amokslime

How about Velvet? The description on the lab's site is: Envelop yourself in the soft, sensual embrace of gentle sandalwood warmed by cocoa vanilla and a veil of deep myrrh.

On my skin, it's exactly as described. I think it's a fantastic dark, rich, feminine feeling scent for those of us who don't always do well with dark and rich fragrances. I figured I'd recommend it in case you end up falling to that category. And it's available in a sample size so you can easily try it out!

I also strongly agree with other people's recommendation of Snake Oil.

What are some of your favorite smells? It's OK if you're not sure what works on your skin chemistry yet, but chasing a nostalgic memory or a favorite food/flower through fragrance can be a great way to start!

This is a frottle from the lab. It's labeled as a prototype.

BTMEN smells exactly like nostalgic Choward's violet candy to me. Even down to the powdery texture. When I press my nose to my wrist, I get a spicy, nose tickling milky carnation. It's kind of like if you added violets to Alice.

Reading the reviews in this thread feels like encountering long-term nuclear waste warning signage. But I like it! I can see it reading gothic and stately on the right person. Unfortunately I think my vibe is too bright and grandma-y to pull it off, and my skin doesn't seem to love violet. 

A sweet, red honey wine with a bitter myrhh undercurrent. It's decadent and unique. It's light enough to wear in summer.

12 hours ago, Tamarinda said:

It reminds me of Vanilla Husk, Nutmeg, & Hay Absolute.

Ooh, I'll keep my eye out for a decant of that! 

I'm also curious about the vanilla bean in the new Tea Leaves, Vanilla Bean, and Incense Smoke.

I'm obsessed with the soft, wafting vanilla bean in In Silvery Accents, Whispering Low. It seems stronger and different than the other BPAL vanillas I've had the opportunity to try, and I'd love to find it again in other formulations. Does anybody recognize it from another fume?

Titania! It's a big juicy candy grape that fades into a cute and sugary pink sweet pea. Color synesthesia wise, it's hot pink and bright purple to me.

Grape candy isn't quite the same vibe as a candy necklace or kids cosmetics, but this one gave me such a strong sense of nostalgia that I figure it's worth a rec. Plus it's impable, so you can try it without too much $$$.

This is so nice. My first impression is a warm olive blossom and beeswax. I haven't tried any of the Sufganiyot perfume oils so I'm not familiar with that note, but I feel like I smell a warm, savory sweet bready note that must be it. And then there's some tartness in there to balance it all out.

It kinda feels like a Lupercalia or Shunga to me. The way the beeswax and amber sit on the skin is kind of sensual. It's got elements of a gourmand and a floral, but it feels sheered out and abstracted in a way that makes it totally wearable for those of us who love gourmand florals, but can't often wear them.

Edit: My partner commented that this smells like a "really expensive candle." And I totally agree! not a holiday or Michael's candle (No shade to those, I love them) but like a very luxe beeswax candle.

Oh, this is great! The trajectory on me is a burst of black pepper -> chic androgynous cologne -> soft resins and vanilla that feel like a skin musk.

The black pepper smells spicy and fresh, with that lovely fruity-indolic undertone I sometimes get from black pepper. But I worry that saying the scare words fruity and indolic will be misleading. It's totally fresh, savory, and spicy. It just has this extra blooming undercurrent that makes for a really interesting and complex introduction.

I'm definitely getting a full bottle.

I originally tried this because it was suggested as similar to my beloved Like The Very Gods. Both are good, but the impression they give on my skin chemistry ends up being very different. Defututa is a milky, fuzzy vanilla cinnamon. behind that, I get an impression of soft florals. There's an extremely faint smoky spiciness that tickles my nose, but it's primarily a vanilla floral. It gives me the impression of a pink blush. But it's like wearing cozy pajamas after a hot shower. Very clean, warm and soft.

When I first got the imp of Defututa it did go sunblocky and plastic on me, so I didn't try it again for a while. But I tried it on today and it seems like it's matured into what I described above. So that's great!

I totally agree that Aureus smells like a wood church. It smells how a stave church looks. It has a smoky-resinous quality that brings back memories of stepping into one of those log houses in reenactment villages. It's making me feel so gender euphoric, because it has that robust woody smokiness, but also that soft resinous sweetness. Sometimes I just want to look soft and cute while smelling like a ruggedly handsome D&D blacksmith NPC, and this fragrance delivers exactly that. I'm a firm believer that all scents are for every gender, but if you're looking to revel in an outdoorsy masculine scent, this is a great one!

It's a bit hard for me to pick up the notes in this one because it's so seamless to my nose, but I'll do my best: Smoky, slightly camphorous wood and golden fossilized amber.

Edit: I just recalled that back when I first got the imp, there was much less smoky woodiness than there is now. It was way sweeter. All the delicious stave church qualities showed up after about half a year of aging.

Pele is so lovely! On me it starts out as sheer, transparent muguet and shimmery ginger. As time goes on you get less of the ginger and more of a general impression of tropical white flowers. They stick around close to the skin for a long time. It's light, gentle and breezy without being cool or astringent. Such a good summer perfume for any fellow white floral enjoyers.

While I don't think this qualifies as a skin musk, on me this ends up being the perfect clean skin scent. My fiance hugged me and couldn't tell if i was wearing anything or if my skin just smelled really good. Sometimes that's exactly what you want.

Anybody know of something similar to Honey, Bordeaux, and Red Roses?

This question is so fun! I hope more people ask it in the future. (If they haven't already! I'm relatively new to the forum, too.)

I feel bad recommending past limited edition scents, but one of my faves, A Moonlit Winter Landscape, seems super close to the vibe you're describing. The notes are listed as:

Quote

Smoky grey amber, frost-black oak, snow-covered soil, Tuscan iris, storm-grey musk, fenugreek, linden blossom, and benzoin.

It really smells navy blue, steel grey, and dark purple to my nose. The orris note is powdery and soft, and the benzoin is vanillic and sweet. It's not a sweet scent at all though, it really does smell like taking a night walk in the cold air. The soil note feels cold and hard, so it could work really well for your subterranean mineral cave without being too loamy. I think the grey amber is probably synthetic ambergris. Not sure about that one, but either way AMWL has a bit of that kind of dark, mysterious musky undertone. If you can find it on the forum or ebay, I definitely recommend giving it a shot!

I've never smelled it myself, but from what others on the forum have said, indigo musk could be a great note. Lightning Struck a Flock of Witches is a current weenie that has indigo musk, as well as: ozone, benzoin, tobacco, and opoponax. I might be super wrong, but I think opoponax is the same or similar to myrrh, which has a resinous, warm, earth smell. So while I haven't smelled it, the mix between deep and ozonic in this scent could fit your character!

Here's some others that you can currently buy on the site:

• Fuck You, Said the Raven (again with the opoponax, as well as violets, black patchouli, myrhh, and oak leaf.)
• Coffee Bean, Cacao, and Khus (reviews say it's an earthy and not sweet black coffee. Could be layered with another scent as well?)
• I agree with Twilighteyes re: Black Annis.

On me, this is a warm vanilla/spicy carnation/soft leather blend from start to finish. My skin tends to amp cedar into a woodshop smell, so it's surprising that this is so suave and mellow on me all the way through. On my fiance, it starts out as a much higher, colder sage/lavender/cedar. It then dries down to a leathery vanilla with a lightly masculine colonge-y feel left over from the opening notes. Very interesting!

I get a strong brown, cognac colored impression from the leather. It feels cool and vintage, sexy in a suede-like way that would be amazing on any gender. The wear time is about 6 hours on me.

Yooooo!!! This is my perfect, ideal baked syrupy peach. It's got both the tangy, juicy fresh aspects of BPAL's peach accord, and this lovely stunning sweet undertone that reminds me of the gold-amber warm syrup you get when making a peach pastry. But it's like, just that without anything bready. It's so peaceful and warm. I can see myself wearing this in the dead of winter to keep my spirits up.

I originally got it hoping it would be similar to the wonderful limited edition This Is A Perfume About My Dog Eating Peaches, and it hits that same sunny, warm gourmand-y peach category. But it mixes fresh peach with baked peach so seamlessly that it's now my new fave. It smells both syrupy and sparkly. I'm physically restraining myself from writing a full thesis paper outlining exactly why and how much I love it.

Like the Very Gods truly is one of the scents that made me fall in love with fragrances. It's so gorgeously blended. I get woods, sweet skin, radiant olive blossom, something else tingly, and an overall sense of warmth that leaves a shining golden impression. It just keeps getting dryer (but still sweet) and more complex with age.

Idk if it's just my perception, but this scent really seems to shine on my skin when the ambient temperature is warm. I love to smell it in the bottle during winter, but I always find myself reaching for it in the summer. It seems like it has the most radiance during that time. While it's hard to judge these things on yourself, it seems to have just the right amount of throw. I get compliments from people in my bubble (like, handshake radius) but not further, which is about the distance I'd want.

I honestly can't hype this perfume enough! I really hope it comes back to the Lupercalia GC someday. If it does, I beseech you to try it.

I can't recommend Lyonesse enough! It smells soft and sunny, but like... sophisticated and ambery at the same time. I also own Horses, and while it feels wintery to me, that's all subjective. It's warm but not super heavy, so I bet it would be great as a summer fragrance.

As far as fig and neroli goes, Carnal is fig and mandarin! It's described as bold, bright, sensual and earthy. I'm also really interested in The Apothecary which is a green scent with fig, but I haven't had a chance to try it out yet. I love green fig though, so I'm gravitating towards it.

Edit: I just remembered Brisingamen, which is a beautiful beautiful BEAUTIFUL mature amber scent. It's lightly floral and aromatic from the apple blossom, carnation, and myrhh. But it's like a spicy, subtle floral that compliments the amber really well. I think the myrhh takes it out of sweet territory. The amber is definitely the MVP.

I hope this helps!

On 1/27/2022 at 7:51 PM, wordortwo said:

 

@amokslime I have such mixed feelings about Little Wooden Doll. At first, I got the same impression you did. But it has started rubbing me the wrong way. If you have had your imp/bottle for a long time, have you noticed any changes due to age?

 

I'm sorry that happened! My imp is pretty new, I think from this autumn. I haven't noticed any out of the norm changes.

On 1/12/2022 at 3:45 PM, wordortwo said:

Oh this is fun. I wish I had some contributions to the thread above, but I don't think I have anything useful to offer.

 

My top 5: 1.) Night; 2. Bien Loin D'Ici; 3.) Eve; 4.) Streets of Detroit; 5.) In Night When Colors All to Black Are Cast or Dee. I love them dearly, but I do not need more sweet, musky perfumes - I am looking for some "dry" options. Overall, I have learned that I enjoy BPAL's more complex perfumes. Though this list may tell you otherwise, I do like florals, particularly violet and rose.

 

Thanks in advance!

My new favorite bpal that feels dry is Little Wooden Doll! It's described on the site as "rose-infused amber and soft golden sandalwood." In my experience, the rose is definitely there, but it blends in really seamlessly with the rest of the notes so it feels like one of those dried rosebuds you'd use in tea. While there's only three notes listed, everything blends together so well and it feels really soft and cohesive. So hopefully, it will fall into the more complex category.

Maybe The Fox Sisters would be up your alley? The description is: rose geranium and tea roses with mahogany wood, bourbon vanilla, and apple peel.

It's a Yule, but the Fox sister's connection with spiritualism is definitely good for October and Halloween imo. People in the reviews are mentioning the apple and one person, at least, compared it to cider!

This scent is gorgeous! It starts out quite floral and dries into a sweet, metallic incense. The floral note is something I've definitely smelled before, but can't quite identify. It's warm and nostalgic. Like my mom or one of my aunts had a perfume with this ingredient, or something. It doesn't smell matronly or overpowering to me, though. Just like my hugs are powered up to be the most comforting they can possibly be. Maybe it's heliotrope?

On me this one is warm, gentle, long lasting. You can smell it ambiently on yourself without it being too strong.

On 1/8/2022 at 10:27 AM, roseus said:

@amokslime maybe keep an eye out for Sapphics: tonka, oakmoss, tolu balsam, grey amber, myrrh, and muguet. Fingers crossed it comes up in the Lupers this year! 

Oooh, those notes sound perfect. I also love oakmoss, tonka, and muguet. I hope it makes a Lupercalia appearance! 😊

On 1/3/2022 at 10:04 PM, VetchVesper said:

Hmmm... what stands out to me in Arcana is the frankincense. I wonder if you might like Anthony. It leans a little masculine to my nose, but it's very nice, and I enjoy wearing some of the more "masculine" fragrances. Titus Andronicus might be another you'd enjoy (Since you wanted ancient world. You'll have to provide your own lesbian though. 😜 ) The Apothecary is a very lovely, mossy herbal.  Have you tried Zombie?  Not one of my favorites, but it's a popular earth and roses scent. Bruised Violet Compound is sort of an earthy, enchanted forest smell for me, and the red currants give it a berry scent which I also get from Druid.   Lyonesse is one of the few GC scents with grey amber in it, and it's noticeable in the fragrance, so you might keep an eye out for that.  The Grey Columns features the note and is lovely.  You might also enjoy Cognac-Stained Sheet Ghost.  I wonder if you'd like Odic Force if you enjoy lemon verbena.  It's got a fresh, citrus quality, but the white musk and amber make it sort of fuzzy.  Crystal Gazers also seems to share some notes with your preferred scents, but I have not smelled it. You might also like Auriga - either of them, though you'd have to keep an eye out on the sales and swaps forums.  

I think you're right about frankincense, now that you mentioned it! I've tried a couple other imps that have it as an ingredient, and they always seemed to have a little extra something something I couldn't identify. Now I'm looking at the frankincense tag on the site with new eyes... 👀 Grey amber seems like another good guess. I love A Moonlit Winter Landscape, which also has grey amber!

Thanks for your suggestions! 😊 I've been especially curious about Antony and The Apothecary for a while. Might try imps of them next time.

This one taught me the importance of letting perfumes age before giving up on them! When I first got an imp, it was soooo incense forward. But as it's aged, the incense is completely settled. Now this is a mossy, spicy, rococo painting-ish forest. It's beautifully blended and kinda difficult to pick out any of the specific floral notes. Sometimes the spicy carnation or a light waft of smoke stands out.

Titania starts off as pure, bright purple grape candy (think grape bubblegum and grape hi-chew) and then gradually fades into a soft fruity floral scent that I associate with sweet pea and pear. This perfume summons my inner child who loved flower fairies and imagined Titania as a Glinda-like figure in a big pink dress.

This isn't my usual type of scent at all, but I'm really treasuring the imp because it makes me so happy.