Persephone76

I adore Opium Poppy and Darkness. I also think Noir has an opium note in it...not that I can get that one anymore...

Noir is so intoxicating and spellbindingly dark that it leaves me speechless, dizzy and tongue-tied, at a loss for words. This is one of Beth's most stunning masterpieces, a jewel in the BPAL crown. This is the scent responsible for the "swoon" Patrick Suskind wrote about. Bigger than the sum of its parts, Noir is heartbreakingly, indescribably beautiful.

If I could only wear one perfume for the rest of my life, it would be Noir.

I agree with Lycanthrope, this one smells like a prairie with smatterings of snow (in a good way). It's very ethereal and devastatingly gorgeous--like the angelic child of Skadi and Unseelie (two of my all-time fave BPALs). It really is that good. Yet another work of art and proof of Ms. Beth's genius.

Rating: Holy sh*t

I'm almost wondering if my decant is mis-labeled on this...? I get a very aquatic generic men's cologne. I guess I will sniff it at will call, but if this is what it's like it is most definitely not for me!

I liked this one rather more than I expected to, as I'm not a huge fan of mint as a note in my perfume. It does go on as pure (though soft) mint candy...but unlike the plastic-y drydown of Snowblind, it dries down to a lovely musky vanilla. The drydown reminds me somewhat of Numb. I'll be keeping my imp!

On me this smelled like dirt with a side of wet dirt. I loathe dirt as a note so needless to say I am not a fan. However it did smell exactly as advertised. I think I may have even caught a whiff of earthworm somewhere in there.

This is definitely the chocolate scent for non-foodies! Starts as dark cocoa and morphs into a slightly salty cocoa/amber. Not overly complex, but very unique and lovely.

Wow, this stuff is gorgeous! I have to agree with Ohmaude--it IS Mme Moriarty is funeral attire, what a fabulous comparison.

It starts off sharp and medicinal and oddly green on me. After applying, I resisted a strong urge to scrub, and I am so glad I did! After 10 minutes or so, the sharpness fades and it morphs into a gorgeous, creamy poppy/amber/incense. A dark blend, indeed, but dark in mood rather than scent. This is the bastard child of Opium Poppy and Snake Charmer on me and I WILL be getting a bottle!

Persephone76-- my first recommendation for Ormond Jayne Woman would be Coyote or The Lion, for a spicy/woody/amber blend.

A rec from another Persephone!

I'll try those two for sure. Though OJ Woman smells more green and creamy on me. Off to dig up my imp of Coyote...

I feel I should post here, since I am currently obsessed with Voodoo Queen.

 

The Lupercalia LE, Sapphics, is like a base sketch for Voodoo Queen. It lacks some of the complexity of VQ, and the hint of rum, but it gives you a pretty good idea of what VQ smells like.

 

That, and it's easier to find that VQ.

Uh oh, now I am lemming Sapphics! :/

WOW!! This stuff is sooo good I cannot believe I have not tried it already! It's a slightly more masculine and smoky version of Spanked. The man loves it* and lordy does it smell hot on him. Sex on wheels. Wowowwow. A stunner and if I ever run out of Spanked, I will hoard this like there's no tomorrow!

5/5

*this is the same man who normally gags when he sniffs perfume, claims to not like fragrance, and said (in a most loving way) that I need "professional help" for my perfume addiction. De Sade is the first thing he ever asked me to get for him (no complaints here!).

I also don't detect vanilla in Faith.

Snow, Glass, Apples does indeed sound perfect, based on that description. Is there anything like it that isn't LE?

There's a whole thread dedicated to GC equivalents of LEs. Here's the results for Snow, Glass, Apples—it looks like The Hesperides or perhaps Poisoned Apple, even better if layered with a snow or ozone blend, may be a close fit. On the same note, either one may be a good crisp green apple.

I personally find Poisoned Apple to be very similar to SGA. Almost identical, in fact.

Can anyone recommend their favorite Orange Blossom (not orange) scent? Preferably a "lighter" scent. I've got a friend I'm enabling to BPAL and she loooves orange blossom but it's not a fave of mine.

I can obviously search by note, but I was looking for people to recommend their faves.

I know it's a stretch, but has anyone discovered a BPAL similar to Ormonde Jayne Woman? Thanks!

I need to add to this thread bc I have discovered two perfumes that smell A LOT like some DCed (component issues) BPALS:

If you like Unseelie, try Angelique Encens by CREED.

If you like Candy Butcher, try Musc Maori by Perfumerie Generale.

Hope this helps some of you find the next best thing to your beloved DC's.

ETA: Anyone find anything similar to Noir? I am desperate! I found a candle that smells just like it but I need a perfume!

I also think this smells an awful lot like L'Autunno. I actually tried one on each wrist and I couldn't tell them apart for the first 10 min or so. But Fearful Pleasure's drydown was infinitely more complex and beautiful than L'Autunno, imo. A perfect, crisp apple cider scent. LOVE.

Oh I hate to post negative reviews but I must say this is probably my least favorite BPAL I have ever tried. It smelled like maple syrup on me. Actually maple syrup gone bad. And cloying. It made me and my bf nauseous and I had to scrub it off Oh well.

Of course, YMMV.

Oh, how I adore Inez. I get none of the feared cedar at all. It's just pure, creamy resin gorgeousness with a hint of carnation (which I adore). Like a golden light. I love Morocco, and this IS very similar to my nose, but different enough that I must have them both!! I have 2 bottles so far and I'm thinking I will need more. This is just beautiful.

This is the most wearable violet perfume I have ever tried (and I have tried A LOT). Not the most complex scent, it's almost a single-note violet on me. Having said that, it is perfect in its simplicity. I finally found a violet that I will treasure and wear. Perfection.

(Now, if only I loved Hope as much....)

This is probably my second favorite BPAL scent of all time, right after my beloved Voodoo Queen.

When I took my first sniff of it in the bottle I thought, "No Way!" It smelled sharp and astringent. But once applied, it morphs into the richest, sultriest, most intoxicating and complex scent. This is one of the most complex BPALs I have tried--five minutes after applying I can't even detect the individual notes. Defies categorization. Just gorgeous. Dark and intoxicating.

This one is definitely hoard-worthy and oh, do I plan to hoard. I must have at minimum 10 bottles before CD is gone.

Believe the hype, folks. Do yourselves a favor and try this before CD ends, cuz I have a feeling it will be very, very prized and hard to get ahold of after.

For some reason this reminds me of Mr. Nancy. With bay rum. And lots of sex.

I LOVE it and am hoarding bottles like a fiend.

Not exactly the theme of the thread but I just have to add CREED Angelique Incens = Unseelie. For reals.

Oh how I love Unseelie. It was my first BPAL love (I realized this unfortunately AFTER it was DC'ed, because I let my imp sit around for ages before testing it).

It definitely smells ethereal and otherworldly. Delicate florals on top of light incense, fading to a vaguely powdery incense with a hint of sweetness and dried grasses. I have yet to find a comparable BPAL.

Since I have been holding onto my one precious imp for years, I rarely break this one out--but I can't tear my nose away from my wrist when I do!

For what it's worth, and since the scent IS DC'ed with NO hope of resurrection, I want to let other Unseelie devotees know that on me, this smells almost exactly like CREED's Angelique Incens (the drydown anyway). My boyfriend couldn't even tell them apart on me. Of course, Unseelie is still superior in my mind...it's a tad softer. And of course, skin chemistry being what it is, YMMV. But I thought I'd throw that out there for my fellow (shattered) Unseelie lovers

I love this. It reminds me sooo much of Sage Machado Onyx. Except less expensive, "cooler" somehow, and less sexy (sorry)! Black Pearl lovers should def check out Onyx!