclusions: Its very loving now, not hard or masculine at all, in fact, perhaps unisex. Green, fresh/clean, slightly sweet, subtle. Can be worn in the office without trouble. (however: not sassy or impetuous - but loyal, maybe...)

(Swap/Bottle from 2010) Snif Slightly weird...grapefruit (sweet) and lemon. Wet I get tea, ginger and flour (not listed, I guess thats the tonka my brain errs). Dry I dont get green tea anymore now. Tonka comes in late and makes it a bit more heavy. I find that I still like jasmine and wisteria. Combined with ginger, this is interesting; but it vanishes. Grapefruit makes it more jokingly to me: rather a cheerful, dancing vampire. No tears here, only from joy, perhaps. Conclusions In the end I only get grapefruit and jasmine, not the other notes, anymore - and these bring it to the edge of smelling like a pile of freshly washed clothes,.... and thats the scent that lingers on. I like it, but not every week. May combine this with musk. (Edit: yea, that works well! + gives this elderly scent more depth).

In the imp and on my skin, I find this scent unsettlling because to me, it smells like I imagine crematorium smoke would smell like. (and yes, there is almond, but that doesnt make anything better here). Although I am happy it doesnt reach a real burnt people KZ kind of smell, and even though I do like rum ("Grog" is amazing), it has a "dead something" note on my skin - and I dont like it. I will let this be an imp in the box and may revisit it later, as in my experience, many scents I initially dislike, are better after a year.

Initial snif (2017): straight, simple, prudish + turns to soap after an hour or so. After almost one year aging (2018): The rose is wonderful! It is indeed only "a promise" of a rose, not a real rose. This image is very congruent with this scent. I can also smell the image of stem and leaf, but maybe thats a priming effect from reading the description. Green, fresh, a bit fruity-sweet, smart, clear, determined, not-floral, a bit green apple-like (coming from the image of the "stem"), pure, straight, pale, delicate. --> really, very lovely! Absolutely not a jealous or mad rose. She remains sightly prudish but is a sweet girl.

When I first opened this last year, it was too strong on me due to ginger and fir. Having had this bottle rested almost a year, its just excellent! In bottle ginger, fir needle. A "strict" image. When I had this at first, I rated as unisex. I used it when I had important meetings, presentations and the like, so: to appear strong, smart and a bit strict;) This strictness is a bit better after a year ageing. On skin Wow! This is a perfectly blended scent, really. White tea is very much in the back - actually I would rather call this "green" or green tea... because I mainly get the fir needle, ginger, oakmoss. Apricot is also the last scent coming up on my skin and rounds this - and actually I may rather get peach blossom. But knowing that I am supposed to smell apricot, this is indeed apricot on close sight. Very "fresh" and green, juicy image - not "lush" but a nice summer breeze. It is not foody or too fruity. No soap tendencies on my skin. Its not very sweet. Yet, it does have a fresh kind of sweetness. Conclusions fruity, juicy, spring... different than you may imagine when you read the description. And on first smell, it wasnt easy for me to get used to, but after a year aging, this is really good. Also very suitable for office hours; it smells "interesting", "fresh" and "different". Edit 3 years later It's still one of my favourites (next to Kitten with a Shamisen daydream). This scent is mostly sweet now: there is no sharpness at all, and the fir is a bit on the background, which is sad because I like fir. No strictness as initially rated, but more like a comforting embrace / hug that can carry you through a pandemic home office work day. Its okay that the surprise in this scent is a bit gone, because we all need a hug now and then. Too bad I have only 1.3 ml left by now (this is a hint to how much I liked this scent).

I was ordering this blindly, because I wanted to test scents I am not used to. Then, after a few days of settling, it smelled like a just refreshed bed. I have let this rest for 1.5 months now, and I do like this scent even more now. Bottle Wet! Wet male, just coming from a shower. But the friend you know all your life, no further interest in the man, just in the smell. Artwork: the photo on it giving me slight shivers somehow; I dont know why. On my skin Wet. But on the skin this is different than the bottle smell, which came out masculine. On the skin, this may be unisex. Initially, I get totally different scents (but these may be images I get) than what is noted: a clear pale flower in a spring wind, some metal. Initially, on my skin, this is at the edge of becoming soap or car room spray. But then, it is not becoming soap-like like I was afraid of. Having dried, this gives me an image of (indeed) a polished clean wood; really elegant at this stage. Some vanilla emerges in the background. It combines with what is an image of "polished surface". I personally cannot get no tea or oak at first. I still have the feeling of "wet" and dont know where this comes from; perhaps from the tea? Very clean, yet it has some unexpected depth. Somehow I wonder what would happen if I combined this with some musk? Before I can smell what is tea-uncanny, 15min passed. It is less tea/wood, but more "sweet and fresh" on my skin. Conclusions Although I can relate to an image of "polished surfaces", I have trouble finding the ingredients listed in the scent I can smell. Grounded, balanced. Sweet and fresh at the same time. 4.5/5 (the .5 I subtract is personal taste)

This was an experimental decision. It came out to be surprinsingly beautiful Bottle Initially grape and oudh. Then a rather fresh feeling; plus smells I cannot categorize yet, because i dont know them (perhaps thats the plum velvet?). Then, and interestingly, I get this image: a very brief "alcohol" feeling; giving me a slight headeache when trying to inhale this too quickly. Then, the alcohol scent quickly changes to this image: standing in the cold, maybe clear view to stars in the winter above me; then, before I get frosted, the feeling of smelling a Glühwein nearby. This feeling changes to smelling, now, non-alcoholic Glühwein. Then to "lets put this on the skin". Overall: Nice! On skin Wet: wamer and a bit darker, more like wine now (not boozy or deep, more clean), red fruit. Very straight; stays like this. Then, on drydown, I get a (quick, fading) feeling of wanting to "protect" this scent motherly. When dry: dark fruit, yet warm and sweet. The (dark) sweetness still gives me a slight headache. In the background, Cassiopeia is spicy somehow, which creates an autumn feeling (not warm spicy though!). No glühwein/Wine anymore now (thus not recommended for wine-scent lovers, I suppose; this is not like Lady Macbeth for example). More incense, which I do not like that much...also, changes to a bit soapy/generic now - and back to fruit. Thus, need to use less next time. But overall: Nice. Conclusion I would place this to autumn, rather than winter. Warm and straight; red fruit. 4/5 (1 point off for the generic feeling in it)

This scent from a decant didnt do anything with my skin, initially. It remains very much in the background. In bottle: clean, straight. Not sure what I smell though... On skin: Soapy oudh. Myrrh coming late. I still dont know what the scent "should be"... I dont get any benzoin or labdanum, but maybe I dont know those scents well enough yet,... There is just...nothing to smell, somehow. After an hour: I have to look up the description of what I am supposed to be smelling. Its just...nothing. This doesnt create a scent on me... maybe a "rounded" soap, whatever that menas... Conclusions: This fades into nothing on my skin, which is neither good nor bad, I suppose... After one month aging: this starts smelling like red musk (not listed) and oudh and, slightly, myrrh now. Maybe I should let this rest longer...

I really wouldn't have guessed this works so well on me. Positively surprised by a random decant. In bottle: bakery serving tea, also warm spices. On skin: A collague naively (i.e. without knowing) started talking about how it smelled christmassy in the office. To me, the cinnamon is nice (not overwhelming + no allergies) Conclusion: Yes! Perfect, but mainly when you count the days to either halloween or christmas. Warm, spicy, balanced, chai + your skin. Straight thing. I wore this so often last year and can recommend this to people liking warm brownish scents. Image on bottle: really cute, thanks for the design!

I am really trying to get a relationship with this scent. But the scent is interferring. As a researcher, I must figure out whats 'wrong'. Or can it ever be wrong...so far, all bpal scents have amazed me. This one does the reverse. In bottle: First snif gets a feeling of "Ok, I am done with lavender." There is a sharpness to the lavender + ink + oudh combi that makes my brain go wtf in loops. Sniffing more, I get an image of a dark beautiful yet dead fairy hiding nearby. Clean. The inky musk is probably what I should avoid from now on... On skin: The unsettling tone remains. Gets warmer (amber), but there is something in the corner of your eye that to me remains unsettling. Thereby: annoying (in my personal taste). An image of a a whip comes up but vanishes to a dark, smokey, shiny, slinky scale of black without a trace of earlier images. After one hour: Ok, finally warmer, more balanced. The fairy doesnt seem evil now. Behind the curtain of beauty, she's really a monster. This is not the right scent for me. Too much lavender + inkstuff. Conclusion (before aging) This is okay for me as a decant, but I had a different image based on the initial description... Maybe thought it would be dark, but sweeter. The ink isnt working for me, and the lavender is very sharp. Unfortunately, this scent just doesn't fit "me" (at all). For me this is too dark and dominating. I will put this to rest and see what happens in a year or so, because I have the feeling it gets warmer in time. When the scent was just new, it lingered 24hours, but fortunately it doesnt atm. Conclusions after aging: In fresh, I didnt like this scent at all. Not because it isnt well-blended. It is. But because it was annoying, in a way (lavender + ink combi). After 4 months, the scent is more balanced, warmer, ripe. It remains slinky. Slightly irritates my sensible skin if I put more than one drop at the wrist, as a side note. After 7 months, this is more balanced, but also more boring, on my skin. The too sharp lavender has calmed down, but with it, it lost a bit of its speciality. However, for me, this works MUCH better now.