a_bear

13 hours ago, ScentCollector said:

Hey all, 

I want to get some bpal for a gift for someone that I know likes CK1, any recommendations?

It was a Limited Edition, so not as readily available as some of the scents others have mentioned, but Himalayan White Tea, Lemon Peel, & Grass reminds me of CK1.

This was not quite what I was hoping for. The peppermint reminds me of the one from the Peppermint and Pine duet, which to me has a sort of sour/funky edge to it. The marshmallow is more vanilla than recognizable marshmallow to my nose. The marshmallow/vanilla base does last a long time in my hair - a couple days after application, I was wondering what smelled like cake, only to realize it was my hair.

Mostly sandalwood, reminds me of a scent memory I have involving sandalwood incense. I tested before seeing the notes and didn't realize it had florals. The lemongrass is a bit sharp, but it'll help keep you awake while you're meditating.

Cool floral mist. The mist element reminds me of Mag Mell, but since the florals in this one go screechy on me, I much prefer Mag Mell.

I mostly get peach rather than pumpkin from this one, which isn't bad, but warm, lightly spiced peach is more of a summer than a fall scent to me.

The rose is almost herbal, and the tea really comes out on the skin (vs. just sniffing it in the imp). If you like any of these notes, this one's worth a try. A really good scent for spring.

With musk and carnation, I expected a bolder scent more like Morocco, but on application I got a light, soapy floral. It opened up a little bit with wear, and I could recognize the carnation and plum, but between the two, I think I prefer Morocco.

Unsurprisingly, it smells like rose, but I don't really get any cinnamon or anything resembling incense from this one.

So much patchouli, and it is a really dirty, filthy patch. I got a bit of apricot on application, but it's really all about the patch with this one.

Smells like standing in a coniferous forest on a sunny day. Sort of similar to Theoi Nomioi, but warmer and without the campfire and stone.

Smells like Christmas potpourri, and I mean that in the nicest way possible. Lasts less than 1/2 an hour on me, though.

Big bold perfectly ripe pineapple up front with a hint of dried grass. I don't know what prickly pear smells like, but the fruity elements of the scent have decent staying power. I don't particularly smell anything vegetal like pumpkin, and there's no spice to be found. The green musk is pretty tame - this does not seem to be the Irish Spring green musk from Frog Moon.

This is delightful. Surprisingly light given the listed notes for Smut. I couldn't pick out the exact flavor of the lollipop, but it is sweet and fruity.

Light and sweet, not particularly boozy. The red musk doesn't stand out too much to me, and it's definitely not heavy or savory as it can sometimes be. In general Bobbing for Smut reminds me a lot of Lollipop Smut but with a bit of crisp apple instead of candy.

This also smells like a pomegranate single note to me. I get maybe a hint of the brown sugar at the back when it's dry. My bottle is really new, so we'll see how it develops. I don't have high hopes, though, since brown sugar and tobacco are not shy notes in my experience.

Several of the imp packs the BPAL has put together are available on the site again, but you might also have luck looking for second-hand samples of duets and menages from the last couple of years.

A few simple (i.e. 2-3 listed notes) GC scents that come to mind are:

There are several GCs that are rose and like one other listed note: The Rose, Persephone, Whip, Harlot

Kumiho (ginger & white tea)

Carnal (mandarin & fig)

Darkness (Blackest opium and narcissus deepened by myrrh)

Depraved (black patchouli & apricot)

Neutral (skin musk)

Rogue (leather, hemp,  & rosin)

Shanghai (green tea, honeysuckle, & lemon verbena)

Definitely not an exhaustive list, but hopefully it's helpful.

Immediately on application this reminds me of Hay Moon but spicier. As it dries, the spices dance on the edge of cardamom bun filling/curry powder. Once it's totally dry, the spices are still recognizable and dominant, but they relax a bit.

Mostly grapefruit with a bit of tea, which makes somehow makes it smell like a very fancy grapefruit. The white grapefruit note to me is a bit less sweet/candied smelling than the pink grapefruit note, and between the two, I prefer the white grapefruit. I don't get any of the pith, so this is more idealized than fresh-peeled.

As described, this is pretty much a lime and anise duet. Very refreshing, not too sweet.

I got this as a frimp, and if someone had asked me if I wanted to smell like rootbeer, I probably would've said "No," but I would have been wrong. Quite a good comfort scent.

I was a bit hesitant about this one because my skin can do really terrible things with smoke notes, but this one plays nice. I don't really get much smoke and only a hint of incense. It reminds me a bit of Pinched w/ 4 Pumpkins, since they're both dark, smooth pumpkin scents (without any spice!). When first applied the apple stands out, but the notes are really well blended together and it's difficult for me to pick apart once it's dry.

The rose smells fresh-cut and, indeed, a bit damp - similar to The Rose from the Märchen collection. Sadly, the leather smells plasticky on me.

Freshly applied, this reminds me of some fruity/powdery deodorant I had as a teenager. The fig comes out more over weartime and begins to pull it out of teen-spirit territory, but it never turns into a love for me. As much as I like both fig and plum, overall, I think I prefer Drow Yoga Instructor.

Sweeter and with more vanilla than Fuck It, Might as Well Lick It. A good one if you want a gentler peppermint.

Sugar Skull 2020: more or less as expected based on listed notes. A mix of dark, syrupy sugars that smell almost honeyed with a bit of something fruity and a tiny hint of spice.

Sugar Skull 2021: smells like the dead leaves accord - vegetal, almost green peppery. honestly wondering if I got a mislabled decant. (eta: after conferring with some other BPALers, I think I may have received a decant of Dead Leaves on House Plants that was mislabeled)