niffler

* puts on lab coat and goggles * @DiZZysTARdust, the tree Pterocarpus santalinus is commonly referred to as "red sandalwood", while "white sandalwood" is Santalum album and called white because of the color of the heartwood that produces fragrant oils. Other trees that smell similar or have wood that looks similar are also confusingly called "sandalwood", even if they're not related. 🙃 Anyway, the two forms of the compound santalol make up most of what we smell in sandalwood oil; isobornyl cyclohexanol is similar in structure to santalol and is sold as a synthetic replacement for sandalwood oil since the real thing can be expensive. I'd say layering is up to you and whichever variety of sandalwood you like best, since they can smell so different. (sorry, @VetchVesper, I don't have an answer to your question but I am curious to see replies as I've also been waffling!)

@Your_Spooky_Cousin Welcome! I'm still relatively new here myself, but I'll try to help if I can! From the ingredients on Sphere and Sundry, I can see a few things that pop up in many BPAL fragrances. Even if you don't know exactly what it is about the scent you like, you can search BPAL for things like myrrh, patchouli, opoponax, or oak, or use their directory (it's very thorough). And if a fragrance is out of stock, someone here on the forums may have a bottle or decant they'd be willing to sell. You might try looking at reviews on the forums of scents with similar ingredients. See if you find an entry that describes something similar to both what you smell in the bottle and when you wear it. Is there a mismatch between the two, or does it stay the same on your skin? Is it sharper in one form, earthier in another? This might help you pinpoint what it is about the fragrance you like so much. Good hunting, cousin!

In the imp: Skin musk and a bit of spice, something vaguely nutty? Intriguing. On my skin: Like those cinnamon candies red hots, or fireball whisky. Sorry, not a smell I find attractive as I really dislike the taste of both of those things. I layered with Strangler Fig and got perfectly acceptable, cinnamon fig musk results with a slight powdery overtone. It made me think of Christmas knickknacks, for some reason. It... ah, worked? I walked into the room where the fiancé was unaware of any scent testing and immediately...well. Not an unwelcome result, mind you, just not something I actually expected.

In the imp: Fresh wet grass and herb sprouts in soil. I was instantly transported to an old growth forest with small plants sprouting in the bare soil after a rain. Instant love, made me long for a lakeside forest I knew from my childhood. @feyofthefellwood is exactly right, it's the smell of Fangorn Forest. On my skin: Fresh grasses and green sprouts with their roots still in the soil, just a touch of incense coming out as it dries. I'm head over heels in love.

In the bottle: Strongly WET shiny leather but not in an animalistic or musky way... Wet, to reiterate, not damp or moldering. A masculine scent. Interesting and also slightly concerning. On my skin: New tanned leather, still bitter with vetiver when wet but not musky. Crushed vetiver and squeaky clean new saddles, sharp even when dry. It's not unpleasant, might be nice to layer with Black Rider, but not one I think I'll be wearing on its own.

In the imp: Sharp and musky, some of the sharpness is very medicinal, I'm guessing from the opoponax. A harder, shinier musk than Czernobog, if that makes sense. I couldn't pick out leather right away and kind of made a face at the opoponax as I set it aside. On my skin: Wow. Bitter black musk over top super soft leather. The bitterness fades as it dries on my skin, leaving surprisingly sweet, musky leather with a dusting of powder. Very pleasantly surprised since Fighter stayed so acrid on me—must be the amber in this one. I was not expecting to like this after smelling the imp, but I really enjoy it.

In the imp: Really does slither. The mint and lime tone down the lavender. Subtle and vaguely sinister in a way I wasn't expecting. I like it, despite not usually going for lavender scented products. On my skin: Minty, citrusy lavender. A fresh, yellow green scent you might get if you picked a whole bunch of greens straight from the garden. Gets a little soapy as it dries on me, but still nice.

In the imp: Leather in a tannin forward way that fills my sinuses, blood and steel give a metallic edge. Very inorganic and not a scent I think I’d wear without the aim of being unsettling. May be worth testing this frimp, purely for science. On my skin (for science!): Lots of bitter new leather tannins, a sharp scent but not unpleasant. I start to get more blood as it dries, but the musk and metal are stronger and the leather is still definitely most of the scent. I think this might not be for me, at least not all the time. If only the leather were more worn or my skin didn't hang onto it so much...

In the imp: Strong ginger and tea leaf, hint of something like patchouli with the moss and grass hiding underneath. Eh? Not a huge fan, despite being very excited to try this due to the moss and grass notes. On my skin: Instantly calms down, becoming mossier with just overtones of ginger and fig. There’s a tiny touch of patchouli from somewhere, but not strong. Very subtle once dry. Fades to something lightly musky, with only a feeling of herbs.

In the imp: Almonds. All the almond extract and every almond tart ever. The myrrh and musk are desperately trying to take it somewhere, but right now we’re stuck with almonds. This was a frimp and one I didn't know anything about, so I got a bit of a surprise when I opened it. On...everything? A drop must have leaked onto the table because something's contaminated with sweet almonds and my skin suddenly seems determined to amp the heck out of anything vaguely almond related. Took a good long while for the scent to calm down even with washing. This was an experience for sure, and probably not one I'll repeat.

In the imp: I was wary of this scent after reading a few reviews, and my caution was well warranted. I got hit with a faceful of dark musk, shortly followed by myrrh and vetiver. A very masculine scent, something about the combination of myrrh and vetiver does not play around. On my skin: The vetiver is very bitter when wet, although the dark musk helps drag it back down. When dry, smells to me like myrrh at a fresh grave near some pines, but not mourning or funereal. A trip for sure, but I think not for me.

In the imp: initially lots of juniper and pine, with top notes of birch and hay. A mature forest, possibly late summer, but somewhere with a nice mix of evergreens and deciduous trees. Lovely complex scent. On my skin: Oh no, patchouli… very strong patchouli when wet on me. A hint of buckskin emerges as the patchouli fades. More birch, elder, and Spanish moss appear when drying, then it goes back to pine. Something sweet and musky appears towards the end, maybe hay. Le sigh, if not for the initial blast of patchouli this would be an instant everyday favorite.

In the imp: leftover vanilla dessert in a wood paneled room that’s seen a few cigars. Smoky sweet woods. I literally smelled it and went "yummm..." On my skin: it's reminiscent of slightly burnt caramel. As it dries, it's not so much sugar sweet as the association of sweet that vanilla has. The smoke is more campfire than tobacco, which is nice, and the wood is clearly oak. Lovely.

In the imp: Salty and acidic but somehow only vaguely oceanic, mysterious. Interesting and aquatic, which I very much like in a perfume, but not at all dark. On my skin: There's a lot of citrus and unsweet florals at first... like lime pith and soap? It seems to disappear as it dries on me. Decidedly unoffensive.

In the imp: Roses and sweet coconut, glamorous in a very femme way. Not bad, a little more floral than I usually like but one I was willing to give a try anyway as it was a frimp. On my skin: Truly sickening coconut when wet. Like punch me in the nose, steal my sense of smell and kick me in the gut creamy coconut. I don't know what's going on here, maybe the orris is interacting with my skin in a weird way. It takes a while to fade back to roses. The roses themselves are quite tasteful, which surprised me. Unfortunately not a scent I'll be wearing again.

First impressions: Sweet and clear without being overwhelming, just a touch spicy. Not sure I can detect the leather. The soft woods are entrancing and a little green. I can't pick out the woods individually, but they definitely belong in a well-loved library. I could spend hours in a space that smelled like this. On my skin: Warm and sweetly spiced, catching more of the incense when wet. A very comforting scent. The leather emerges with time. Edit: On wearing again, rosewood is much more prominent when wet but dries quickly to soft worn leather with only a bit of rosewood. I didn't get nearly as much tonka or incense. Different time of the month plus a medication change... fascinating how body chemistry influences things!