Shattershatter

I applied at 8AM, and am writing this at 2PM. So it takes 6 hours to reach this point. But let me tell you, it is WORTH IT. It starts out very sweet and almost generic late 90s perfume smelling. With a bit of a darkness lurking, but barely. You can smell the smoke, but it’s super subtle. Not bbq at all. Some say they can’t smell it, and I can see why. The generic vibe burns off pet quick and it’s really pretty, but nothing stands out overmuch. UNTIL NOW. The sandalwood is poofy and there’s a big Morocco aura. Dry, spicy, nothing like the wet or bottle phase. 5/5 oofs. Just lovely. She’ll age beautifully.

Upon application, The Fourth Veil delivers a jolly wet slap of bruised greens and flowers. That almost Lacey powdery veil note glimmers gently. This is a bright, joyful scent. I love it. Too new to judge wear length and how true to initial impression it stays, but it’s lovely now. I’ve never known a BPAL to get worse with age, that’s for sure!!!

In the bottle and upon application, this is sticky sweet berry candy. It takes about an hour and a half for that to burn off. I’m at work and wondering where the wondrous, spicy, resinous, almost dry scent is coming from, and it’s me! This is my first wear, even though I’ve had it a while. I avoided it because of how sweet it is, but it’s making such a gorgeous impression I had to write in about it. I feel like there’s secret cedar or oak, as it’s a beautiful dry woody scent. Obviously I can still smell the berries and pink pepper and carnation, but that mystery note is pulling a lot of weight, honestly. ETA: After a full 8 hour shift, a couple spent outside sweeping and suchlike, and it’s still there. Solid 9/10

I have the 2024 bottle. It reads Ava without the almond. Amazing. Light. Floaty. Not gourmand at all. Instant love. I hope it doesn’t change as it ages, it’s amazing as it is.

Coming around a year later (this gives a more true experience when blends include mint and florals), this is incredibly sharp. That bright, almost citrusy ti leaf hits you first. It’s dang nigh shrill. A little later (3 hours), and you’ve got lovely lilac and ti leaf at equal, thankfully quieter levels. They’re rounded out very subtly by a soft, sugary amber. I didn’t really smell mint at all. So first, you’re punched in the nose by a bougie Crabtree and Evelyn type soap smell, but once it settles, it’s truly lovely. It probably smells like the settled version to a passerby from the start. I got an immediate compliment from my current partner upon application.

There’s definitely red musk and vetiver up in here! The amber sort of coats everything with a gorgeous sugary blanket. I don’t really smell oak? Just vetiver. It’s gorgeous though. Big and poofy personality with a dark sexy vibe. Kinda like if OG Sanguinem Menstruum was your mom, Rickety Staircase is your outspoken, witchy, single, man-eating aunt.

I was introduced to BPAL in 2015, but didn’t know anything about independent perfume back then. I only bought imps for a few years. My first full bottle was a GC. I had no idea backups were a thing, but the moment I smelled this, I immediately ordered another. Olive blossom is one of my favorite notes, Defututa being the first time I smelled it. It’s sweet, dry, and ethereal. Orris can go sour on me, and often does, but not this time. Ambergris is a lovely skin-but-better, as always, and the frankincense in this one is the bright lemony kind. I’m not getting a clear read on the other notes, but suffice it to say, this scent is gorgeous, sweet, lightly floral, and contemplative. I’ve gone on to buy many many backups since, but 5 years ago, this scent changed the way I BPAL.