a_bear

Looking for a less sweet amber if that's a thing? I'm not sure if my issues are just skin chemistry. Sweet things seem to just get sweeter on my skin.

The Lion and Coyote are definitely on the "to try" list.

Kommt Mit Zacken.. was really beautiful, but I think some mix of the other notes and my skin chemistry made it go cloyingly sweet

Blood Amber - borderline too heavy, not sure about whatever the "blood" element is

Prisons & Workhouses - I know this is an atmo/linen spray, but I feel like I would totally wear this if it were a perfume. I kept wanting to stick my face in the bandanna I sprayed it on to test.

Yup, smells like mead alright, but not the light mead you get at Renn Fest; this is a darker, deeply funky mead, like you find in a dusty, thick ceramic bottle at the back of the liquor store, and best drunk in small quantities, unless you're an actual viking. I would absolutely take a sip of a mead that smelled like this, but as a perfume, it's too much for me.

This also smells really familiar to me, but I'm not sure why. It's youthful and soothing, but also somehow sophisticated enough that I don't feel weird wearing it. I think I mostly get sandalwood with a bit of something sweet and floral. I was worried it would go powdery, but it hasn't really changed at all since I put it on.

I could swear the first time I tried this (just a tiny bit, fresh out of the mailbox), I got all ginger and pepper, and it was amazing. Later, I tried it again, and the balsam and smoke hit me so hard I had to wash it off. Now that it's settled a bit, it's somewhere between those two experiences. My imp was direct from the lab and is a light yellow color.

Wet: all balsam and smoke

Dry: The smoke fades, and I get more of the ginger. I don't get the sarsaparilla at all, but the other notes I think are in there somewhere, though I can't really pick them out. I don't get the soda vibe other people seem to have.

This is a much more fruity and feminine a scent than I usually go for, but particularly now that it's had some time to settle I really like love it. I think the first review in the thread describes it as something like a bombshell wearing a cozy sweater, and I have to agree. Not too sweet, and the rose is fresh rather than perfume-y.

Wet: mostly apple and honey with the frankincense and myrrh providing a bit of depth

Dry: the peach and rose come out a little more, but the rose never dominates.

This would be a good Halloween scent. The brimstone incense definitely gives it a diabolical vibe, though on me it doesn't last. There's a sweetness and brightness that makes it sort of playful, though. Maybe it's just that it's that time of year, but it reminds me of the part of Hocus Pocus when the sisters go to the house of the man dressed as the devil.

Wet: Mostly Fir and whatever the "rusted pitchfork" element is.

As it dries: The smokiness from the brimstone incense comes out, and the fir starts to recede. Overall, there's sort of a red/orange glow. The petitgrain helps brighten it up.

Dry: After a while this becomes largely what I think is patchouli and maybe red musk? (I'm not familiar with it) It's sweeter and loses the smoke and sharpness it starts with. I also never really get leather.

medium throw, gender neutral

Wet: I feel like I'm standing on a rocky outcropping of an evergreen forest on a bright, clear day with a view of some farmland or something. Brisk and uplifting.

Dry: After a while, this goes slightly sweet, piney men's cologne on me. It's a bit less natural, but I'm not mad about it.

I like this more each time I wear it. Of the Walpurgisnachts I've tried, it's my favorite. Of the BPALs I've tried multiple times, this may be the only one that has never felt like it punched me in the sinuses (This is a me problem, not a BPAL problem).

In the bottle: mostly wet/fresh grass

Wet on: still mostly wet/fresh grass, but also some of the hazelnut. The hazelnut is probably accompanied by the woods, but I don't know those well enough to be able to pick them out - except for pine, which I never really get from this.

Dry on: Grass fades, and the hazelnut (I think) gets stronger. I think my skin takes anything even vaguely sweet and makes it sweeter, but this never gets cloying.

Low throw, fades fairly quickly.

On 9/19/2020 at 12:07 PM, gingercat said:

I do love the smell of forests, rain, the desert the ocean, and citrus. I've attempted to go through the imp-able scents (trying to limit myself to imps before looking for decants) and pick scents that I think fit these specifications (and have read the wonderful reviews on this site to help!): Aelopile, Anteros, Aperotos Eros, Azathoth, Baobhan Sith, Black Forest , Coyote, Elf, Half-elf, Fae, Fallen, Haunted, Jersey Devil, Lady of Shalott, Leanan Sidhe, Lyonesse, Oberon, Old Demons of the First Class, Robin Goodfellow, Scales of Deprivation, Tavern of Hell, Wilde, and Y'ha-nthlei. Would you steer me away from any of these or are any of them must tries?

You may have seen them, but these threads had some interesting recommendations for nature scents.

https://www.bpal.org/topic/22492-the-most-natural-or-lifelike-scents/

https://www.bpal.org/topic/3325-forest-woods-scents-with-and-without-evergreens/

I'm also on the lookout for scents in those categories, and Baobhan Sith, Coyote, Jersey Devil, and Robin Goodfellow are on my to try list, as well as Lightning and Embalming Fluid.

@Kelthara Yes, I absolutely think mindset is a big part of it. I need to be better about reminding myself also a) 10-15 min > 0 min and b) I will feel better afterwards! Also, I, too, am a big Thor Ragnarok and all-around Taika Waititi fan (and Jeff Goldblum, too, lol).

Oof, when was the last day I posted? Wednesday? Thursday was a recovery day, Friday I didn't end up doing anything, but I went for a hike on Saturday and a shorter walk today. Mixed bag fitness-wise, but I have discovered that Theoi Nomioi is a great pick-me-up scent. Maybe if I'd put it on a little earlier it would've helped me motivate myself to do at least a little bit of yoga on Friday.

55 minutes ago, Kelthara said:

I had been doing Yoga every single day for 118 days until last week. Yes, you read that right, ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTEEN DAYS.

This is amazing. I can never even make it 30 days straight.

58 minutes ago, Seajewel said:

All, I am following this exercise and your discussions with much joy, but haven't posted because my capacity to work out right now is very limited. I was, however, inspired by y'all to get on the treadmill and walk a mile on Saturday night. I was wearing an assortment of scents as I do nearly daily, but particularly You Get What Anybody Gets - You Get a Lifetime. Which, by the way, was not very nice for the first hour before settling into something alluringly woody without being pine or cedar. I'll try to post whenever I can get a workout in--currently limited by working too much and a lingering shoulder injury that has flared up pretty badly recently. At the start of the lockdown I was running a lot outside which felt great, but work was slower and my shoulder was less of a problem then. Would like to get back into a regular workout schedule though.. 

Every little bit counts! Hope your shoulder feels better soon! You Get What Anybody Gets sounds very intriguing.

Well, today's scent was going to be Gnome until it decided to punch me in the sinuses with balsam and smoke, so I went back to Hay Moon, which I really just want to live in at the moment. I guess it's not the most inspiring scent, unless you are inspired by the idea of the baked goods you might crave after a workout (or anytime, really). It was looking very ominous at workout time, so I did a Fitness Blender video. It was leg day, and I am now a puddle. I recommend their videos if you're looking to mix up your routine - some of their programs are on sale for the price of an imp at the moment, but you can also find them for free on their site and on YouTube.

I've been stalking this thread for a bit, but my workout scents are generally whatever I happen to be wearing on any given day. I feel like I spent so much time outside this spring, but as soon as it got hot and humid I retreated inside. Mostly I think my goal is to get outside more now that the weather is improving.

1 hour ago, VetchVesper said:

I'm experimenting with different yoga videos, trying to find routines I like.  I would love suggestions.   I'm a novice, but I'm naturally stretchy and bendy, so beginning positions can sometimes feel a bit unchallenging.  I'd really like to find some routines that give me a good stretch, build core strength, and focus on good form and breathing technique.

I quite like Yoga with Adriene, but you might find her videos too beginner-y. The person with whom I live in sin and I also like Leigha Butler - she may have escaped from the circus. Her videos tend to be more challenging. Both are on Youtube, but I think also have separate subscription sites. I also really like Eoin Finn, though I just have videos of his I ripped from DVDs ages ago.

Idk if there's a newer version of this topic, but I would add

Theoi Nomioi - rocky, pine/fir forest

The Rose - rather than a perfumey rose, it smells like a rose that's either freshly cut or still on the bush

This has definitely evolved since I tried it a month ago. Originally, the leather was super sharp. It's calmed down a bit, but in the bottle and wet, it's still a bit plasticky. It should be really lovely in another couple of months, I think.

I mostly get the darker scents from this, the leather and the smoke, though the smoke is like the smokiness of gunpowder green tea. There's something almost boozy about it. The hay and pumpkin that give it just a tiny hint of sweetness. If you want more sweetness, I feel like it would go nicely layered with something with brown sugar.

Strong and long lasting

I'm not sure about reactions to perfume oils, but urushiol, the oil that makes poison ivy bothersome, can take a few days to cause a reaction. I think urushiol's also one that the more you are exposed to it, the worse your reactions can be. It stands to reason that you might have delayed reactions to perfume oils, and they may get worse after later applications.

In anticipation of my first BPAL order (!), I've been revisiting scents I got ages ago in my initial foray into perfume. I tried a spritz of one per day on my left arm. Skin is fine, but 4 of the 5 bothered my sinuses. I realized that I seem to be sensitive to juniper, cedar, and maybe guaiac? 3 of those I reacted to have cedar listed, and 1of those, the one I reacted to the most, has both cedar and juniper.  In the case of cedar this is particularly sad as it's a scent I really like, which is why it's in several perfumes I own already. Cedar isn't listed in any of the ones I ordered from BPAL, but I'm hoping I don't react to them! Had to refigure my wishlist after doing my testing, though.