skyturtles

Oooo, this is pretty. The musk has a sparkle. The pachouli gives it a slight incensey quality, but not in an overwhelming or bad way. I don't like things to be toooo woody, and this is still in the safe zone. The throw isn't far, so this would be good for office wear. I'm kind of sad that I bought this as a gift for a friend! I hope it is loved, because it deserves it.

This is my first 13 (thank you BPAL Etsy!). It's very complex and a little all over the place for me. I get the cacao (which I'm not overly fond of but it's okay) and the herbs prevent it from being too sweet. Instead, I get the feeling that this blend doesn't know exactly what it wants to be. I think I'll be passing this along to someone who will appreciate more than I.

This is interesting. Antique-smelling, as if you've stumbled upon your great-grandmother's luxury cosmetic collection. It threatens to go powdery sharp, but instead softens to worn white lace, the lingering perfume in the back of the closet that the moth balls haven't taken over. Notewise: It's not too floral, though the iris is obviously present. The benzoin is the main attraction here, kept from getting too sweet or woody by the aldehydes (I do love aldehydes). I'm interested in layering this with some of the VILF blends that I own - I think it will add some weight to their immortality. My bottle is new from BPAL's Etsy.

Do you ever find yourself wishing for a particular blend, and go so far as to add it to your cart for consideration, only to receive a frimp of it less than a week later? I guess I psychically made Whitechapel appear in my hands, and I am happy for it! The lilac is strong, which surprises me for a "gentlemanly" scent (though I know very little about historical male scents). The lime rind is crisp and bright without being tropical or too fruity. The white musk that is holding it all together is subtly in the background. Lilac is a late winter / early spring scent for me, and I will definitely be holding onto this frimp for next year. I am interested to see how it ages, and if it becomes less floral over time. I think I'd prefer a bit more musk than it currently has. In my book, which no one has actually asked for but I will provide it anyway, Whitechapel is a blend owned and often worn by Percy de Rolo of Vox Machina, perhaps layered with The Robotic Scarab for some metallic notes.

Ugh, I absolutely love this. Best blind bottle purchase I've made in awhile, tbh. Every time I sniff my wrist, I get something slightly different. It's beautiful - sweet without being sugary, sparkly without any fake glitter, and sacred without choking you with incense smoke. The rose does not overpower, thankfully (I am not a big fan of BPAL's rose note) and blends seamlessly with the merlot. The bit of honey here reminds me of a Emily Dickinson (maybe?) themed blend that I cannot remember the name. Anyway, I am so so so glad that I have this now, especially since 1) I seem to have misplaced A Melancholy Fire, and 2) my staff book club is meeting next week to discuss Carmilla. I'm obsessed with this indescribable scent.

Sniffing this lab fresh frimp, I get a lot of mandarin (always love) with some of the sweet opium. Wet on my skin, it is much of the same save for the red sandalwood bursting through. The combination is not at all unpleasant, and reminds me of some incenses in new age shops (not to be confused with the incense found in headshops...!) As it dries down, the lily of the valley starts to come through and relies on the foundation of the sweet opium. Like others have noted, the blend is surprisingly "green" and I think I would have preferred a wee bit more vanilla to round out some of the clean soapiness. I will be parting with this imp but will retain mostly positive memories. Edit: Upon FURTHER drydown, the mandarin comes back out to play, with just the slightest touch of vanilla. I really like it. It reminds me of Fire Poppies. I'm hanging onto this imp!!

I second pretty much everything that Sultaana said here. This is evil like Sauron in The Rings of Power is evil. You are drawn in, deceived into thinking it is a light, clean, pretty scent. But you keep on finding yourself going back for another sniff, because there is something lurking beneath the surface, something more complex and perhaps darker... I wasn't expecting to enjoy this lab fresh frimp as much as I do, and now I'm speeding through the little guy too quickly and might have to get an actual bottle. T.T

Lab fresh frimp~ Wet on my skin, I thought to myself that October around latitude 45 is not the time to be testing something green and floral, i.e. springy. It is herbal and slightly eucalyptic. However, it dries to something woodier, like a crisp pine forest at dawn. It stings the sinuses a bit. There is something indeed haunting about it - as if it is 4% frankincense or something. The BPAL site lists this as out of stock, and I do not know if that is a temporary state. It is a very interesting blend, and I think I'll hold on to this frimp for awhile to determine my level of love.

Wet on my wrist is clean like laundry detergent or baby lotion. It dries down quickly enough to white florals and mysterious, faerie garden herbs. It is pleasant and unoffensive, but there is just enough powderiness to prevent me from actually liking it. Maybe I'm not man enough for her tastes 🙃 As others have noted, it comes off as more commerical than most other BPAL scents I've tested. Like it would make a fine Yankee candle.

(Lab fresh frimp)~ I really liked this wet on my skin - the apple blossom and carnation make a spicy floral, with the ambers keeping it from being toooo floral. But then on the dry down, the ambers take over and I don't get much else. I'm not a huge fan of amber, so although my heathen heart loves the concept of Brisingamen, I think I'll hold off on a bottle.

(Lab fresh frimp)~ Wet on my skin, it's deliciously sweet and warm. The sugar is heavier than the booze, and the cream is not remotely in the realm of buttercream (thankfully). On dry down, the sweetness of the Irish cream fades into the dry leather-bound tomes and shiny old wood. I wish it would have stayed where it was... I will be passing this along.

I am obsessed with Melancholy Fire. It's addicting; one of those scents you keep on coming back for another sniff, getting a slightly different note each time. I wouldn't have thought something bright and citrusy like bergamot would go well with something warm and spicy like cinnamon, but they blend so well together with the other notes that you can hardly pick one or the other out. It's just beautiful, and I've gotten compliments on it from coworkers. I'll be sad when I use this bottle up!

Fruity! I like the initial apple burst. It quickly softens to a coconut & banana theme. Not two scents I'm particularly fond of, unfortunately. It reminds me of an expensive lotion in an island gift shop. This scent is a lot of fun regardless. Like others have noted, it's tropical without being stereotypical or artificial.

This isn't bad at all, and I think I definitely would purchase a bottle if I was more drawn to amber and sandalwood. It's just missing a little sometin-sometin for me - maybe something juicy? Alas, I will appreciate this one from afar from now on.

I received a lab fresh frimp of this recently - had not previously heard of it. It is very lovely! The honey and sensual musk is strong, with added complexity from the geranium and tuberose. I think the myrrh and patchouli serve to give it that spiritual, goddess side - it's not too incensey or smokey, though. I can see how the dry-down gets a little play-doughy. I will evaluate further to determine if this is a love or a pass from me.