a_bear

This doesn't smell like actual dirt to me. Instead, it smells like a very expensive dessert with fancy single-origin, fair trade, organic ultra dark chocolate that's only sweetened with the tiniest bit of barely refined sugar in the bourbon cream. It's food-y enough that it's not one I will wear often, but the wood and tobacco really help balance it out and make it wearable for me, so I think I will keep and enjoy my imp. My imp has a good blob of what I guess is cocoa-related oil? It requires some pretty aggressive shaking to disperse it.

Where Tweedledum is a ripe, juicy fig, this one is much drier. It reminds me of a dried fig dropped in dirt/dust, which is not the most appealing visual, but I like the way it smells!

White tea and pepper can be really sharp notes on me, but when they behave this is a bright, juicy citrus scent as the reviewer above said. I like pairing it with Tweedledum to soften and ground it.

Juicy fig backed by a soft patchouli. I don't get much mango or tea, but I really like this scent. Satisfying on its own or with Tweedledee to brighten it up a bit.

This is one of my favorite relaxing evening scents, though it's interesting enough that I would consider wearing it at other times. It has a slightly funky edge - maybe from the sugar cane? Whatever it is and the lavender help cut through the sweetness. I agree with other reviewers that there's something masculine/cologne-y that comes out in some whifs, but mostly it's pretty neutral, and I feel like I get all of the notes at least a little bit throughout wear.

I was worried this would be a smoke bomb, but I don't smell smoke at all. On wet, it's predominantly astringent lavender. As it dries it fades to mostly a dry tobacco backed by labdanum and incense.

When I first tried this I found it weirdly sweet, like sweetened cucumber juice. Retesting my imp, that extra sweetness has gone away, and it's refreshing cucumber with maybe a touch of grass. A good one for hot weather.

This scent makes me think of morning at a fancy resort in the desert with a picture-perfect succulent garden (it's funny to me how some scents just smell like the notes, and others conjure weirdly specific scenes). It's dry, but still green, with a hint of dew or something. After a couple hours the tulsi becomes more prominent - it's simultaneously a very sweet and kind of bitter herbal smell that I'm not crazy about (it's like sweet basil's funkier sibling). I preferred it when the sandalwood was reining it in.

I was worried this would be too sweet, and it is not at sweet at all. The amber, which dominates, is very mineralic and dry. Unfortunately I think this has the same mandarin note as Carnal, which smells a bit like cleaning solution to me - it's a relatively short-lived note, though. The amber becomes slightly powdery, and the orange blossom and bergamot threaten to pull it into "perfume-y" territory. I'm on the fence about this one because the amber is fascinating, but the supporting notes aren't really working for me.

I don't get any fig from my imp, just slightly cleaning solution-y orange. Bummer. Low throw and wear time.

I get a little bit of everything when first applied, but this quickly becomes all about the green herbs. I can't pick out the individual herbs in the blend, but they are slightly bitter in a refreshing sort of way.

Sweet, but realistically so - not too sweet or candied-smelling. I don't really get peel/pith, but it is ever so slightly floral. Very pretty, light, and fresh. Low throw and very low wear length, but extremely slatherable.

Ooo fun! Trying to think of a selection of things I think show off the breadth of BPAL's catalogue - biased towards scents I've actually tried myself. Probably mostly GCs just because they are easier to find. When I think of BPAL I think of something Tom said in one of the 15 min of Fume videos about being clean but smelling dirty, so there's capturing that, but also a little something for everyone. In no particular order: 1. No. 93 Engine from Steamworks - a bunch of notes you may not have heard of but should definitely try 2. Alecto from Excolo - also kind of weird and unique 3. Les Bijoux from Ars Amatoria - sexy without containing red musk 4. Mag Mell from Wanderlust - refreshing 5. Plunder or another one of the GC pirate related scents 6. A black patchouli blend like Depraved, Nephilim, or Sin - get a little dirty 7. Anything from The Mad Tea Party - I haven't tried everything from this collection, but it seems generally kind of fun/playful 8. Anything from Picnic in Arkham - Something horror inspired seems appropriate 9. Something from the Liliths, since that's a recurring collection that's 100% unique to BPAL 10. An activism scent (personally, I'm partial to Theoi Nomioi, but I think Civil Twilight is a popular one) 11. Snake oil and/or Smut or a variant of either/both

This is one of the first BPALs I purchased and was actually the one I was most nervous about since I'm not really into gourmands. It turned out to be the big hit from my order, though! I love it. If my house were on fire, this is one I would absolutely have to rescue. It's not too foody or sweet - I get more oats than cake, and the honey and amber are subtle. It's mostly cardamom with dry grass and grains on me. It's the perfect pleasantly warm early Fall day scent, though I've been wearing it here and there the rest of the year as well. I also have the Hay Moon from 2008. I find it's not as warm or sweet smelling on intitial application, but after a couple hours they smell pretty much the same.

Sjöfn to me is a fresh, slightly floral apple scent, and it's in the GC. Our Little Crypt Ghoul from the most recent Liliths also smells like fresh apple to me without cider/spices (although I think it says the apple note is cider, so YMMV).

I'm not sure I would guess this was a gingerbread scent if I didn't know the name/notes - it's spicy, but doesn't scream "baked goods!" at me. I mostly get a sweet clove, backed up by a bit of dry tobacco and leather. It's surprisingly soft and comforting, like wearing a hug.

White musk and I don't always get along, but it mostly behaves in this blend. Very fresh and clean, borderline soapy even for me, and I have a pretty high tolerance for so fresh they're soapy scents. Mostly white musk and aloe with a bit of lemon. I don't get anything I recognize as green tea.

Samhain is such a good Halloween scent, but black patchouli doesn't work for me, so I can't really wear it. Wish I could, though. Escape from the Autumn Carnival is also a good one, though the leather note starts off pretty sharp.

I haven't tried the oil, but I received a sample of the atmo spray. It smells like a fluffy lavender marshmallow cloud, but isn't too sweet. I spray it on a cloth, let it dry, and then choloroform myself with it - highly effective.

I have not asked Baku to eat my dreams, but Baku has definitely helped me when I have a headache. It's relaxing without making me sleepy and is one of like two scents I can tolerate when I my head hurts. It has a pretty short life on me, but again, since I mostly reach for it when my head hurts or I just need to take a few deep relaxing breaths, I don't see that as a problem. The scent is a slightly anise-y Lavender. I don't get eucalyptus or any other notes really.

most unsexy leather blends to me are probably Dwarf from the RPG series - really smells like leather and soot Coffee & Old Books - mostly because for some reason that leather/old book note goes wonky/sour on my skin

I really like Elegba - the one from the Excolo collection - but I don't love the coconut. Any recs for similar scents without coconut? I'm thinking Wellerman might be a candidate.

Thanks! I haven't tried any of those yet

GC: Morocco (carnation), Blood Kiss (cherry & clove), Bengal (clove), Plunder (clove) LE, but currently available: A Vigilant Eye at Heaven's Center (mint), Gingerbread & Leather (clove), Let America Be America Again (clove) I also like clove, hence so many recs. I'm also not crazy about florals, so I didn't think I would like Morocco, but I guess I like carnation, too. I like pairing it with Plunder for extra spiciness.

Gingerbread Witch starts off predominately apple and a pumpkin note that reminds me of the pumpkin in Pumpkin Pie Musk, but instead of musk and pie crust, it's accompanied by a witchy combination of rosemary and lemon. If it wasn't called Gingerbread Witch, I'm not sure I would pick it out as a gingerbread scent. Once it's dry I also get the apple cereal vibe. The pumpkin and rosemary recede, but a lightly spicy breadiness comes out to accompany the apple. I prefer the slightly funky way it starts, but overall it's enjoyable. I keep forgetting that it's a Winter/Yule scent rather than a Halloween scent. Update however many months later.... Not sure if it's difference in skin chem/weather/aging or some combination thereof, but Gingerbread Witch smells less like cereal now. I still get cereal if I really stick my nose in it, but the waft is mostly spiced apple.