ivyandpeony

I can't believe that I haven't reviewed Autumn yet - it was one of the great surprises out of the Traveling Exhibition for me and I really love it. I bought my bottle almost a year ago and a little age has made it even more beautiful. At first sniff, and when first applied, it reminds me very much of Samhain (although I haven't tried the 2008 version of this yet, I have tried almost all the others). But as it dries, it morphs into something unique and beautiful, a more feminine cousin of Samhain and some of the Lab's scents in that vein. The rose and osmanthus make for a sweet and balanced floral component that seems to replace the sweet fruit component that I find in Samhain. Overall, Autumn is a gorgeous spicy floral that I'd place in the Oriental family of perfumes - like many of the Salon blends, it is complex and resembles a traditional perfume more than many of the GC scents do.

I've owned this one for ages - I was lucky enough to acquire a bottle from RedWitche, who hasn't been on the forum in some time, but who shares a sign and birth year with me

 

I love that this has that very old-school BPAL vibe that incites nostalgia in me, as some of the earthier blends from the early days of the catalog do. But where so many astrologically inspired perfumes are just the eathiest things that the perfumer could think of, dumped in a bottle, this version of Virgo has many more facets. The earthy patchouli and oakmoss are there, of course, but the narcissus is somehow earthy, sweet and floral at the same time; the rose adds more sweet and floral tones. I get a bit of brightness from the apple and musk, but this bottle has had a lot of time to age and mellow and it's more thick and heady than bright (which suits me fine). I would guess my bottle is from late 2003 or early 2004, it's one of those squatty bottles with a hand-lettered label in block letters and a reducer top, although I believe this one was around until late October of 2004.

 

Now that Beth has yet another Virgo in her life, perhaps she'll revisit Virgo again and again - I believe that The Gladdener of All Hearts had a good bit of Virgo inspiration, since the money was on baby L. arriving towards the end of August or later (would there have been a frenizied reformulation if she'd decided to pop out prior to August 22? Maybe! Babies are unpredictable, especially first babies!) Anyway, I will happily make room for any future interpretations as well. I really cherish this one and the 2007 version turned the concept on its ear again.

My favorite orange scent is Kunstkammer - no other fruit in there to distract from the orange. Al Sharain has a nice orange note although if you amp peach like I do, you may just get that. And several reviews of Huesos Santos are saying it smells like an custardy orange cake (I haven't tried it yet).

I know I have already complained upthread. Peaches, apricots and nectarines are not usually my best friends in a blend - but when they do work I am always so excited They always smell so good in the bottle, my skin just seems to amp them quite often and I end up disappointed. But I have had some good experiences since I last posted so I thought I'd share.

 

Since this thread was last bumped before the Ladies of the Grindhouse made their debut, I have to shill Marcilla and Eisheth Zenunim first Anyone who's a fan of these fruit notes and hasn't tried these two blends needs to get a move on before the carnival leaves! Marcilla is sweet and crisp, I get lots of green tea, a honeyish note from the beeswax that blends very nicely with the nectarine, and sweet florals (I love lilac and all lilies). EZ is rich and decadent. Combining peach with patchouli helps me wear the peach note (The Ecstasy of True Love is a favorite of mine) and it's yummy here, the cocoa and honey are nice complements to the peach and help it offset the earthy patchouli.

 

Hony Mone turned out gorgeous for me, the apricot accepts a role as a backup singer and just seems to add a hint of fruitiness to the honey and cocoa - it ultimately is a honey-cocoa-jasmine trio on me, which sounds odd but smells fantastic. Haloes has more of an apricot note and it stays very true. I think the dry and woody notes (tonka, oak, sandalwood) ground it and keep it from getting cloying &/or dominant on me. I wish Haloes lasted longer on my skin, though, for some reason my skin absolutely drinks it.

I second Bat and Bat-Woman for tativa's requests - and I think Nuit is a good one too. Moonflower, or really any of the "night blooming" florals, seem to give me that feeling (and they are a floral family that usually works nicely on me, so I like them). Blue Moon 07, Long Night Moon, Pannychis, and Urania (the discontinued Muse ) are others in that category - and I am looking forward to seeing what The Witching Hour of the Night is like. Completely different but totally worth a try, Nocnitsa is a very evocative night scent to me, but a darker and scarier night, not in a lovely garden but in the woods.

 

Samhain really reminds me of autumn nights on the verge of winter, although it may be that I associate it with that time of year as well - it was late October, early November of 2004 the first time I ever tried it. Maybe it is that hint of smoke in the air that makes it do that for me as well.

 

Frost Moon is probably my ultimate icy-cold winter night scent. To this day I am surprised at how much I like it - I usually do not like very much in the minty, aquatic, eucalyptus, or otherwise "cold" families, but Frost Moon is just different. I have only a little bit left, but that's OK w/me. It has a lot of throw and as much as I love it, it isn't something that I am in the mood to actually wear that often. Nuclear Winter reminds me of it a bit (although it doesn't have the hint of floral), it's probably easier to find these days if you haven't tried Frost Moon.

I had almost forgotten how deliciously red musk-y Luxuria bath oil is... I had tucked it in the back of the cabinet for the summer since it was a little strong and heady for the 90+ degree weather in Atlanta. I had a bath with it this weekend and it all came rushing back. (The notes are red musk, patchouli, pomegranate, red currant, bourbon vanilla, nutmeg, and sweet orange if you don't want to go look it up ) It is seriously gorgeous, I would love it in perfume form - although like most of the bath oils I've tried, it does linger on the skin for a long time and has pretty decent throw too.

Thanks, you guys. You make me smile.

 

<3

Jenn

The lady that made the Sleepy Hollow art

 

Lovely job, Jenn! I don't have any of my bottles yet, but after the preview of all the artwork I'm really looking forward to their arrival Sleepy Hollow might be my favorite concept Beth's used in the four years of BPAL-slathering I've done and your label designs are fantastic. I can't wait to see the rest of them.

It seems like Beth really filled this niche well when she came up with this year's Halloween LEs. I'm anxiously awaiting my package(s), both decants and Lab, but I think that Autumn Coolness, A Blade of Grass, The Schoolhouse, and Wiley's Swamp all sound like good candidates for the sunny days and cool nights of September.

Is there a blend that captures the smell of smoky autumn air? I'm NOT looking for the pine-y or minty "cold" air quality, but the distinct smell you get when you step out and just know that the first chimneys are in use again Preferably without pumpkins or other foody components please, but I don't mind Vetiver f.i...

 

 

If that's not possible, I think a wood- and/or incense smoky smell that's not spicy/oriental would be great too (f.i. I tried Scherezade, but it feels too oriental to be "me"; but I really liked Penitence and would love something like this with a bit of wood or just a hint of vanilla or other things added).

 

Even though Samhaim lists pumpkin as a note, I don't smell it myself (at least in the past years' versions - haven't had a chance to try the 2008 incarnation yet) - and there's a definite spicy smokiness to it. If you haven't tried it before, it might fit the bill for you.

 

I put on some Dia de los Muertos from 2004 today and lawdahmercy It has aged to the most delicious, incensey magical syrup possible.

...

 

Please don't get me wrong, I am not saying Beth is using things in the oils that would hurt us but this really makes me scratch my head

 

Of course, I would suggest you e-mail the Lab for the definitive answer, but I think those probably are in the category Beth was referring to when they posted the disclaimer on the website (it's on the welcome page) that says "Terms used on this site such as 'brimstone', 'saltpeter', 'opium', and the like are intended as descriptive copy, and are not literal translations of the ingredients of our scents." Those are just a few of the notes listed in BPAL scents that are there to describe what the perfume smells like or the feeling it's supposed to invoke as opposed to a laundry list of what it actually in there... metal, bubblegum, wine, leather, dust, smoke, sugar are some of the more common ones that I am pretty sure fall in that category too.

 

It is a little more confusing when it's a plant name, since we're all very used to plant extracts being used to make perfumes, so again, if you have concerns the buck stops with the Lab's customer service. But given the huge liability in using something dangerous and the compassion the Lab shows in charity work and such, I can't picture Beth suddenly deciding to use a few known skin irritants or poisons.

....

(a mod note - I may merge this in w/the musks thread after it gets some responses, &/or I may end up splitting the musk thread up a bit into light, dark, etc. So if anyone is having trouble finding a topic all of a sudden, just drop me a PM and I will find it for you!)

 

remember when I said this a while back? I have split up the big ole musk thread a little bit. We've got this one to discuss white and lighter musks, red musk now has its very own thread and the original one is still there to discuss the differences between all the types the Lab uses. There's also an old thread about Egyptian musk waiting to be bumped when someone wants to talk about it again.

 

There weren't enough individual posts about dark & animalic musks there to split into a topic about that subject alone - if someone needs recommendations for those specifically, it's a topic that can be established.

....

(a mod note - I may merge this in w/the musks thread after it gets some responses, &/or I may end up splitting the musk thread up a bit into light, dark, etc. So if anyone is having trouble finding a topic all of a sudden, just drop me a PM and I will find it for you!)

 

remember when I said this a while back? I have split up the big ole musk thread a little bit. We've got this one to discuss white and lighter musks, red musk now has its very own thread and the original one is still there to discuss the differences between all the types the Lab uses. There weren't enough individual posts about dark & animalic musks there to split into a topic about that subject alone - if someone needs recommendations for those specifically, it's a topic that can be established.

Can you recommend other oils I might like? I think it might be a melon note in it that I love so much but I'm not really sure. Thanks!

 

Mod note: merged from thread titled "I Love Selkie"

 

There's a thread all about melon scents right here, you'll probably find some great suggestions there and if you bump it, people are likely to update it with recent additions.

 

From this thread, folks have noted that Selkie reminds them of Titania and Y'ha-nthlei, so those might be worth trying.

Aw, thanks for the compliments I think the moon was in Virgo over the weekend and it stimulated me. (For all the world's messiest Virgo awards that I deserve, I actually have sun and moon in Virgo!)

 

It's easiest for me to update w/ new posts from 9/1/08 on - I don't have any special mod tools that tell me if posts in a thread have been edited and would just have to read through the thread. But if you like editing your previous posts, you can just cut and paste your additions into a PM to bring them to my attention if you like. You can also reply to your old post, which will put it at the "end" of the thread and bump it - that's especially good if you've added the newest LEs, since some people like to pop into the thread and chatter about the most recent stuff.

You can find this in the Short Guide to Common Recommendations...

 

What do I have for you here?

 

I have compiled a list of LE equivalents/substitutes/similarities based on member posts after reading through the entire LE equivalents thread. Yep, all 4+ years of discussion condensed here.

 

A couple of things to keep in mind. I only listed separate versions of an LE in the cases where the Lab has made clear that the later version is a reformulation. I didn't editorialize the comparisons as I made the list, so if something seems off the wall, remember the person who posted a suggestion may have a completely different body chemistry from you. Their post may have also included a caveat like "on drydown" or "not quite as much vanilla." I would not have had the stamina necessary to make a list that included that much detail - the same reason I did not include layering or mixing suggestions. But hopefully this will be helpful as a starting-off point. You can still search the thread itself by opening the topic, putting your search term in the box at the bottom left and clicking "search topic," so if you want to explore exactly what was said, try that.

 

I will be updating as regularly as possible, based on our continued discussions in that thread and around the entire Recs forum. If you happen to spot an older thread or post with some good material for this thread, feel free to bring it to my attention via PM. I am going to try to set aside some time to go through the GCs and discontinueds thread as soon as possible and add what I can find to this post.

 

13 (April 2007): Cleopatra Testing Poisons On Those Condemned To Death

 

Ace of Hearts: Ophelia, London

 

The Agony of Heartache: Bewitched

 

Al-Aaraf: Tiger Lily

 

All Souls: Brown Jenkins

 

Anaconda: Trick or Treat

 

Anactoria: Nanny Ashtoreth

 

Angeronalia: Xiuhtecuhtli, Mad Kate

 

Annabel Lee: Desdemona, Titania, Lady of Shallott, Danube, Amsterdam, Aeval, The Darkling Thrush

 

Archangel Winter: Sea of Glass, Lightning, Tempest, Szepasszony

 

Asp Viper: Uruk

 

Baba Yaga (unreleased): Manila

 

Bakeneko: Dracul

 

Beaver Moon 2005: Hollywood Babylon, Sugar Cookie, Antique Lace, Eat Me, Dana O'Shee, Velvet

 

Beaver Moon 2007: Hermia

 

Beltane 2005: Tarot:Strength

 

Berenice: Olokun

 

Bezoar: Hay Moon, No. 9 Engine, Mag Mell

 

Black Lace: Antique Lace, Euterpe (dc), Dorian, Haloes, Black Opal, Zephyr, Desire, Anactoria, The Sailors’ Den, The Antikythera Mechanism, Galvanic Goggles

 

Black Moon: La Belle Au Bois Dormant

 

Blue Moon 2004: Empyreal Mist (dc), Danube, Unseelie (dc), Dissipation (dc)

 

Blood Moon: Alone, Tezcatlipoca, Red Phoenix, Tanin'iver

 

Brides of Dracula: Nosferatu

 

Buck Moon: Yddgrasil, Coyote, Dorian, Juke Joint, Ochosi, Robin Goodfellow

 

Budding Moon: Kitsune Tsuki, The Dormouse

 

Butterflies and Plovers: Imp

 

Cancer 2007: La Belle Au Bois Dormant, Queen Mab

 

The Candy Butcher: Hellcat, Cockaigne, Bliss, Centzon Totochtin

 

Carfax Abbey: Death Cap, Cathedral, Eshe

 

The Castle: Wolf’s Heart, Fenris Wolf

 

Cerberus: Hearth 2004, Gomorrah, Tezcatlipoca, Intrigue, The Great Sword of War

 

The City In the Sea: Cthulu

 

The Chapel: Djinn

 

Chanukkiyah: Kill-Devil

 

Chaste Moon: Dana O’Shee, Leanan Sidhe, Tarot:Temperance

 

Cheshire Moon - The Unicorn

 

Chintamani-Dhupa: Carceri D'Invenzione

 

Chrysanthemum Moon: Mama-Ji, Faiza

 

Clémence: Port Royal, Dracul, Voodoo

 

The Clod and the Pebble: Seance

 

Corazon: Tamora, Kuang Shi, Lampades

 

Count Dracula: Port Royal, Dracul, The Smiling Spider, Calico Jack

 

The Cracked Bell: Tarot:Judgement

 

Crumpet Rebellion: The Knave of Hearts, Sugar Skull

 

Crypt Queen: Mme.Moriarty

 

The Darkling Thrush: Cloister in the Graveyard Snow

 

Decadence (unreleased): TAL Amor, Fruitcake

 

Devil’s Night: Smut, Jazz Funeral, Xiuhtecuhtli, Plunder

 

Dia de los Muertos: Kali, Bruja (dc), Centzon Totochtin, Block Buster

 

Diary of a Lovestruck Teenage Cannibal: Hermia, Pepper, Tweedledee

 

Doc Buzzard: Fascinum

 

Dr. John Seward: Blood Countess

 

The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife: Nostrum Remedium

 

Dragon Moon: Neo-Tokyo (dc)

 

Dublin (dc): Mistletoe

 

Dyan Moon: Juliet

 

Earth Rat: Yemaya

 

Ebisu Making Love: The Apothecary, Fae

 

Egg Nog: SN Vanilla Bean (dc), Golden Priapus, Grog

 

Et Lux Fuit: The Lion, Brisingamen, Black Phoenix

 

Fée: Fae, Yemaya, Titania, Fire Pig, Ogun

 

Flower Moon: Eos, Phantom Queen

 

Formula 54: Perversion, Wanda, Santo Domingo, Dracul, Lilith

 

Freak Show: Intrigue, Carnal

 

Frost Moon: Cathode, Shattered, Neo-Tokyo (dc), Utrenyaya. Tarot:The Fool

 

Fruit Moon: Aglaea

 

Fruitcake: TAL Amor

 

Gamaliel - Eden

 

Gennivre: Queen Gertrude, The Unicorn, The Dormouse

 

Geek: Two Monsters, Doc Constantine

 

Gingerbread Poppet: Sudha Segara, Shub-Niggarath, Bengal

 

Glowing Vulva: The Antikythera Mechanism, Haloes

 

Graveyard Dirt: The Premature Burial

 

Green Phoenix: Mock Turtle's Lessons

 

Gypsy Queen: Sybaris, Baghdad, The Masque, Desire, Sed Non Satiata, Magdalene

 

Haloa: Hymn to Proserpine

 

Harvest Moon 2004: Jack

 

Harvest Moon 2005: Mabon, Block Buster

 

Harvest Moon '06: Les Bijoux, Verdandi

 

The Haunted Palace: Versailles, Moscow, Three Brides, Tamora, Brisingamen, Tarot:The Sun

 

Havisham: Zombi

 

Hay Moon: Bezoar, No. 93 Engine, Mag Mell

 

Hearth 2004: Jack, Herr Drosselmeyer

 

Hellion: Khajuraho, Nahemoth, Malkuth, Chokmah, Blood Countess, Imp

 

Herr Drosselmeyer: The Black Tower

 

Hexennacht 2005: Hunter Moon 2004, Samhain, Black Forest, Nocnitsa, Thanatopsis, Greed, Samhain

 

Hod: Morocco, Pink Moon 2007

 

Honey Moon: La Petit Mort, Sudha Segara

 

Hony Mone: Love-Lies-Bleeding

 

Hunger Moon: Scales of Deprivation, Death of The Grave Digger

 

Hungry Ghost Moon: Fae, 51, Night Gaunt

 

Hunter Moon 2004: Lampades, Lady MacBeth, Hexennacht 2005, Gomorrah, Siren, Grand Guignol, Fortunato, Bewitched

 

Ice Queen: Blue Moon 2004, Frost Moon, Cathode, Lady of Shallott, Nuclear Winter, Talvikuu, Cloister Graveyard in the Snow

 

Inez: Lyonesse

 

Jacob’s Ladder: Tarot:The Heirophant, The Lion, Brisingamen

 

June Gloom: Nanshe, Arcana

 

Khajuraho: Hanging Gardens, Hellion, Himerus

 

Kindly Moon: Pele, 51

 

King of Clubs: Bastet, Viola

 

King of Diamonds: Chypre (dc), Villain

 

King of Spades: Yerevan

 

Kingsport: The Apothecary, Olokun

 

Kunstkammer: Tweedledee

 

La Fee Verte: Zorya, Oblivion

 

Lemongrass SN: Phobos

 

Lenore: Serpent’s Kiss, Devil’s Claw

 

Leo 2007: Bastet, Anubis

 

Libra 2007: Persephone

 

Litha: Cairo, Gennivre

 

The Living Flame: Venom (dc), Tarot: The Lovers, Othello

 

Love's Philosophy: Tombstone

 

Love in the Asylum: Séance, Ouija

 

Lump of Coal: Bliss, Gluttony, Bastet

 

Luperci: Greed

 

Mabon: Blood Countess, Verdandi

 

Mme. Moriarty: Vixen, Eat Me, Bathsheba

 

Marae: Euphrosyne

 

Marianne: Scherezade

 

Marshmallow Poof: Midway, Antique Lace

 

The Masque: Brisingamen, Magdalene

 

Mechanical Phoenix: Phoenix Steamworks, Robotic Scarab

 

Medicine Show: The Apothecary

 

Mi-Go Brain Canister: Jester, Shango, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, Xanthe The Weeping Clown, Croquet

 

Midnight Kiss: Urd, Centzon Totochtin

 

Midnight Mass: Penitence, Heavenly Love

 

Midway: Grog, Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo, Cockaigne

 

Midwinter’s Eve: Bordello, Aunt Caroline’s Joy Mojo, Lady Macbeth, Jester

 

Milk Moon 2005: White Rabbit, Tarot:The Star, Obatala, Love’s Philosophy

 

Milk Moon 2007: Strangler Fig, Obatala

 

Minotaur: Heavenly Love and Earthly Love

 

Misk. U. Spring Training 2008: Cockaigne

 

Mistletoe: Loup Garou, Hemlock

 

Mitzvah: Trick or Treat, Kill-Devil

 

Moana: 51

 

MonsterBait:Bloody Mary: Vice

 

MonsterBait: BiggerCritters: Euphrosyne

 

MonsterBait: Closet: Eat Me, Bordello

 

MonsterBait: Tokyo Stomp: The Mad Hatter

 

MonsterBait: Underbed: Velvet, Black Pearl

 

MonsterBait:Underpants: Love’s Philosophy, Grog, Tushnamatay, Drink Me, Bastet, Dorian, Cockaigne, Lyonesse, Hymn to Proserpine, Opuhi

 

MonsterBait: Ventriloquist Dummy: Tiresias the Androgyne, The Arrival at the Sabbath and Homage to the Devil

 

Nahemoth – Hellion, Blood Countess, Red Phoenix

 

The Oblation: Lady Una, Envy

 

October: Samhainophobia

 

Old Moon: The Jersey Devil

 

One to Tie, Two to Win: Roadhouse, Garden Path With Chickens, Pontarlier

 

The Passionate Shepherd to his Love – Envy, Garden Path with Chickens

 

The Peacock Queen: Black Rose, Kali

 

Penumbra: Arachnina, the Spider-Girl

 

Peony Moon: Budding Moon, Amsterdam

 

Pickled Imp: Chimera

 

Pinched with Four Aces: El Dia Reyes, Cockaigne

 

Pink Moon 2005: Sugar Skull, Arkham (f/k/a Revisited), Maenad, Pink Phoenix

 

Pink Moon 2007: Hod, Alice, Hope, The Reaper and the Flowers, Morocco, Zarita the Doll Girl

 

Pink Phoenix: Aunt Caroline’s Joy Mojo, Hollywood Babylon, Bon Vivant, Strawberry Moon

 

Pirate Moon - Hellfire

 

The Pit and The Pendulum: Cathedral, Midnight Mass, Ra (dc), Anne Bonny, Penitence

 

Poisson d'Avril: Love-In-Idleness

 

Priala: Laudanum, Masabakes

 

Pruno: The Hamptons, Bon Vivant

 

The Pumpkin Queen: Jack, Leo 2007

 

Punkie Night: Coral Snake, Poison Apple, Jack

 

Purple Phoenix: Horreur Sympathique

 

Queen of Clubs: Arachne (dc), Crossroads, Penny Dreadful

 

Queen of Diamonds: Titania

 

Queen of Spades: Lampades, Megeara, Black Phoenix, Blood Countess, Medea, Bewitched, The Hanging Gardens

 

Quincy Morris: Dee, Death on a Pale Horse, Endymion

 

Red Lantern: Gluttony, Perversion, Tezcatlipoca, The Black Tower, Hellfire, Elegba, Wanda, Incubus

 

Red Moon 2004: Desire, Ra (dc), Dragon’s Tears, Blood Countess, Wildfire, French Love

 

Red Moon 2007: The Maltese Cross of Sanctus Germanus, The Ifrit

 

Red Phoenix: Blood Moon, Alone, Frumious Bandersnatch, Tanin'iver, Silk Road

 

Rose Moon: London, Tarot:The Empress, Hope, Victoria

 

Rose Red: The Apothecary, Persephone, Tarot:The Empress, Ophelia, Whip, Endymion, Eternal, Queen Mab, Two, Five & Seven,

 

Roux-Ga-Roux: Bayou

 

Sagittarius 2007: The Apothecary, Nemesis

 

Samhain: Hellfire, Hexennacht 2005, House of Night, Tanin'iver

 

Scorpio (Original 2004): La Petit Mort

 

Schwarzer Mond: Scherezade, Sin, Dragons Bone, The Music of Erich Zahn, Minotaur

 

Selkie: Titania, Y'ha-nthlei

 

Shanghai Tunnel: Singing Moon

 

Singing Moon: Jezirat al Tennyn

 

Skadi: Alecto, Dublin, Hemlock, Golden Priapus, Snow Moon, Snow Bunny, Black Forest

 

Sleepy Moon: Juliet, Belle Epoque

 

Smut: Sed Non Satiata, Devil’s Night, Scherezade, Spellbound, Eat Me, Imp, Vixen

 

Snake Charmer: Snake Oil, Golden Priapus, Eat Me, Nahemoth, Mme. Moriarty, Boomslang, Temple Viper, Bathsheba

 

Snow Angel: Phantasm

 

Snow Bunny: Snow Moon

 

Snow-Flakes: The Torture Queen

 

Snow, Glass, Apples: Poisoned Apple, The Hesperides

 

Snow Moon: Tintagel, Snow Bunny, Thanatopsis, Nocnitsa

 

Snow White: Dana O’Shee, Szepassony, The Unicorn, Defututa

 

Spanked: Loviatar

 

Spirits of The Dead: Severin, Baobhan Sith, Sudha Segara, Embalming Fluid, Holiday Moon

 

Spooky: Tarot:The Star

 

Sol Invictus: Ra

 

Storm Moon: Lightning

 

Storyville: Smut, Spanked, Devil's Night, Wezwanie-Hold, Love Me

 

Sturgeon Moon – Danube, Bayou

 

Sugar Cookie: Chimera, Mr. Nancy

 

Sugar Skull: Gluttony, Mr. Nancy, Cockaigne, Kill-Devil

 

Tarot: The Star: Eden, Shoggoth

 

Tamamo-No-Mae: The Lantern Ghost of Oiwa, Zarita the Doll Girl

 

Tiki King: Intrigue, Havana, Satan and Death with Sin Intervening

 

Tiki Queen: Vasakasajja

 

Thunder Moon: Slobbering Pine

 

To Helen: Versailles

 

Torture King: Voodoo, High John the Conqueror, Doc Constantine

 

The Unheavenly City: Sacred Whore of Babylon

 

Upa Upa: Sed Non Satiata

 

Usher: Tarot:The Fool, Dorian, Ode on Melancholy

 

Vasakasajja: Shadow Witch Orchid, Tiki Queen

 

Voodoo Queen: Perversion

 

Whippoorwill: Silk Road, Singing Moon

 

White Phoenix: Yvaine

 

Wildfire: Dragon’s Bone

 

Winter of our Discontent: Golden Priapus

 

Wolf Moon 2007: Black Forest

 

Yog-Sothoth: Niflheim

 

Yuletide: Jabberwocky

 

Xanthe, the Weeping Clown: Tweedledee

It's probably because I have never studied Italian, but every time I wear L'ESTATE (or use a product from the accompanying Inquisition), I think of the Vampire Lestat and pronounce it that way in my mind. Obviously, I'm a hopeless hillbilly.

What do I have for you here?

 

I have compiled a list of LE equivalents/substitutes/similarities based on member posts after reading through the entire LE equivalents thread. Yep, all 4+ years of discussion condensed here.

 

A couple of things to keep in mind. I only listed separate versions of an LE in the cases where the Lab has made clear that the later version is a reformulation. I didn't editorialize the comparisons as I made the list, so if something seems off the wall to you, remember the person who posted a suggestion may have a completely different body chemistry from you. Their post may have also included a caveat like "on drydown" or "not quite as much vanilla." I would not have had the stamina necessary to make a list that included that much detail - the same reason I did not include layering or mixing suggestions. But hopefully this will be helpful as a starting-off point, or you can think of it as "if you liked this blend, you should try these." You can still search the thread itself by opening the topic, putting your search term in the box at the bottom left and clicking "search topic," so if you want to explore exactly what was said, try that.

 

I will be updating as regularly as possible, based on our continued discussions in that thread and around the entire Recs forum. If you happen to spot an older thread or post with some good material for this thread, feel free to bring it to my attention via PM. I am going to try to set aside some time to go through the GCs and discontinueds thread as soon as possible and add what I can find to this post.

 

13 (April 2007): Cleopatra Testing Poisons On Those Condemned To Death

 

Ace of Hearts: Ophelia, London

 

The Agony of Heartache: Bewitched

 

Al-Aaraf: Tiger Lily

 

All Souls: Brown Jenkins

 

Anaconda: Trick or Treat

 

Anactoria: Nanny Ashtoreth

 

Angeronalia: Xiuhtecuhtli, Mad Kate

 

Annabel Lee: Desdemona, Titania, Lady of Shallott, Danube, Amsterdam, Aeval, The Darkling Thrush

 

Archangel Winter: Sea of Glass, Lightning, Tempest, Szepasszony

 

Asp Viper: Uruk

 

Baba Yaga (unreleased): Manila

 

Bakeneko: Dracul

 

Beaver Moon 2005: Hollywood Babylon, Sugar Cookie, Antique Lace, Eat Me, Dana O'Shee, Velvet

 

Beaver Moon 2007: Hermia

 

Beltane 2005: Tarot:Strength

 

Berenice: Olokun

 

Bezoar: Hay Moon, No. 9 Engine, Mag Mell

 

Black Lace: Antique Lace, Euterpe (dc), Dorian, Haloes, Black Opal, Zephyr, Desire, Anactoria, The Sailors’ Den, The Antikythera Mechanism, Galvanic Goggles

 

Black Moon: La Belle Au Bois Dormant

 

Blue Moon 2004: Empyreal Mist (dc), Danube, Unseelie (dc), Dissipation (dc)

 

Blood Moon 2005: Alone, Tezcatlipoca, Red Phoenix, Tanin'iver, Eclipse

 

Brides of Dracula: Nosferatu

 

Buck Moon: Yddgrasil, Coyote, Dorian, Juke Joint, Ochosi, Robin Goodfellow

 

Budding Moon: Kitsune Tsuki, The Dormouse

 

Butterflies and Plovers: Imp

 

Cancer 2007: La Belle Au Bois Dormant, Queen Mab

 

The Candy Butcher: Hellcat, Cockaigne, Bliss, Centzon Totochtin

 

Carfax Abbey: Death Cap, Cathedral, Eshe

 

The Castle: Wolf’s Heart, Fenris Wolf

 

Cerberus: Hearth 2004, Gomorrah, Tezcatlipoca, Intrigue, The Great Sword of War

 

The City In the Sea: Cthulu

 

The Chapel: Djinn

 

Chanukkiyah: Kill-Devil

 

Chaste Moon: Dana O’Shee, Leanan Sidhe, Tarot:Temperance

 

Cheshire Moon - The Unicorn

 

Chintamani-Dhupa: Carceri D'Invenzione

 

Chrysanthemum Moon: Mama-Ji, Faiza

 

Clémence: Port Royal, Dracul, Voodoo

 

The Clod and the Pebble: Seance

 

Corazon: Tamora, Kuang Shi, Lampades

 

Count Dracula: Port Royal, Dracul, The Smiling Spider, Calico Jack

 

The Cracked Bell: Tarot:Judgement

 

Crumpet Rebellion: The Knave of Hearts, Sugar Skull

 

Crypt Queen: Mme.Moriarty

 

The Darkling Thrush: Cloister in the Graveyard Snow

 

Decadence (unreleased): TAL Amor, Fruitcake

 

Devil’s Night: Smut, Jazz Funeral, Xiuhtecuhtli, Plunder

 

Dia de los Muertos: Kali, Bruja (dc), Centzon Totochtin, Block Buster

 

Diary of a Lovestruck Teenage Cannibal: Hermia, Jailbait, Pepper, Tweedledee

 

Doc Buzzard: Fascinum

 

Dr. John Seward: Blood Countess

 

The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife: Nostrum Remedium

 

Dragon Moon: Neo-Tokyo (dc)

 

Dublin (dc): Mistletoe

 

Dyan Moon: Juliet

 

Earth Rat: Yemaya

 

Ebisu Making Love: The Apothecary, Fae

 

Egg Nog: SN Vanilla Bean (dc), Golden Priapus, Grog

 

Et Lux Fuit: The Lion, Brisingamen, Black Phoenix

 

Fée: Fae, Yemaya, Titania, Fire Pig, Ogun

 

Flower Moon: Eos, Phantom Queen

 

Formula 54: Perversion, Wanda, Santo Domingo, Dracul, Lilith

 

Fortunato: Omen

 

Freak Show: Intrigue, Carnal, Velvet

 

Frost Moon: Cathode, Shattered, Neo-Tokyo (dc), Utrenyaya. Tarot:The Fool

 

Fruit Moon: Aglaea

 

Fruitcake: TAL Amor

 

Gamaliel - Eden

 

Gennivre: Queen Gertrude, The Unicorn, The Dormouse

 

Geek: Two Monsters, Doc Constantine

 

Gingerbread Poppet: Sudha Segara, Shub-Niggarath, Bengal, Port-au-Prince, Ra

 

Glowing Vulva: The Antikythera Mechanism, Haloes

 

Graveyard Dirt: The Premature Burial

 

Green Phoenix: Mock Turtle's Lessons

 

Gypsy Queen: Sybaris, Baghdad, Alice, The Masque, Desire, Sed Non Satiata, Magdalene, Mictecacihuatl

 

Haloa: Hymn to Proserpine

 

Harvest Moon 2004: Jack

 

Harvest Moon 2005: Mabon, Block Buster

 

Harvest Moon '06: Les Bijoux, Verdandi

 

The Haunted Palace: Versailles, Moscow, Three Brides, Tamora, Brisingamen, Tarot:The Sun

 

Havisham: Zombi

 

Hay Moon: Bezoar, No. 93 Engine, Mag Mell

 

Hearth 2004: Jack, Herr Drosselmeyer

 

Hellhound on My Trail: Kathmandu, Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener, Baron Samedi, Pickled Imp, Shub-Niggurath

 

Hellion: Khajuraho, Nahemoth, Malkuth, Chokmah, Blood Countess, Imp

 

Herr Drosselmeyer: The Black Tower

 

Hexennacht 2005: Hunter Moon 2004, Samhain, Black Forest, Nocnitsa, Thanatopsis, Greed, Samhain

 

Hod: Morocco, Pink Moon 2007

 

Honey Moon: La Petit Mort, Sudha Segara

 

Hony Mone: Love-Lies-Bleeding

 

Hunger Moon: Scales of Deprivation, Death of The Grave Digger

 

Hungry Ghost Moon: Fae, 51, Night Gaunt, Sudha Segara, Spirits of the Dead

 

Hunter Moon 2004: Lampades, Lady MacBeth, Hexennacht 2005, Gomorrah, Siren, Grand Guignol, Fortunato, Bewitched

 

Ice Queen: Blue Moon 2004, Frost Moon, Cathode, Lady of Shallott, Nuclear Winter, Talvikuu, Cloister Graveyard in the Snow

 

The Illustrated Woman: O

 

Inez: Lyonesse

 

Jacob’s Ladder: Tarot:The Heirophant, The Lion, Brisingamen

 

June Gloom: Nanshe, Arcana

 

Khajuraho: Hanging Gardens, Hellion, Himerus

 

Kindly Moon: Pele, 51

 

King of Clubs: Bastet, Viola

 

King of Diamonds: Chypre (dc), Villain

 

King of Spades: Yerevan

 

Kingsport: The Apothecary, Olokun

 

Kunstkammer: Tweedledee

 

La Fee Verte: Zorya, Oblivion

 

Lady Lilith: Kubla Khan, Hell's Belle, The Great Sword of War

 

Lemongrass SN: Phobos

 

Lenore: Serpent’s Kiss, Devil’s Claw

 

Leo 2007: Bastet, Anubis

 

Libra 2007: Persephone

 

Litha: Cairo, Gennivre

 

The Living Flame: Venom (dc), Tarot: The Lovers, Othello

 

Love's Philosophy: Tombstone

 

Love in the Asylum: Séance, Ouija

 

Lump of Coal: Bliss, Gluttony, Bastet

 

Lune Noire: Shadow Witch Orchid

 

Luperci: Greed

 

Mabon: Blood Countess, Verdandi

 

Mme. Moriarty: Vixen, Eat Me, Bathsheba

 

Marae: Euphrosyne

 

Marianne: Scherezade

 

Marshmallow Poof: Midway, Antique Lace

 

The Masque: Brisingamen, Magdalene, Masquerade

 

Mechanical Phoenix: Phoenix Steamworks, Robotic Scarab

 

Medicine Show: The Apothecary

 

Mi-Go Brain Canister: Jester, Shango, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, Xanthe The Weeping Clown, Croquet

 

Midnight Kiss: Urd, Centzon Totochtin

 

Midnight Mass: Penitence, Heavenly Love

 

Midway: Grog, Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo, Cockaigne

 

Midwinter’s Eve: Bordello, Aunt Caroline’s Joy Mojo, Lady Macbeth, Jester

 

Milk Moon 2005: White Rabbit, Tarot:The Star, Obatala, Love’s Philosophy

 

Milk Moon 2007: Strangler Fig, Obatala

 

Minotaur: Heavenly Love and Earthly Love

 

Misk. U. Spring Training 2008: Cockaigne

 

Mistletoe: Loup Garou, Hemlock

 

Mitzvah: Trick or Treat, Kill-Devil

 

Moana: 51

 

MonsterBait:Bloody Mary: Vice

 

MonsterBait: BiggerCritters: Euphrosyne

 

MonsterBait: Closet: Eat Me, Bordello

 

MonsterBait: Tokyo Stomp: The Mad Hatter

 

MonsterBait: Underbed: Velvet, Black Pearl

 

MonsterBait:Underpants: Love’s Philosophy, Grog, Tushnamatay, Drink Me, Bastet, Dorian, Cockaigne, Lyonesse, Hymn to Proserpine, Opuhi, Antique Lace

 

MonsterBait: Ventriloquist Dummy: Tiresias the Androgyne, The Arrival at the Sabbath and Homage to the Devil

 

Nahemoth – Hellion, Blood Countess, Red Phoenix

 

Night's Pavilion: Utrenyaya

 

The Oblation: Lady Una, Envy

 

October: Samhainophobia

 

Old Moon: The Jersey Devil

 

One to Tie, Two to Win: Roadhouse, Garden Path With Chickens, Pontarlier

 

The Passionate Shepherd to his Love – Envy, Garden Path with Chickens

 

The Peacock Queen: Black Rose, Kali

 

Penumbra: Arachnina, the Spider-Girl

 

Peony Moon: Budding Moon, Amsterdam

 

Pickled Imp: Chimera

 

Pinched with Four Aces: El Dia Reyes, Cockaigne

 

Pink Moon 2005: Sugar Skull, Arkham (f/k/a Revisited), Maenad, Pink Phoenix

 

Pink Moon 2007: Hod, Alice, Hope, The Reaper and the Flowers, Morocco, Zarita the Doll Girl

 

Pink Phoenix: Aunt Caroline’s Joy Mojo, Hollywood Babylon, Bon Vivant, Strawberry Moon

 

Pirate Moon - Hellfire

 

The Pit and The Pendulum: Cathedral, Midnight Mass, Ra (dc), Anne Bonny, Penitence

 

Poisson d'Avril: Love-In-Idleness

 

Priala: Laudanum, Masabakes

 

Pruno: The Hamptons, Bon Vivant

 

The Pumpkin Queen: Jack, Leo 2007

 

Punkie Night: Coral Snake, Poison Apple, Jack

 

Purple Phoenix: Horreur Sympathique

 

Queen of Clubs: Arachne (dc), Crossroads, Penny Dreadful

 

Queen of Diamonds: Titania

 

Queen of Spades: Lampades, Megeara, Black Phoenix, Blood Countess, Medea, Bewitched, The Hanging Gardens

 

Quincy Morris: Dee, Death on a Pale Horse, Endymion

 

Red Lantern: Gluttony, Perversion, Tezcatlipoca, The Black Tower, Hellfire, Elegba, Wanda, Incubus

 

Red Moon 2004: Desire, Ra (dc), Dragon’s Tears, Blood Countess, Wildfire, French Love

 

Red Moon 2007: The Maltese Cross of Sanctus Germanus, The Ifrit

 

Red Phoenix: Blood Moon, Alone, Frumious Bandersnatch, Tanin'iver, Silk Road

 

Rose Moon: London, Tarot:The Empress, Hope, Victoria

 

Rose Red: The Apothecary, Persephone, Tarot:The Empress, Ophelia, Whip, Endymion, Eternal, Queen Mab, Two, Five & Seven,

 

Roux-Ga-Roux: Bayou, Robin Goodfellow

 

Sagittarius 2007: The Apothecary, Nemesis

 

Samhain: Hellfire, Hexennacht 2005, House of Night, Tanin'iver

 

Scorpio (Original 2004): La Petit Mort

 

Schwarzer Mond: Scherezade, Sin, Dragons Bone, The Music of Erich Zahn, Minotaur, Carceri d'Invenzione

 

Selkie: Titania, Y'ha-nthlei, Cancer 2007, Earth Rat

 

Shanghai Tunnel: Singing Moon

 

Singing Moon: Jezirat al Tennyn

 

Skadi: Alecto, Dublin, Hemlock, Golden Priapus, Snow Moon, Snow Bunny, Black Forest

 

Sleepy Moon: Juliet, Belle Epoque

 

Smut: Sed Non Satiata, Devil’s Night, Scherezade, Spellbound, Eat Me, Imp, Vixen

 

Snake Charmer: Snake Oil, Golden Priapus, Eat Me, Nahemoth, Mme. Moriarty, Boomslang, Temple Viper, Bathsheba

 

Snow Angel: Phantasm

 

Snow Bunny: Snow Moon

 

Snow-Flakes: The Torture Queen

 

Snow, Glass, Apples: Poisoned Apple, The Hesperides

 

Snow Moon: Tintagel, Snow Bunny, Thanatopsis, Nocnitsa

 

Snow White: Dana O’Shee, Szepassony, The Unicorn, Defututa

 

Spanked: Loviatar

 

Spirits of The Dead: Severin, Baobhan Sith, Sudha Segara, Embalming Fluid, Holiday Moon

 

Spooky: Tarot:The Star

 

Sol Invictus: Ra

 

Storm Moon: Lightning

 

Storyville: Smut, Spanked, Devil's Night, Wezwanie-Hold, Love Me

 

Sturgeon Moon – Danube, Bayou, Tempest

 

Sugar Cookie: Chimera, Mr. Nancy

 

Sugar Skull: Gluttony, Mr. Nancy, Cockaigne, Kill-Devil

 

Tarot: The Star: Eden, Shoggoth

 

Tamamo-No-Mae: The Lantern Ghost of Oiwa, Zarita the Doll Girl

 

Tiki King: Intrigue, Havana, Satan and Death with Sin Intervening

 

Tiki Queen: Vasakasajja

 

Thunder Moon: Slobbering Pine

 

To Helen: Versailles

 

Torture King: Voodoo, High John the Conqueror, Doc Constantine

 

Treat #2: Carnal, Eden

 

The Unheavenly City: Sacred Whore of Babylon

 

Upa Upa: Sed Non Satiata

 

Usher: Tarot:The Fool, Dorian, Ode on Melancholy

 

Vampire Tears: Baobhan Sith, Severin, Whitechapel, Dorian

 

Vasakasajja: Shadow Witch Orchid, Tiki Queen

 

Voodoo Queen: Perversion

 

Whippoorwill: Silk Road, Singing Moon

 

White Phoenix: Yvaine

 

Wildfire: Dragon’s Bone

 

Winter of our Discontent: Golden Priapus

 

Winter Stress Relief Elixir: Rome

 

Wolf Moon 2007: Black Forest

 

Yog-Sothoth: Niflheim

 

Yuletide: Jabberwocky

 

Xanthe, the Weeping Clown: Tweedledee

I'm inviting savage_rose over and we'll experiment with CupCuke. *snort* I can't believe I didn't notice that typo when I read it before. Buttercream icing and chocolate jimmies over layers of velvety cake and sliced cucumbers. Mmmm!

"All of our scents are 100% naturally derived".

 

This quote from the BPAL website is very clear, I don't understand all the confusion and people saying that the Lab hasn't made a clear statement on this. The reason they say "naturally derived" and not "natural" is that there are many notes that cannot be extracted directly. This is true for most fruits, many flowers, leather, etc. For example, there is no such thing as "natural strawberry oil", but it's possible to mix certain natural oils to create the strawberry accord, which is what the Lab does.

 

Thanks Mrs. Black, that does make it clearer, but where on the website does it say that?

 

talula_fairie had just posted a response she received from the Lab via e-mail a page or two back that used that phrase precisely - I thought maybe Mrs. Black's fingers got ahead of her and that's what she was referring to in her post Given that Beth's due to pop at any moment, I doubt we'll be seeing revised FAQ on the website or an official statement or anything of that nature in the immediate future, but I think we can take talula_faerie's word about the e-mail. She's got no vested interest in the argument. And if people on lj counter that with, "well, it sure smells synthetic to me," c'est la vie. We all have opinions.

 

...

 

Btw, I did email the lab, and here is the response:

 

Black Phoenix uses no synthetics, no fillers and no garbage. All of our scents are 100% naturally derived. With the exception of our honey products, BPAL perfumes are vegan. Our 'civet' and 'ambergris' are bouquets, and thus, are composite scents created from plant-derived perfume oils combined to best approximate the scent. Black Phoenix is entirely cruelty-free, as our four dogs, many fish, and resident lab cat will attest.

 

 

 

While we use no preservatives, our oil blends will last for over one year, if they are cared for correctly. Please keep all of our products in a cool, dark place to maximize their shelf life.

 

 

 

Unfortunately, we cannot further divulge our ingredients due to protecting our recipes from competitors.

 

Salem, for something new and lemony, you might like Ave Maria Gratia Plena (rosewood with Sicilian lemon peel, red Mysore sandalwood, pale musks, sweet mountain sage and a dusting of lily, night-blooming jasmine and orris) or Coral Snake (Snake Oil with blood orange, red apple, lemon peel, plumeria, and gardenia); last year's #5 from the Pumpkin Patch had pumpkin with benzoin, bourbon vanilla, lemon peel, neroli, blood orange, and red ginger, if you can track some of it down.

 

I put on Snow Glass Apples today and I think it's a great late-days-of-summer scent. So many apple blends are warm and spicy, but SGA's got a coolness about it so it's not too intense for days that are still warm and it reminds me of the cool days that are coming.

I pulled out Chrysanthemum Moon yesterday and every bit of wonderful autumn nostalgia I could ever imagine swept over me It's even better than I remembered and I think that a bit more age on it has something to do with that - it's smoother and deeper. This scent really personifies autumn to me!

There is a musk thread here in Recs, but I have been thinking about splitting it up a bit - red musk probably will be a solo topic so let's carry on the discussion and I will merge older posts discussing red musk into this thread when I get started on my project. =)

 

My absolute favorite red musk blend is Madame Moriarty

Having been away from BPAL for a little too long I'm struggling to remember all the lovely knowledge I picked up, so here I am appealing to the veterans!

 

Basicly here in sunny England it's getting a little cold most days which makes me want to break out the autumny winter scents already. I've wrote myself a little list in notepad and wondered if I'm on the right track -

 

Zombi

Bordello (a recommendation as it's not the easiest to come by Midwinters Eve anymore)

Snake oil

Jack

Old Port-Au-Prince

Seraglio

Al Sharain

 

I'm looking for real warm, spicy, old scents. I don't want to buy 2 different ones that have the same under tones though, as I've done that numerous times before. I need to weed out any that might not be right and perhaps narrow the list down to 4? And to give an idea of what tickles my fancy - I absolutely adore Brown Jenkins and Midwinters Eve (07).

 

Thankyou! And hopefully this isn't treading on anyones toes.

 

If I was going to pick 4 from your list for you, they would be:

 

Snake Oil - because it's warm and spicy and you should also like its sweetness since you like Midwinter's Eve

Port-au-Prince - sweet and spicy and warm yet completely different from Snake Oil.

Seraglio - You may get a little bit of similarity w/ Port-au-Prince because they both have almond, but because they are so different, I'd really try both. This one's got some orangey-ness that makes it a little foodier.

Al-Sharain - now here you will smell a bit of orange again, but it's completely different from the others. Very, very spicy, the peach is stronger than the orange to me and the patchouli and incense make it deep and autumnal.

 

I think you should also try the LE Samhain, it's the quintessential warm and spicy fall scent to me, but without having a foody element.

Felix, I love The Lion and even though it's a rich amber and very natural, I think it also has a sophisticated edge to it - as long as you don't apply loads and loads, it isn't an overwhelming scent IMO. There's something that appeals to me about wearing Leanan Sidhe to an interview for a job that has a creative bent It's also on the lighter side if you are worrying about wearing something that will fill the room.

Anyone have a picture of the 08 version of 13?

What color is it?

 

Thanks!

 

The latest one has a green label w/ purple lettering - sorry I don't have a picture, though!