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

Recommended Posts

A smoky, dark pumpkin scent, inspired by Victorian Halloween postcard illustrations: a cascade of cobwebby white sandalwood threaded through vanilla bourbon, sharp green cognac, Virginia tobacco, and caramelized sugar, all draped across a freshly carved jack olantern.

In bottle: Lovely pumpkin with some spice. Can smell the booze note....not sure if it's the bourbon, cognac or both. Not too shabby!

On Skin: Same spiced pumpkin, but not overpowering...soft, but the booze note gets stronger, but I tend to amp booze. I get a little bit of that "lace" scent....must be the white sandalwood.

Dry Down: Still a bit boozy for me, but I love the soft pumpkin note. It does smell like a nice pumpkin shawl, but then there is a floral undertone that comes out a bit. I love how this ends up smelling after about 15 minutes, but this one isn't right for me. I have had trouble liking past laces, but if they work for you, get this one.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

In the bottle, the tobacco was the strongest, followed by the pumpkin. At this level, I got nothing more than those two notes, but they were STRONG.

 

Wet On Skin, the tobacco immediately started pulling back and the pumpkin got rich and buttery- a classic pumpkin note maneuver on me ;) As intense as the scent was in the bottle, I was surprised how quickly after application it started to calm down.

 

Dry Down found the pumpkin losing it's butter side and becoming a fresh, still-on-the-vine kind of pumpkin. A "green" note, it reminded me of the smell of all gourds this time of year.

 

About 40 minutes later, the scent has gotten incredibly light on my skin and what's remaining is a whisper of tobacco with a tiny hint of the caramel (which isn't doing the sugar-amping thing on me, and I'm super happy about that) and a faint trace of the bourbon vanilla- which isn't reading as foodie in the least.

 

In All: Very low throw- if this oil doesn't deepen with age I'll have to slather it- and a delicate, sweet smell. This is a good one for daytime use. I'm hoping with all those rich notes that aging it will bring some of that stuff up close and personal.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I will probably come back and edit this since I tried it right out of the mailbox but first impression:

 

Real, creamy pumpkin mixed with Pinched with Four Aces. It has the same spiced/tobacco/boozy notes with a light touch of the creamy pumpkin. Not too sweet, not too buttery. Just perfect and I'm glad I got two bottles.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

In the bottle I'm getting pumpkin, spice and lots of tobacco. I can already tell I'm going to love this.

 

On the skin, when first applied I get a strong burst of fleshy pumpkin (for literally like 3 seconds), it then settles into a warm, spiced pumpkin. Is there ginger in this? I swear I'm getting ginger, it's got a little Shub-Niggurath thing going on.

 

After about 10 minutes, the sandalwood, cognac and tobacco join together, creating a beautiful, lacy web for the spiced pumpkin note. I think I'm getting clove in here as well, but that may be my nose playing tricks on me. I absolutely love how all of the lace scents really do, somehow smell "lacy". This is classic feeling, delicate and orange. The tobacco isn't as prominent as it is in Autumn Lace and it's not as spiced as Mourning Lace. I'd say it's somewhere in-between the two with the addition of a pumpkin note. If you liked either of those scents I highly recommend you pick up a bottle of this before they're gone forever. :) I think I may need to pick up an additional bottle myself.

Edited by Monster

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Got this one on a swap with a lovely forumite, and I am so happy! My all time favorite pumpkin scent is Pumpkin IV 2009, which is a very dark, very spicy pumpkin with tons of throw. On my skin, Pumpkin Lace is in the same family as that scent, but for day wear! I even sniffed them side by side to be certain. The pumpkin and spices are sweeter and lighter, and I don't get a strong boozy note that would keep it from being work safe, but it does blend in well with the pumpkin and spices. I love this and I also think it will age very well.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This is really good: slightly spicy pumpkin with that unmistakable tobacco/cognac/something that says "BPAL Lace blend." I don't find this foodie at all; rather it's refined, slightly Victorian, very Autumnal...and delicious. I'm happy to add this to my Lace collection.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Pumpkin Lace on me was heavy on the tobacco, spices and the caramelized sugar ended up smelling like maple syrup. It dried down to a maple syrup heavy, spices, and as it dried I got more of the sandalwood mixing in on the background.

 

It actually ended up with a strong throw, gender neutral edging toward the masculine on me. I tested this alongside jewelbug and on her skin, it definitely was spicy and the pumpkin was more present.

 

For me though, it was a heavily Victorian inspired blend indeed, but more like Victorian manly as opposed to Victorian female. Loved the tobacco, and the heavy autumnal feel of it though.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

In the bottle: The tobacco and green cognac are very prominent in the bottle. The pumpkin is present as well.



Wet: Once this hits my skin, I get the vanilla bourbon, pumpkin, and caramelized sugar notes at first. Then, the tobacco jumps out, the pumpkin note seems to be getting more prominent, and I am getting some of the lovely cognac note as well. At one point, the white sandalwood and tobacco notes start becoming more prominent, and the scent becomes less sweet and more masculine, but then the vanilla and sugar notes emerge again.



Dry: I get a lot of the vanilla bourbon, caramelized sugar, and tobacco on my wrists, but in the crook of my elbow, it is less sweet, and I get more of the tobacco and sandalwood notes with a bit of cognac.



Verdict: I am so glad that I was able to find a bottle of this one!


Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Just received this yesterday, and right now it's all pumpkin, all the time. Once it's had about an hour on my skin, I start to smell that delicious lace base, but even then the pumpkin really dominates. I suspect this may behave a little like Tattered Lace, which needed a year of aging before it started to smell like anything much. Since pumpkin is a note I really only want to wear in a limited seasonal way, I'll wait and give it another go next fall.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This is a pretty fresh bottle for me. This is the first lace I've talked myself into buying. It's a really nice scent to me though.

In the bottle, I get lots of pumpkin. It's rich and like you just opened up a can of pumpkin. When it goes on, I get that same scent, plus the cognac. It makes the pumpkin a little bitter. But, that doesn't last more than a few minutes thankfully. As it dries, it gets more the buttery and creamy pumpkin, which makes me think that the vanilla is trying to make a show of itself. That stays, but then the tobacco comes in and melds in like a spectre that can only be known when you are near it. Once completely dry, it has enough throw that others know that it's being worn, but it's mostly pumpkin from afar. You still need to get close to get the remainder of the scent.

I'll definitely keep this in my pumpkin rotation until I finish this bottle. As I think about it, it reminds me a bit of last year's pumpkin series, V and one of the other ones mixing together.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

In the bottle - Spicy pumpkin. (NOT pumpkin spice. Important distinction.)

 

Wet - Spicy pumpkin and something slightly dirty. Earthy dirty, not unclean dirty. Maybe it’s the tobacco. Also, there’s a sharp note at play here -- maybe it’s the cognac? -- that is interrupting the blend.

 

Drydown - For me, this is the scent of a pumpkin that was left out in the rain. Not a drizzle, a downpour. The skin of the pumpkin is squeaky clean from the water, and there’s a faint dusky earthiness about the whole situation.

 

Verdict - I’ll need to try this again before I make a final decision. I love me some pumpkin scents, but there are so many out there that I don’t need to dally with any that I don’t completely love. The initial phases of this one weren’t as pleasing as some of my other pumpkins. It’s still a pleasant blend, so I’m sure someone else will be able to give it a spot on their shelf. Swap.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Some Laces are pretty darn good, and let's face it some, well not so good. (Pink Lace I'm looking at you). This falls into the category of an AMAZING LACE!! This one starts off as spices of the pumpkin variety, where no one really stands out, it's all blended well together. After a bit, less spice, and more classic sultry lace with vanilla, bourbon, and sandalwood. This would be a cross between Black Lace and Autumn Lace. I find Black Lace a bit too much at times, it's just too heavy on the sandalwood, but dries into something lovely after a bit. Autumn lace is very similar to this, but PL is more mellow with a touch of warm spice. I rarely upgrade these days, but this one definitely warrants it. I"m surprised this one isn't getting more love. Maybe y'all need to pull out your bottles and try this one again. Maybe a little age is what it needs. ;)

 

eta: fwiw, I don't get any maple syrup at all. I would have been totally turned off if I did.

Edited by milo

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I seem to be amping different notes than most people who have reviewed this one. It starts out quite perfumey & red smelling - quite a bit like Red Lace, then it develops a grape or wine note & runs with it. If this is cognac, it's a very fruity one! After a while, that fades & I get a little spice & some brown sugar (lots & lots of brown sugar) but no pumpkin or sandalwood worth mentioning. Once dry, I get coffee for some reason & a hint of the Lace vanilla base buried underneath the sugar (now caramelized) & perhaps some booze. I can see the maple syrup comparison but it's more like a fancy coffee with liqueur on me.

 

Pleasant & foody but not at all what I was expecting from the notes! My husband says it smells like sexy Tia Maria :)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

I always amp sweet notes, so I was pleased when I tested this the other day and found it was similar to Jack, but not as cloying on me. Loving the tobacco and boozyness to smooth out the saccharine qualities my chemistry loves to point out. The pumpkin does indeed smell creamy, and at times, I feel like I smell tin, like it's a boozy pumpkin pie, just out of the oven, sitting in its tin pan. It's warm, a little spicy and comforting. Perfect for the holidays.

Just 20 minutes after putting this on, I have an intense throw to where coworkers can smell it from across the room. "It smells amazing in here, like Christmas!" :) I hope it lasts a while. Will update when I remember lol

 

[update 4 hours later] the throw has definitely calmed but I catch whiffs of it here and there from my arms and collarbone. It's turned a little musky and smoky, and the sweetness is more subtle in the creamy pumpkin. I like!

Edited by meadow_fabulous

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Lately, I have, inadvertently, tried several cognac, tobacco, pumpkiny scents, and it is right up my wheel house! I really like the white sandalwood in this one, it makes it a little less foodie. Delicious.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Intensely spicy pumpkin with a little bit of baby powdery sandalwood in the drydown. Mostly just spices on my skin. I'm sad that I can't smell the tobacco, as I like pumpkin blends with a dose of earthiness to them.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

When I first received this, about a year ago, there was a much stronger pumpkin scent to me. Now, it is mainly Tobacco, vanilla, and a little bit of pumpkin. Nice, fits in with the other Laces.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Wet: Mmm. This is unmistakably that Lace scent with some creamy (not terribly spicy, which is nice) pumpkin. I don't always love pumpkin - Jack is horrific on me. But this is niiiiice. The pumpkin and hint of spice are subtle, and blend surprisingly well with the "Lace" tobacco, vanilla and cognac. I love this so far.

 

 

Dry: Mmm, Lace! I really do love the Laces, and this is no exception. Tiny hint of spice, creamy pumpkin (but not too buttery!) on a background of that classic Lace scent. I really like it. Happy to have it!

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

This is everything I love about pumpkin fragrances and about laces combined into one. I always tell myself, "stop buying more pumpkins, you have enough!" but this reminds me why I keep buying. This is a nice creamy pumpkin (again, not too buttery or spicy, it's just right) over what you can expect from a BPAL lace blend. For a lace, it actually has fantastic longevity and throw. The pumpkin aspect doesn't overwhelm the lace like I expected. Instead they work together, creating a nice creamy cashmere lace accord with some added pumpkin for good measure. Definitely one of my favorite lace blends. I'd recommend to anyone who can find this one.

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

×