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

Recommended Posts

A quiet scent, soft, calm and enigmatic. A perfume of mystery, of whispers, and of secrets behind secrets. White sandalwood, lilac, gardenia, violet, orris, lavender and ylang ylang.


One of those bottles I bought because the description sounded awesome.

And I was right!

Bottle: Wow! Lavender. Strong, sharp.. lavender!

Wet: Lavender. Very dominant.

Dry: Sandalwood giving this a sweet and little spicy twist. Other flowers coming through. All in all.. just lovely - if you like lavender.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

In the imp, I get all the gorgeous notes in the description. This is something I would have worn on my wedding day. How could this possibly go wrong?

 

Ugh, I spoke too soon. This goes straight to powder as soon as I apply it. Why??? I had such high hopes for you, Veil. Why do you hate me so? I think BPAL's violet note is bad news bears for me, because I had a similar experience with Queen Gertrude. What a disappointment. To the swap pile you go.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I ordered an imp of Veil in my last order purely based on its scent description. I don't really know what I was expecting from the scent, but I have to say, I was not disappointed.

 

Out of the Imp: fresh cut grass and herbs. A hint of a woodsy note. Peppery florals...if that even makes sense.

 

Wet on the skin: florals...and lots of them! The violet and gardenia are what jump out the most. I actually regretted putting it on at first because it seemed as though it was going to be too strong of a floral scent for me.

 

Dry on the skin: the floral notes have toned down, a lot. There is this wonderful lingering scent of gardenia that trails off into a note of lilac.

 

Overall: I am please with the scent; its very innocent and feminine. If you like cheerful floral scents try Veil.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I received this in a swap. It sounds like something I will enjoy so here goes;

In the imp: A bright scent, yet also powdery. Definitely feels like a dusky purple color.

 

On wet: No wonder someone said this smells like a baby. Right now this smells identical to a diaper rash cream I used to use on my babies. It's very medicinal smelling with a weird tang that makes me think of the sour center of a purple now-and-later candy.

 

Dry: I dislike this. It is a weird, sour powdery smell that makes me think of an old lady. Definitely will be swapping this.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Veil started out beautifully with lots of soft florals (mmmm...gardenia); however, it finally dried down to nothing but sandalwood. The sandalwood is nice, but I want those florals back. Too bad. :sad:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Imp: Sharp and sour

Wet: Sandlewood and grass and lavender, smells a bit like medicated cream.

Drydown: Lavender

Dry: Lavender + something I can't pick out

Verdict: To me, this almost smells like a really good companion to LUSH's Twilight products. Yummy. Will get a bottle if the imp does its job.

Edited by Amalthea

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I'm nervous about this one. It's nothing but florals, and lots of them, and I generally don't do well with florals. I'm also too dumb in the flower realm to pick out one flower-scent from the other. Here goes...

 

Imp: A strangely sharp lavender. There's some kind of sour chemical smell here that reminds me of a cross between cheap, nameless hair conditioner and bubble bath.

Wet: Pretty much the same as it was in the imp, but my skin is apparently amping whatever it is that reminds me of bubble bath. A lot. It brings back memories of accidentally getting soap in my mouth in the bath as a kid. :P

Drydown: It stays the same (flowery bubble bath) as time goes on, with the amount of florals changing every so slightly along the way. Ultimately it arrives at a flowery powder.

Verdict: Not as unpleasant as other scents I've had go powdery, but overall this is a nice floral that's definitely not for me. It's too light and girly. I'm sure it does very well on some gals who are more that sort. :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thank you for the frimp, labbies!

 

In the imp: Oil is clear and a bright golden yellow. The scent is mostly sandalwood and ylang ylang, with other florals and a light hint of lavender.

 

On me, wet: On my skin, the florals come out much more strongly. It is a beautiful balanced blend of flowers with no one type dominating. A light, bright scent. While wet, I can only smell the flowers.

 

On me, just dried: It lightens up quickly as it dries, becoming fairly subtle within a couple of minutes after application. An undertone of wood returns, now a generic wood rather than specifically sandalwood.

 

After 10 minutes: The wood has picked up strength and now almost equals the flowers.

 

After 30 minutes: It now smells like a very classy, expensive, but subtle, perfume.

 

After 1 hour: Same as above, but rather faint.

 

A classy floral blend that is feminine but restrained enough by the wood note to make it sedate enough for the office. I totally agree with the description. This is a light, subtle scent - another quality which makes it ideal for work - but that also means it doesn't last long on the skin. Reapply often (about every 1 1/2 hours) and/or wear it in a scent locket.

 

My rating: 5 stars

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Another one for the bottle list! I loved the description on this so was thrilled to get an imp of it. Tried it this morning.

 

Out of the bottle: Didn't think I was going to like it - VERY sharp! But I learned my lesson from Lilith yesterday, so on the wrist it went.

 

Wet: Sharpness gone, florals, yummm. Chris smelled it at this stage and gave it thumbs up.

 

Drying: It keeps changing!! One sniff will be powdery and sweet and the next will be sharper floral. I like it, keeps me guessing.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Thoughts before testing: I love all of the notes listed here except for orris, which I'm not sure what it is.

 

Wet: Big beautiful gardenia and just a hint of lavender. Lovely!

 

Dry down: Wait, where did my florals go? And where is this soap coming from?!

 

Dry: Blast. Soap.

 

Verdict: Sales!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Wow, violet, lavender... my death notes. It just smells like my grandmothers linen closet to me :( Later on - SOAP!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Tried this today. My first thought on it wet was "gardenia?". It smells a little like a gardenia soap I specifically didn't use today to keep from mixing scents. Maybe because my nose is a little stuffed, or maybe because I had to put on mittens less than an hour after I put on the scent (gotta love NE winters), but I don't have a good idea of what it smells like dried-down. I'll try it again on a warmer day, or maybe save the rest of the imp for a few months.

Edited by Saturniia

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

A frimp with my Yule order, thanks lab :wub2: Veil is a scent that does not work on me, even though I like florals. In the imp it smells like very strong lavender. On the skin still lavender, but with something really sharp in the background which I can't put my finger on. On me this is quite a strong and overpowering scent, and I usually prefer soft and subtle. The descripstion of it sounded perfect for me, but it wasn't what I was expecting it to be. There is a note in this that doesn't agree with me at all. After it dries down it smells better the sharpness fades, but overall I probably wouldn't wear this because it is too strong for my taste. I don't know what orris sounds like but I wonder if it smells sour on me?

Edited by becca_s

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I think orris hates me. This hit my skin with an acrid, lemon-floral scent that smelled exactly like bathroom cleaner. Half an hour later is smelled exactly like dial soap. First bpal I ever washed off.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On me, Veil smells exactly like Choward's Violet Mints. While thats nice and brings back pleasant memories, I feel like the straight violet smell I'm getting is a little astringent/soapy for me to want to wear. If only the other notes wanted to come out to play.

 

As much as I love the idea of violet, my experience with Le Serpents Qui Danse and now Veil has confirmed that it's just not for me.

Edited by itsrabbitstew

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

In the imp: Possibly sour florals. A touch of soap.

 

Wet: Undeniably the most complete violet smell ever. Kind of like smelling a hothouse FULL of violets and nothing else. This isn't fake smelling like a candle; it's like being surrounded with violets.

 

Drying: The violets are being pulled into a cloud of something poofy smelling. I'm thinking it's the other flowers in the blend, but they're hazy and indistinct. I hereby dub this phase the "bouquet of clouds." It's kind of lovely!

 

Dry: Sandalwood has crept in to support the cloud of flowers. Things feel settled yet dreamy. Veil is just a bit sweet. Innocent.

 

Verdict: Fits the name exactly. Completely gorgeous, light floral fragrance that's reading as graceful and innocent on my skin. Veil makes me feel happy and feminine. I like it!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

On the skin: Whoa! Strong lavender herbal with a powderiness to it. This is really strong! After a bit, the scent turns really sour as well. :ack:

 

This is not for me at all!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

In the Imp (ITI): The first notes out are gardenia and violet, blended beautifully in harmony. It reminds me of walking through a veil. After I inhale a little longer, can pick up the orris, which adds some nice complexity to the sweetness and innocence of the flowers.

 

Wet: Ah, there is the lavender, although it’s a bit overpowering for the gardenia and violet upon initial application. The lavender yields a bit more greenness to the scent base.

 

Dry: The lavender has calmed down, back to the original in the imp scent combination, although there are slight hints of lavender. I would love to make this into a room spray or a hair gloss. This will go on the “to buy” list.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Unfortunately, this is foul on me. I really do think orris hates me. It smells like a combination of old-fashioned face powder and one of those swamp flowers that has an undertone of carrion.

 

So, um, not my thing.

 

On the bright side, it has very little throw, so even though my wrists smell offensive, I can't smell it very much.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

In the bottle - A green, slightly chemical floral note

 

Wet on me - A soft green floral with a powdery undertone

 

Dry on me - A green dry floral

 

Overall - Really not my cup of tea

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The lavender is very sharp at first. A lot more aggressive than I would have expected from the description of this oil. Then it quietens down and some nice flowers come out. Once it's dry it becomes more or less what I imagined and much truer to the description. The ylang ylang really shines in this. It's a lovely, delicate, subdued floral. Someone must have beat lavender round the head with a crowbar! I like it.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This one was a pleasant surprise. It was a soft, lace-like scent, very understated and formal. It was there but not the center of attention. I was imagining a quiet bodyguard smelling like this. It wasn't sweet, and I couldn't really pick out individual notes. After a while I noticed a slight spiciness that might have been the sandalwood. Later it smelled like a really good soap scent. I'm happy to have this in my collection. The smell did seem to be dependent on skin chemistry, though, and had subtle differences depending on when it was worn.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Very typical with these notes and my skin: fluffy lavender, nice but nothing to write home about florals, sharp evil sandalwood. Not a must-have for me.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Sharp, medicinal lavender when first applied. After about 10 minutes it calms down into a beautiful floral. I smell violet predominately, but there is something else there I cant identify (not the lilac, gardenia perhaps?). I can hardly detect the lavender at this point, which is a good thing. Its really beautiful once it dries and I'm contemplating a bottle of this.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This is all lovely, soft lavender on me in the wet and drydown stages. It's like the scent version of a very soft blanket made from cashmere or alpaca. I can detect some of the other florals and the sandalwood in the background, which gives the blend a unique twist and differentiates it from other lavender blends I own. Once dry it reminds me of floral soap, but I don't really mind, it's actually rather comforting. Not sure if I'd wear this during the day, it feels too innocent to wear to work, but this is a great bedtime blend. (:

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

×