katharina

Fresh out of the mail and it reminds me SOOOO much of See Thyself, Devil! This makes me very happy. Will update in a few days after settling.

Honestly, this one was incredibly iffy for me, because I wasn't sure how the vetiver would play. Quite surprisingly, after a few weeks of settling it's a thumbs up from me!

ITB: Tangy, medicinal, fruity are the words that come to mind. Not a good start, but I remind myself that skin-testing can change EVERYTHING!

OTS: The tangy/medicinal is definitely the red currant clashing with the vetiver. After the initial clash, things calm down almost immediately--really, within seconds! It soon becomes a resinous, slightly sweet perfume with a hint of tang and fruit. The vetiver moves into a supporting role, allowing the resins, red currant, and rice milk to merge.

What an odd scent this is. It feels like Beth was attempting recreate both the scent of the room the woman & cat are in, as well as, play with what the colors of the painting smelled like.

Initially it's a blast of acetone, which is quite startling. From there I can start to tease out some of the individual players: indolic flowers, some peppermint,  a hint of nutmeg. They don't feel cohesive to my nose. It's a cacophony of loud smells, and reminds me of a roomful of toddlers playing with toy instruments. It's not music they're making, so much as it is noise. That's my synesthesia experience of this scent. 

I wonder if these notes will ever learn to play together, or it will remain them all just doing their own thing?

This was written on the FB group a few days ago. I stand by all that I wrote then. I truly adore this scent and wish I could bathe in it!

In the Bottle: Fizzy lavender cola

On the Skin: I get a waft of cardamom, although it's not a listed note. May be the mix of hops/labdanum? It reminds me instantly of Lights, Camera, Something being a cozy, spicy lavender scent, with supportive bourbon vanilla.

Dry down: It remains much the same. The patchouli, benzoin, and sandalwood aren't distinct notes to me but rather a harmonious, resinous humming that envelops the other notes. A truly spectacular scent.

This is 24 hours out of the mail, so take my thoughts with a grain of salt.

 I find it surprising that I haven't heard more about this one, especially knowing how fanatic some folks are about marshmallow and sugar scents. This was a recent etsy purchase. I love all the notes, except peach, which I am wary of.

ITB: The peach is dominant, and has an almost alcohol note to it. I find this concerning. I am not a fan of alcohol scents. A slightly floral fluffiness lies underneath. 

Skin: There's that boozy peach again! It fades almost immediately and the marshmallow and sugar come out. It's actually rather nice. Marshmallow and sugar dancing around a subtle orange blossom, with a hint of fresh fruit. This reminds me of a peachy orange Julius. Anyone else remember those?

This definitely reminds me of Stale Sugar Crusted Marshmallow Chick, a slightly more sophisticated version with the subtle fruit and florals. The initial peach of the bottle isn't something to be scared of, as it dissipates quickly. This is my favorite way to do a gourmand scent: light and fluffy, rather than chewy and heavy. 

I really love this scent, though I am certain there is cinnamon in it and I have to be beyond careful with that on my skin.

This is a creamy, spicy, furry scent which seems so appropriate for a were-baby. I  don't get much soil, partially because the spice takes over on my skin. I love spicy scents, so I don't mind. The creamy fur lingers around the edges. Honey isn't really present, but there is a sweetness to it. It just doesn't have that peculiar note that honey has.

I am testing this 12 years later and it may be that the cinnamon has grown stronger with age. I will note that though the scent of cinnamon is strong, it does not irritate my skin much at all.

Here are some ideas, I  have included items with  4 notes or less that I have personally tried.:

• Hope and Faith: Sugared Rose & Sugared Violet respectively.
• Constellation (bottles have to be bought through Haute Macabre, but I could send you a decant if you want to test it.): Egyptian Amber and sugar-spiked clove.
• Owl Moon and Silky Bat (Have to be bought through Blood Milk Jewels, but again I can send samples): Honeyed Patchouli and Sugared Patchouli, respectively.
• D'jed (Bought through Blood Milk Jewels, but I can send a sample): sandalwood, sweetgrass, white sage, sand.
• High Strung Daisies:  Daisy, pink carnation, pink pepper, and sugar.

I have some others that aren't available on the website anymore, but could possibly help you figure out notes that are doable. Happy to send samples:

• White Chocolate, Pink  Carnation,Coconut Cream, and Clove
• The Air and the Ether: amber, ambergris, and lavender
• Black Cherries, Vanilla Bean, Champaca--might help with testing vanilla?
• Ghosts at Aldershot: Lemon Peppermint boiled sweets and Marshmallow

May I recommend The Witch/Strega? She's available on the site and really fits your description, I think: Leatherbound tomes and rose cream, flickering flames of twin ambers, and a cascade of shadows: black oud, teakwood, black beeswax, 13-year aged patchouli, cinnabar, balsam, sweet labdanum, tonka bean, and smoke.

On 7/4/2022 at 6:28 PM, thesibylqueen said:

It's been more than a decade since I've shopped or swapped BPAL and I'm just overwhelmed by the offerings. I want to treat myself for my birthday but don't know what to splurge on. What's the new, not-to-be-missed or the doesn't-get-nearly-the-attention-it-should scents? 

 

I love woods, real florals, aquatics, citrus, incense/smoke, leather. I don't like foodie scents but I do enjoy vanilla and citrus.

 

Peter Quint is my all-time-favorite BPAL if there's a smellalike for it!

 

I plan to peruse the reviews and other recommendation threads, but happy for any kneejerk recs!

 

audra

I know this thread is a few months old, but you may really love Back in the Recording Studio from the Liliths release. "Tonka bean, black amber resin, patchouli root, candlewax, lavender bud, driftwood, and honey dust."  

The honey dust is not strong and the scent isn't foodie at all. There is plenty of incense and woods--the driftwood also adds an aquatic note to this.

Bawd, in the Independent Shakespeare Company collaboration is a lovely, real floral with a touch of vanilla "Raucous red velvet musk, sweet patchouli, billowing peony, bourbon vanilla, and a cascade of red rose petals."

Clemence, in Carnival Diabolique, is a spicy, woody, floral and one of my all time favorites. "Patchouli, Kashmiri tea, cardamom, black pepper, carnation, and clove."

Love Let Her, in the collaboration with Darla Teagarden, is also a lovely floral with a whiff of smoke and sandalwwod. "Velvet-pink carnations with tea roses, peonies, and rose sandalwood with a whiff of candlesmoke"

Tovenares, from the recent Weenies drop may be up your alley as there are florals, woods, and smoke. "Pale woods and dried rose petals, white sandalwood, bone dust, sweet amber, and incense smoke."

The Witch/Strega is also one with that I adore and that hits your scent preferences. "Leatherbound tomes and rose cream, flickering flames of twin ambers, and a cascade of shadows: black oud, teakwood, black beeswax, 13-year aged patchouli, cinnabar, balsam, sweet labdanum, tonka bean, and smoke."

All of these are currently available as of 11/9/2022. All are also in my personal collection so I feel confident recommending them. I hope this was helpful!

This has rested almost a week. Fresh on I strangely smell violets? It weirdly reminds me of the powdery violet candies. Coconut can often be overwhelming, but I barely smell it here. In fact, none of the notes seem to particularly standout. I suspect it's the frankincense causing the powdery, violet-like wafts I am getting, but otherwise, nothing distinctly stands out. There is a subtle sweetness present, possibly from the pearwood. It doesn't strike me as a fruit smell, but a light, woody sweetness. Carnation only makes herself known during the drydown, and she's not the spicy girl I know and love. Rather, she's softer and understated.

I honestly didn't know what to expect from this perfume. Pearwood was the only note I am unfamiliar with, but none of the other notes are behaving in their typical ways. It's not bad, just a tad disconcerting. Overall, on me, this is a slightly sweet, powdery wood.

I wore this alone, as I wanted to get a sense of it before wearing it with Heloise. Since they are meant to be worn together, I will try it that and see what changes. Not sure this one is a keeper.

I had such high hopes for this scent, that were unfortunately, dashed. It's only rested about 20 hours, so I will retry in a week or so and update if anything changes.

I have a love affair with cashmere, leather, and rosewater and felt neutral or slightly positive about the rest, particularly the green velvet note. On me, this scent is almost entirely lilac cologne. Now, don't get me wrong, I can delight in a subtle lilac undertone to a scent, you know the kind--where it's almost a creamy, purple scent. This one however, leans strongly on the colgne and smells almost like a citrus-y lilac. It's not bad, but not what I had hoped for, nor something I can see myself smelling like regularly.

I hope resting longer will allow the cashmere, leather, and rosewater to develop further. I'd also love a peek of dusty tomes and green velvet too. If not, off to the swap pile it will go.

I expected this to be more fig forward, but am 100% OK with it not being. I also wasn't sure what to expect of the rose resin (what part of the plant would it emphasize?) and am happy to report that it provides a noticeable, but not overwhelming, rose petal flair. It sits atop of the galbanum and spices, eventually melding into them. All of this sweetened by fig, and given a glow from the amber.

I really enjoy this several hours in when it becomes a woody resin sweetness that lingers for hours. (I dabbed some between my breasts, and the fella commented on how much he liked the scent when we were enjoying Friday cocktails on the back porch, several hours after application.)

10/10 for this beauty!

To my nose this is all vanilla, marshmallows, and honey. The currants and clove are are smothered by these notes, and are barely there. A faint clove emerges a bit during the initial drydown, but doesn't last.

If you are a sugar and marshmallow whore, this is your scent. As for me, I came for the currants and clove. I know aging may bring out more clove, though I am unsure what it will do for the fruity notes.

7/10 we will see what a little aging does before deciding whether to hold onto this one.

Sweet patchouli is prominent right from the start, though it's hard to differentiate the different sweetnesses: we've got sugar cane, cotton candy, and vanilla ice cream thrown into the mix. To my nose, the vanilla ice cream is really the only one I can smell distinctly--and it has a French vanilla flair to it, as it reminds me of the French vanilla from Badgers--in fact, this scent could be Badgers kid sister, so if you liked that one be sure to grab this one! It blends well with the honeysuckle nectar, which adds a different, floral, sweetness that is not overwhelming. The amber provides a soft, warm base for the other notes to rest on.

This is really lovely, especially the 1st few hours. Confession: I put this on last night and reapplied this morning. Before the reapplication, there was a definite perfumey amber left, with a smidge of the patchouli. Not bad, but felt more commercial.

9/10, probable keeper.

Sweet, soft pear opening over a bed of musky, sweet amber. The lavender is hard for me to find as an individual note. It seems to blend with the chamomile to add a breezy (read: faint) floral overlay. Cream can go weird on me, but this is a very subtle cream to my nose. I definitely get an added sweetness, but it doesn't read as gourmand.

This is a warm and golden scent, a glowing sweetness. As it dries down, a perfumey edge emerges.

9/10 for me. Losing a point because I wanted a more prominent lavender.

I knew on 1st bottle sniff that this wasa a love for me!

It's spicy, floral, sweet, and buttery. Although, the buttery bit isn't overwhelming--as it can be on me, offers more of an unctuous background for the other notes to rest on. The spicy and floral notes are really where it's at and in that regard it smells very high end and luxurious.

For those who hate rose, not to worry. The rose here is barely noticeable, it's really all about the spicy carnations.

10/10, Will definitely hold onto this one!

I'm super surprised that there aren't more reviews on this.

I had to look up the meaning of Fulvous: reddish yellow; tawny.

This scent is certainly that. It smells to like a warm glowing ember should smell. I don't get much snow from this, except for a light freshness at the end of the scent experience. Otherwise, it's all an incredibly blended warmth. 

For patchouli haters: the patch here is NOT overwhelming, at all. It, with the honeyed oak lays a base for the other notes to dance on. Nor is the oudh especially indolic. It's presence is more of a memory.

This to me, is about the hay, tonka, and chestnut blossom. The latter adds a soft, buttery/nutty floral to the vanilla of the tonka. The hay, perhaps playing with the snow note, feels as if it's on a late summer breeze.

This scent is warm, snuggly, and fresh--which seems like a contradiction. But isn't that what a tawny snow scent would be, anyway?

Honestly, to my nose, this smells like children's chewable Tylenol from the '80s. 

This scent, along with Clémence, has shown me how much I love a good carnation scent. Who would've thunk it?

The spices here really support the natural spiciness of the carnation, and the vanilla and amber give it all a warm, golden bed to lie on. 

It is quieter than it might seem if you were just reading the notes. Beth's genius is showing its hand with how masterfully, and yet delicately, this is blended. It's not overwhelming, although I wish it were. I want to bathe in it so all around me can smell the deliciousness.

ETA, 11/22/2023 Lovers of Sylvia would also love this. The carnation, leather balsam, and clove give them the same feel. Both are incredibly lovely. 

Anyone else here a Downton Abbey fan? I've been re-watching since there's a new movie coming out. I'd love to here suggestions for the characters if anyone has some. I feel like violet heavy scents would be perfect the Dowager Countess since her name is Violet. 

This, of all the laces i have tried, is vying it's way to the top of my favorites list. It's softer and sweeter than Autumn, Lavender, Emerald, and Tattered...only Antique beats it out.

Bottle:

In the bottle, the cognac reigns supreme. It overwhelms the soft sweetness, and may throw folks off. Don't let it fool you!

Wet:

Like others have said above, I also smell tobacco, despite it being missing from the notes list. Perhaps this is the blending of saffron and cognac? The vanilla and amber provide a soft bed for these two star players, supporting them but refusing to let them overwhelm. The golden musk and oud provide a depth to scent. Overall, it feels like lying in a warm garden, the sun on your face, kitty purring beside you.

Dry:

The sweetness of the amber and vanilla become the main characters as the scent slowly settles. The other notes recede, but don't disappear entirely. In the garden now, the sun is fading and the cat has run off to do important cat things. In the still warm twilight you are enveloped by the sunset and can sense a faint sweetness surrounding you.

Also of note, my mom has yet to regain her full sense of smell after covid. Yesterday when I was wearing this, she remarked "You smell really good, what are you wearing?"

I am very excited for Switch Witch as I have yet to experience one of those. Also down for the 12 Days swap. 

I used to belong to an Artist Trading Card forum where we would do holiday gift exchanges. You could sign up to give/recieve a Tiny (one small ornament sized gift and candy, a Small (2 small gifts and some candy), a Medium (3 small gifts or 1-2 medium gifts and candy) etc. You could even sign up for multiples like "I will do 2 smalls and a large". These gifts were generally handmade since it was all artists, but it was super fun.

This was a blind bottle for me as well, and so far so good.

Bottle: The scent in the bottle is a heavy floral, slightly bitter--in a good way. I am assuming that this is the opium poppy, as I am quite familiar with lavender and sugar already.

Wet: Mmmmm, sugary florals. The poppy and lavender seem to blend seamlessly together, supported by the sweet sugar scent. The lavender adds a brightness that's almost lemony, but not quite. It lifts the perfume from the depths that the sugar-laden opium goes to. 

Dry: This is an incredibly balanced scent. I love how each note sings and harmonizes with the next. You can just smell the individual edges of all three, and yet each one lifts the others in turn. I love how the sugary note, while attached to the poppy, really acts as a foil against both florals, so they can't be taken too seriously.

This is almost a Vicotrian Grandma scent, but it manages to veer away from this and heads in a more playful direction.

@Seajewel I can see where your little one gets the chocolate/cocoa from: There's a depth to this like dark chocolate, as well as a deliberate sweetness. I think your kiddo is quite astute, actually!

Bottle: Lavender is front and center in the bottle, and with the tobacco, it reminds me of Lavender Lace.

Wet: Lavender and tobacco, with a hint of cashmere. The oud is making itself known, but it really is a sweet oud with no hint of the shitstorm oud can sometimes be. In this case, it adds an incredible earthy & resin-y depth. The carnation adds just a hint of spice. The leather, orchid, and tea are dificult for me to pick out.

Dry: Even though this oil doesn't have any of the cognac and vanilla notes listed that the Laces typically have, I still find it to very much a Lace adjacent scent. This is a gorgeous, grown up scent. It's highly sensual and confident, yet with enough sweetness to be appropriate for day and/or evening wear. I may need a back up bottle.

This was love at first sniff! I know I will need a 2nd bottle, and now my roommate and my mom want a bottle. Fair warning!!

Bottle: It's difficult for me to pick out any single note while in the bottle. It smells like expensive perfume; sophisticated and sensual.

Wet: First on, I smell a slightly sweet, almost melon scent. I think it may be the motor oil note. It recedes fairly quickly to the background, where it remains as a soft base. The lavender is present, but it's so well blended that it's difficult for me to find it's edge. It flows beautifully into the leather and wood notes which add a very perfumey and elegant  maturity to this, but again, it's so incredibly well blended that I am having difficulty picking them out individually. I do not smell any dust.

Dry: I will say this again and again: the blending in this is so masterful that it feels like a complex whole and not simply it's individual parts. The label for this reads cheerful day scent, but it definitely smells like an sexy, evening perfume. This is something I could see people using as their special occasion, date night perfume. It's darkly sensual, slightly sweet, and achingly beautiful. This is Streets of Detroit's sexy cousin from Europe coming to take all your lovers.