Jump to content
Post-Update: Forum Issues Read more... ×
BPAL Madness!

skyturtles

Members
  • Content Count

    194
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by skyturtles

  1. Latest Update: November 9, 2023 A Picnic in Arkham Arkham Azathoth Activism Abolish ICE No Coward Soul Is Mine American Gods Shadow The Small Brown Cat Ars Amatoria Bathsheba Bien Loin D'Ici Debauchery Defututa Harlot Hunger La Petite Mort Le Lèthè Le Serpent Qui Danse Lolita Maiden Spellbound Vixen Ars Moriendi Deep In Earth Jazz Funeral The Ghost Twilight Zombi Bewitching Brews Anne Bonny Bewitched Black Forest Black Pearl Bliss Blood Blood Kiss Blood Pearl Chimera Come To Me Dee Highwayman Jack Jolly Roger Juke Joint Kubla Khan Lampades Ouija Plunder Rakshasa Scherezade Schrodinger's Cat The Coiled Serpent The Forest Reverie The Jersey Devil The Raven Yggdrasil Zephyr BITCH PLANET Non-Compliant The Catholic Carnaval Diabolique The Chapel Conjure Bag Love Me Van Van Wolf's Heart Diabolus Baobhan Sith Bloodlust Dracul Fenris Wolf Goblin Hell's Belle Kitsune-Tsuki Marie Nephilim Phobos Wicked Discontinued Scents Baghdad Eris Danube Niflheim Slobbering Pine The Music of Erich Zahn Umbra Doc Constantine's Pharmacopoeia Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener Event Exclusive Surly Dragon Excolo Al-Shairan Alecto Baron Samedi Coyote Czernobog Gaueko Hades Hecate Kurukulla Nyx Pele Persephone Shango Sjöfn Thanatos Xiuhtecuhtli Gifts with Donation or Purchase Marshmallow Chick Sanguinem Menstruum (2019) Pumpkin Pie Musk Good Omens Madame Tracy (2007) Halloweenie All Souls (2006) Bobbing for Blood Kisses (2022) In Night When Colors All Are Black To Cast (2020) Please Scream Inside Your Pumpkin Patch (2020) Pumpkin Booze (2020) Pumpkin Spice Absinthe (2021) Pumpkin Spice Perversion (2017) Pumpkin Spice Snake Latte (2021) Pumpkinville (2021) Samhain (2021) The Necromancer (2022) Voluptuous Wantonness (2019) Illyria Iago Katharina Lady MacBeth Othello Robin Goodfellow The Apothecary Titania Inspiration Bram Stoker Liliths A Demon and Her Unholy Basketball (2020) Cerberus'ish (2021) Cruor (2021) Étienne De Boray Oak (2020) Limited Editions Black Swallowtail Every Day You Play With The Light Of The Universe Irish Coffee Buttercream Jareth Luke 10:25-37 On Imagination The Divine Scientist The Hierophant's Benediction The Woman at the Edge of the Woods Woman As Dragon Lupercalia Blissful Domesticity (2021) Box of Chocolates (2011) Coy Mermaid with a Vulva-Shaped Head (Shunga 2021) Famous Kabuki Actors in Imagined Scenes of Lovemaking (Shunga 2021) Right Atrium (2019) Mad Tea Party Alice's Evidence Cheshire Cat High-Strung Daisies The Dodo The Queen of Hearts White Rabbit Marchen Baba Yaga The Grave-Pig The Sea Foams Blood The White Rider Only Lovers Left Alive Blood Popsicle Café Mille et Une Nuits Diamond Star Hal In Templum Dei July 23, 1868 Phoenix Steamworks & Research Facility Galvanic Goggles The Antikythera Mechanism The Obsidian Widow The Robotic Scarab Rappaccini's Garden Belladonna Black Lily Black Lotus Black Rose Blood Rose Deadly Nightshade Honey Strangler Fig Retail Exclusive Descent (Haute Macabre) RPG Bard Cleric Drider Crossing Guard Dwarven Ale Elf Evil Fighter Lawful Monk Neutral Rogue Tiefling Therapist Vial of Holy Water Sin & Salvation Death On A Pale Horse Envy Greed Lust Oblivion Parapatman Roadhouse Rose Cross The Bow & Crown of Conquest Vice The Last Unicorn Schmendrick The Vampire Tarot The Pope Twilight Alchemy Lab New Beginnings (2020) Vampires Don't Sleep Alone Misericordia Sanctus Silenti Transeo Wanderlust Cairo Eden El Dorado Hollywood Babylon Paris Port Royal Shanghai Tenochtitlan Windward Passage Yules Gingerbread Witch (2020) In Splendoribus Sanctorum (2019)
  2. skyturtles

    The White Rider

    This isn't my first testing of the White Rider but I just received a lab frimp of it and realized I never reviewed it. I did know that I didn't love it, however, but was willing to give it another go. I'm assuming that the "horsiness" that others are getting is the zoo guano note that I'm picking up. Luckily there is enough other stuff going on to distract from damp decomp. I'm not a big fan of either leather nor sandalwood, but I can see how some would find this pleasant. It does seem to last a long while. Passing this onwards.
  3. skyturtles

    Tiefling Therapist

    I purchased a bottle of this for a friend. First impressions: VERY incense-y, to a headshop level. It calms down a bit pretty quickly to be more resin-y. I can pick up the brimstone notes that I'm familiar with thanks to The Chapel. It adds to an almost waxy candle vibe. This is a wee bit too strong for my own daily wear, but it is by no means unpleasant!
  4. skyturtles

    The Catholic

    You BET I blindly purchased a bottle of this. I'm a big fan of The Divine Scientist and frankincense in general. IMO: The Catholic doesn't have quite as far a throw, and also fades quicker than than The Divine Scientist. But I still love that sacred incense vibe. Not so much of a American headshop sort of way, but more like a Buddhist supply store in Chengdu. Or bringing down dusty Christmas equipment from the dimly lit cathedral attic (I was an altar kid for like 4 years, ok?) Also: Go read the Bitch Planet graphic novels folks, they are bomb.
  5. skyturtles

    Galvanic Goggles

    Very metallic, but also kinda floral in a sweet way. This is my fourth Phoenix Steamworks that I'm testing, but unfortunately, so far, it is my least favorite. Musk I like, but flowers, not as often. This blend burns my anterior nasal cavity just a tad too much. I will be passing along this lab fresh frimp.
  6. skyturtles

    Twilight

    Very floral, light yet sharp. I'm not a fan of lavender when it's the star, but it's nicer when it's an herbal afterthought like it is here. The honeysuckle and jasmine are almost sweet. This is nice but it isn't for me. I will be passing along this lab fresh frimp!
  7. skyturtles

    Lampades

    Wet & fruity! Hold on though... it's doing something as it's drying down. There's something synthetic that my nose doesn't like. Cherry medicine-like, almost. Very tiny bit of smoke, not enough imo. The lily is there a bit, adding to the fruitiness in an aromatic way rather than a straight floral. I cannot really detect any spices. This lab frimp is a few months old now, and I think I'll be passing it along to someone who may enjoy it more.
  8. skyturtles

    Nyx

    Lab fresh frimp! Wet on my skin, it's a juicy burst of jasmine. It quickly dries into something... drier? That must be the myrrh. I'm still learning myrrh. It's so hard for me to put my finger on it, no matter how many times I've come across it in blends. But that has to be what's going on here, since jasmine and rose are so easily identified. As it dries down further, the rose becomes more apparent, and I'm just not a fan of BPAL's rose note, so that's a shame. Passing this along though it is nice initially.
  9. skyturtles

    Othello

    I love musk, but I do not love rose. Too much laundry, too much Daiso. Watery and clean and floral, mostly. Was nice in theory, but I do not know many mascs that would wear this tbh. Passing this lab fresh frimp on.
  10. skyturtles

    The Ghost

    ~First review of 2023!~ Can you imagine how delightful it would be if everytime there were a ghost nearby, one could smell "The Ghost"? It's crisp and clean, floral and hazy. This isn't something I would reach for, but it's pleasant enough and well blended. I have an imp that is quite aged, which has seemed to make it classier rather than trashier (some ladies be like that).
  11. skyturtles

    BPAL Nail Polishes I've Tried

    Last updated January 1, 2023 American Gods Mr. World The Intangibles Crimson Peak Crimson Clay Skull White Temptation
  12. skyturtles

    The Necromancer

    I absolutely cannot get enough of this one! There is a slight resemblance to Doc Constantine's Sassafras Strengthener, something herbal and bubbly and sweet without being gourmand. It's somehow refreshing. Does it feel expensive? Yes, that too. The cinnamon is not overwhelming in the slightest. The lilac does not make it a floral. Leather usually makes me nauseous, and that is not happening here. I LOVES IT. My only complaint is that the label on the bottle seems of a lesser quality than what I have come to expect from BPAL. I'll chalk it up to their recent move.
  13. skyturtles

    PSL: Pumpkin Snake Latte

    I've had this for a hot minute and just realized that I hadn't reviewed it. I purchased a bottle of it used, lightly tested. It took me awhile to appreciate it, honestly. It starts off very latte-heavy, which can be a turn off for people who don't like coffee (hi). However, as it dries down, there's some snake oil and a little bit of spice that mellow it all out. There's not a whole lot of pumpkin, imo. For me, I see this less of a autumn scent and more of a winter scent, due to its warmth. It's cozy like your favorite sweater. My favorite part is after it's dried down for a long while, it's this elegant rich snake oil essence that you can't get enough of.
  14. skyturtles

    The Antikythera Mechanism

    I really like this. The only other one in this series that I've tried is the Robotic Scarab, which I liked so much I purchased a bottle. I may have to do the same thing here for Mechanism. If you have read A Dead Djinn in Cairo, or A Master of Djinn, THIS is the scent of that world. It is steampunk, it is ancient, it is mechanical, it is sacred. I haven't dabbled in too many teak-prominent blends before, and I like what it's doing here. The tobacco doesn't take over like I find that it often does, and the vanilla gives it just a little bit of sweetness. I'm sorry, did I say little? Because as it dries, it almost goes gourmand - not complaining though! I'm going to be obsessing over this lab fresh frimp before I make the big bottle decision.
  15. skyturtles

    Black Lily

    It's just... floral. A lily, I guess. Yay flowers. Passing this fresh lab frimp along to someone else.
  16. skyturtles

    El Dorado

    I enjoy "incense," but I'm just not getting that smokey goodness from El Dorado. It comes off as quite leathery, actually. Not in a good way to my own tastes. I must not be a big fan of copal. Passing this fresh lab frimp along!
  17. skyturtles

    Deep in Earth

    They hit the nail with this one. It's wet, mossy, rich soil, rotting wood, after a rain. As it dries it gets a little more floral. I would love to have soap that smells like this honestly. But as a perfume? I'm just not sure. I can see the resemblance to Zombi. It's quite sharp to the nose, and that aspect seems to only increase as time goes on. I wish it weren't so, and the dark mystery of the forest would shine. (fresh~ LAP FRIMP)
  18. skyturtles

    Drider Crossing Guard

    Ooo, this is different. It reminds me of a sexy, expensive soap. (in a good way.) There is no sweetness, and very little woodiness. It is earthy for sure, with just a touch of green. It is dry but not burning. The black plum tea gives it just enough fruitiness to round out the spiciness of the pepper and nutmeg. Warm without being cozy. Reminds me of sandalwood for a strange reason, and I say strange because I don't like sandalwood but I do like this. Keeper! (lap frimp btw!)
  19. skyturtles

    Kurukulla

    Much lotus, much rose. Such floral. Sweeet. Not for me, it's a pass! (wow I've run out of words today)
  20. skyturtles

    Persephone

    Fresh from the lab frimp! I'm not sure if it matters but I gave everything a few days to "settle." Persephone screams ROSE. That's all I'm getting, and it's a bitter crisp rose, rather than a dusty powder rose. On the dry down, I get a hint of the juiciness that others rave about. I can only smell it when I'm not trying to, if that makes sense. I wish there was more of it, though, because the rose is beginning to nauseate me. If I sniff my wrist directly, all I get is that rose punch in the nose. I'll be passing this along!
  21. skyturtles

    Black Lotus

    Woah, this is not what I was expecting. First of all, not as floral as you'd think from a scent that has a flower in the name. Second, it is subtle and not in your face; I feel like I had to apply a lot to my wrists to fully appreciate the notes. It is acceptable for everyday, even office environment stuff. Not too dark, but definitely resinous. Dry and sandy, and as time goes by, a little smokey. This does invoke images of ancient Egypt for me. Impressive. Unfortunately I'm not a huge fan of sandalwood, but this is very well blended I believe.
  22. skyturtles

    Titania

    Titania is fruity and floral very sweet and reminds me of middle school and department stores. It's not terrible but it is not for me. I'll be passing along this imp of unknown age. The longer it dries the more I want to cover it up with something musky or resinous.
  23. skyturtles

    Vampire Tarot: The Pope

    I absolutely agree that this starts off pencil-shavingly sharp. There's just a hint of clove cigarette, the ghost of Christmas cedar, and a ritual older than recorded history. I purchased this as a gift for someone else and it breaks my heart that I must give it away. I really do like it. It's almost gourmand. Damn, I can't stop sniffing myself.
  24. skyturtles

    High-Strung Daisies

    Something in this makes me think of artificial flavors in the late 90s/early 2000s. I can't quite put my finger on it. It's sweet and floral, kind of like Lolita, but better. At this point, I have not looked at the listed notes, and am blind-reviewing in a way. This strikes me as a spring- time, Easter scent. It's not for me, but it is pleasant. Edit: Daisies and sugar? Yep, definitely early naughts.
  25. skyturtles

    Al-Shairan

    This imp is so old that it has begun to crystallize! It is resinous for sure, but also sweet. There is cinnamon & spices being sold in a desert market. And yet I'm getting a hint of pine as it dries... This is nice but not nice enough to be a keeper for me. More of a spice cabinet than a perfumery.
×