Similarities Between BPAL Scents - GC and general discussion

[modernsaints]

Yesterday I tested Kiyohime Changes from a Serpent and 51, and I found them nearly identical - 51 was just a bit syrupy to me, and Kiyohime was lighter. Which is odd, as they don't share any notes except green musk, but - there you go.

[naeelah]

Earlier in the thread, I asked if anyone knows of a scent that's similar to Morgause but has less predominant white floral notes.

 

I'll answer my own question. The Witch Queen, from the Stardust collection.

 

It isn't the same note for note, but it is very, very similar in character. Florals with purple fruit and smoky incense. Only the three qualities are very well balanced, on my skin, and basically exactly what I'd hoped Morgause would be. Yay!

[xleighx]

My Shattered is leaking, but I want to get an all-Alice pack next order. Anything close to Shattered in Mad Tea Party?

[devilbunnyart]

The Mock Turtle's Lessons and Tweedledee are the two closest ones that I can think of. Maybe you could give those a try? Anyone else have any better suggestions for this?

[ivyandpeony]

I'd go with the Mock Turtle's Lessons for the fruity-aquatic feel - of course, you'll miss the mint but I think you'll really like it. If not, you can swap it for an imp of Shattered!

[xleighx]

People whom Catherine goes soap on - Two, Five, and Seven do the same thing?

[Shollin]

Nope! At least not on me. Two, Five and Seven is probably my second-favorite rose scent after Rose Red (and I'm not generally a rose person); Catherine went straight to rose soap.

[xleighx]

Nope! At least not on me. Two, Five and Seven is probably my second-favorite rose scent after Rose Red (and I'm not generally a rose person); Catherine went straight to rose soap.

 

The only rose that doesn't do *something* funky on me is Moon Rose. Throwing that out there - will TFS be death in a bottle? I do love roses... but they don't love me.

[hackess]

People whom Catherine goes soap on - Two, Five, and Seven do the same thing?

 

Nope, but Two, Five & Seven is a greener rose on me. That "itty-bitty bit of green grass" is more like sitting next to the only rose bush in a huge yard of freshly cut grass.

[diamondstars]

I'm new to forum so haven't quite got the hang of how things work 'round here yet.. Anyhoo, was wondering if anyone could tell me if they've discovered a BPAL scent which is similar to Bliss? It's gorgeous! Can't get enough! I've got a 5ml bottle on order; wish it'd hurry 'cause the imp is nearly gone!!

Cheers!

 

 

[ivyandpeony]

I'm new to forum so haven't quite got the hang of how things work 'round here yet.. Anyhoo, was wondering if anyone could tell me if they've discovered a BPAL scent which is similar to Bliss? It's gorgeous! Can't get enough! I've got a 5ml bottle on order; wish it'd hurry 'cause the imp is nearly gone!!

Cheers!

 

 

 

Hi saracakes, and welcome to the forum!

 

I am sure you will get some suggestions here, but you also might want to check out this thread, which covers all kinds of chocolate recommendations. Good luck!

[Christine Daae]

So, on me - Bengal and Plunder are very similar. They're both chai tea, Bengal being after adding sugar and milk, and Plunder being the version where it's just steeping in the kitchen. They're both so very, very yummy.

 

 

I am looking for things that are similar in feel to Kindly Moon. It's one of my favourites, and it's really hard to describe what it does on me - even though it's almost all florals, it turns into this lovely, clear, sweeet almost melon-ish scent while still being identifiably floral. It's so gorgeous. Is there anything similar to this in the GC, or even the Salons?

[xleighx]

Dear BPAL,

Why does Pumpkin V from this year smell like a non-evil version of Eden on me? They have none of the same notes.

It makes me happy, because the fig leaf in Eden did DEATHLY things to my head, but it's still very odd.

Sincerely,

Hilda

[Apple]

On me, the following blends smell like they are from similar scent families:

 

Bien Loin D'Ici, Scherezade, and Snake Oil (and to a lesser extent, Morocco): these all share a common note, which to my nose smells like grape-y Egyptian incense. They are all supposed to be spicy blends, too, but my nose gets fixated on that incense note.

Note: I've discovered that it's red musk that is contributing that grape incense scent. Sin was also spicy and incredibly heavy on the red musk, and Vixen should also be noted as a member of the red musk family.

 

Nosferatu and Jazz Funeral: both have a delicious mossy base. Nosferatu is spicy berries + moss; Jazz Funeral is almost like a light, spicy aftershave (bay rum) + moss. I find both to be unisex fragrances, but Jazz Funeral is a teeny bit more traditionally masculine. Ironically, I prefer Jazz Funeral, and my (male) partner prefers Nosferatu.

 

Leo (2007) and Bastet: Although both smell fruity when first applied, the fruitiness from Bastet vanished almost immediately, but Leo's hangs around for a good long while (and oh, how I wish it wouldn't). When fully dry, however, both are delicious, warm, golden, sweet, spicy amber scents.

Adding Anubis (another ambery incense with a hint of fruit and nuts) and Cleopatra Testing Poisons on Those Condemned to Death from the Salon (sort of like Bastet + peach, but the peach fades quickly).

 

Devil's Claw and Hurricane: for the vetiver lovers. Both open with a rush of smoky, almost burnt smelling vetiver and then soften. A eucalyptus/menthol note surfaces in Hurricane before it turns into baby powder on me, whereas Devil's Claw becomes more herbal, smelling like a mish-mash of essential oils. It calms quickly and there's something slightly sweet (in a good way), something sort of citrusy, and something leathery under all that vetiver.

Adding Umbra for those that love vetiver. It was all vetiver, all the time. Agnes Nutter opens with a blast of vetiver, but dries to a gorgeous gunpowder scent.

 

Shub-Niggurath, Gingerbread Poppet (2005), Port-au-Prince, and Ra: spicy, with ginger, cloves, and bay rum. Shub and Port-au-Prince both dry down to an aftershave kind of scent reminiscent of "Old Spice" by Shulton/Proctor & Gamble. Ra is Old Spice-y in its middle stage but turns into almost pure clove when fully dry.

Adding Euterpe and The Sportive Sun, which both smell like delicious gingersnap cookies on me.

 

Tristran and Hellfire: I like Tristran but do not care for Hellfire, but they share a weird, sweet musky quality.

 

Coyote and Loviatar: These two are similar to Tristran and Hellfire with their sweet muskiness, but I find both Coyote and Loviatar to be cloying and overpowering. They both remind me strongly of "English Leather" by Dana.

Adding Havana and Crowley, which also have that super-sweet brown leather note.

 

Omen and Robin Goodfellow share a sweet/soapy/woody powderiness when dry.

 

Alice and Masabakes also smell very similar when dry: honeyed spicy rose.

Adding Black Phoenix to this category. Although it smells like almond extract at first, it dries to the same sweet rosey scent that Alice and Masabakes do.

 

Penitence and Anne Bonny: must be the frankincense.

Adding Cathedral to this category. All three are so similar; I'm going to have to do a side-by-side sniff test.

(The Pit & the Pendulum, which is an LE, also smells similar to these three.)

 

Eclipse, Bengal, and Hecate: sweet and powdery, these smell similar when dry.

 

Olokun and Jolly Roger: salty breezes.

 

Lightning, Tempest, and Szepasszony: ozoney aquatics - salty dryer sheets!

Windward Passage is also similar, but with added spice.

(And Archangel Winter, which is an LE, would fall into this category.)

 

Deep in Earth and Zombi: ROSE and mossy earth.

 

Edited to add new discoveries.

Edited September 29, 2008 by Apple

[Christine Daae]

To me, Black Opal is a cooler, more stone-like version of Death Cap, which is warm and earthier. They have a similar vanilla vibe, though.

[tziporra]

I LOVE BLOOD COUNTESS.

 

It's definitely in my top 3 blends.... EXCEPT for the stupid raging headache I get every time I wear it.

 

I think maybe it's the plum? I'm fine with opium in other blends, I've tried acres of rose without incident, gardenia is a favorite note of mine.... I guess it could alternately be the "berry"? I did do Hanging Gardens and Bathsheba with no reaction, although they don't list "Black" Plum like Blood Countess.

 

 

Anyway, I want something with the feel of Blood Countess but without the horrible headache. Any suggestions?

 

 

Best,

 

Tzi

 

<EDITED TO MAKE MORE SENSE TO THIS THREAD INSTEAD OF THE ONE IT WAS ORIGINALLY POSTED IN>

Edited January 30, 2008 by tziporra

[LadyLuckless]

I haven't tried any of them yet, but Alice, Maiden, and Desdemona have been compared to each other quite a bit in their reviews; I'll be getting quite a few imp packs for an anniversary present soon, and I was wondering if it would be worthwhile to get all three? Are they different enough to warrent it, do you think?

[agnusdei]

I haven't tried any of them yet, but Alice, Maiden, and Desdemona have been compared to each other quite a bit in their reviews; I'll be getting quite a few imp packs for an anniversary present soon, and I was wondering if it would be worthwhile to get all three? Are they different enough to warrant it, do you think?

It depends on your preferences, of course, but I think that if you're a big floral fan it would be worth it to try all of them eventually. They definitely have some similarities though (they all have a noticeable carnation note, for one) so if you really wanted to narrow it down I'm sure you could.

 

I have all three, so maybe I can be of some help? Maiden is very crisp and green, with the tea adding to the freshness of the florals and the rose adding a lovely sweetness. Desdemona is a floating, watery scent with the floral softness of lily and sweet pea and the carnation's peppery spice, much more crystalline than Maiden's stem-like green. Maiden is a touch sweeter too, I think. Alice is more smooth and creamy than both of the others. I don't get much rose or bergamot from it, so to me it's mostly a soft milky carnation blend with a hint of honey. If I had to pick one to recommend it would be Alice, but I'm biased since it's my favorite GC. It's a very well-liked scent though, so if it works on so many others there's a decent chance you'll love it as well. I hope that's at least a little helpful, lmk if there's anything more specific you're curious about!

[LadyLuckless]

I haven't tried any of them yet, but Alice, Maiden, and Desdemona have been compared to each other quite a bit in their reviews; I'll be getting quite a few imp packs for an anniversary present soon, and I was wondering if it would be worthwhile to get all three? Are they different enough to warrant it, do you think?

It depends on your preferences, of course, but I think that if you're a big floral fan it would be worth it to try all of them eventually. They definitely have some similarities though (they all have a noticeable carnation note, for one) so if you really wanted to narrow it down I'm sure you could.

 

I have all three, so maybe I can be of some help? Maiden is very crisp and green, with the tea adding to the freshness of the florals and the rose adding a lovely sweetness. Desdemona is a floating, watery scent with the floral softness of lily and sweet pea and the carnation's peppery spice, much more crystalline than Maiden's stem-like green. Maiden is a touch sweeter too, I think. Alice is more smooth and creamy than both of the others. I don't get much rose or bergamot from it, so to me it's mostly a soft milky carnation blend with a hint of honey. If I had to pick one to recommend it would be Alice, but I'm biased since it's my favorite GC. It's a very well-liked scent though, so if it works on so many others there's a decent chance you'll love it as well. I hope that's at least a little helpful, lmk if there's anything more specific you're curious about!

 

Thanks, that's really helpful! I'm a huge floral lover and they sound really beautiful, especially Alice, so all three it is! I'm a sucker for watery scents, green scents, and creamy scents so they all sounds wonderful.

[agnusdei]

Thanks, that's really helpful! I'm a huge floral lover and they sound really beautiful, especially Alice, so all three it is! I'm a sucker for watery scents, green scents, and creamy scents so they all sounds wonderful.

That sounds like an excellent decision!

They're all three unique enough that I couldn't really substitute Maiden or Desdemona when it's an 'Alice' day (or the other way around), if you know what I mean. All of them are lovely, it sounds like you'll enjoy them!

[tastycactuar]

Here's another noob question.

 

I got an imp of bella donna della mia mente.

 

I LOVE it. LOVE LOVE LOVE.

 

Any other recommendations? Same family scents?

[loladae]

I'm not sure if anyone has said this, but later dry down for haunted is very similar to The Lion (on me). They both have that same warm amber.

[Briarose]

Here is some similarities I have found that might be useful to someone!

 

Morocco= Pink Moon 07= HOD all smell the same to me

 

Pumpkin Queen= Jack

 

Skadi= Black Forest

 

Whitechapel=Dorian=Severin= Vampire Tears=Baobhan Sith all smell the same to me with minimal difference

[faeriedust]

I like aunt caroline's joy mojo and eat me alot. Can someone recommend a scent along those lines?

[tartchef]

A study in carnations

 

Hod - all thick cream & spicy carnations, the closest thing I've sniffed to carnation SN

 

Morocco - carnation with a waft of cinnamon & light musk, lighter than Hod by far

 

Judith & Holofernes - carnation & smokey musk, like Hod's older sister, with a penchant for thigh-highs & bias-cut silk dresses & making heads turn

 

Inez - the faintest carnation of the four lurking under the myrrh & sandalwood, Judith & Holofernes' twin, the more introverted of the two, her black lace bra peeking out from under a beautifully tailored tweed jacket