Similarities Between BPAL Scents - GC and general discussion

[totheo]

I absolutely love Bastet. It's gorgeous. Problem is, there's ONE note putting me off. And I think it's the almond, though I'm not sure.

 

So I was wondering if anyone could rec some scents that are very similar to Bastet, just not the same. Maybe I already have them and am just not sophisticated enough to be able to pick apart the notes... distinct possibility!

 

This probably shouldn't be a whole new thread D: but I searched and couldn't find anywhere that seemed obvious to post. If you know better (which you ALL do, I'm a complete BPAL baby), do redirect me.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

 

Do you know how old your Bastet is? I've found that the almond really mellows out with age - when I compare a fresh imp of Bastet with my old bottle of it, there really is a big difference.

 

I can loan you my super secret Almond Note Removing Machine™ but if you tell anyone how it works, I'll have to kill you.

 

*runs away before you can slap me*

[sqwook]

The almond-cherry fades pretty quickly on me with Bastet, so definitely let it settle for a half-hour and see what you think later in the day.

 

Queen of Sheba is quite similar to Bastet, but they share almond. Also in the same soft-sexy category is Defututa, Eden, Hermia, Hetairae, Mouse's Long & Sad Tale, Lyonesse.

 

Also, you could read the review for Bastet & see what else people compare it to, and do a search for "Bastet" in the reviews thread in general, to see in which other reviews Bastet was mentioned. I do this a LOT with scents I like.

[totheo]

Lou, you're a mad tool

 

It doesn't look aged much, so maybe I'll let it settle for a while. It certainly smells better than it did an hour ago. But it's still a bit

 

I've been wanting to try Mouse's Long & Sad Tail anyway, so maybe I should have a go at it! I've done some searching on Bastet but couldn't find any other scents people compared it to (but I'm not a good looker).

 

Thanks!

 

 

[sqwook]

"yeahbutnobut" often compares scents to other scents, which I find super-helpful. And super-enabling! If you search for Bastet, with only user yeahbutnobut, and view the results as posts instead of topics, these scents come up on the first page out of six results pages:

Morocco - this is the only one in this list I've tried, and I find it much stronger than Bastet, but certainly worth a try, it has many followers!

Mort de Cesar

Sea of Tranquility

Glowing Vulva at Ryogoku Bridge

Bilquis

[sunshinedaisybliss]

Lou, you're a mad tool

 

Awww.. you say the sweetest things

 

sqwook is very wise, those are some good suggestions. I would definitely second her on the Eden, it does have a similar "feel" to Bastet.

 

 

 

[totheo]

Lou, you're a mad tool

 

Awww.. you say the sweetest things

 

sqwook is very wise, those are some good suggestions. I would definitely second her on the Eden, it does have a similar "feel" to Bastet.

 

Woo, okay. I shall keep Eden in mind especially. I'm trolling swaps/sales so much right now... I'm so pissed about time zones and email notifications. Did you spot that bottle of SCR for $15 last night/this morning? ARGH, TORTURE!!! Didn't have a CHANCE.

[lookingglass]

A combo of Heiterae and Blood Lotus may come close w no almond!

[Apple]

I absolutely love Bastet. It's gorgeous. Problem is, there's ONE note putting me off. And I think it's the almond, though I'm not sure.

 

So I was wondering if anyone could rec some scents that are very similar to Bastet, just not the same. Maybe I already have them and am just not sophisticated enough to be able to pick apart the notes... distinct possibility!

I Bastet so very much. You might try these; they're the closest relatives of Bastet that I've tried:

Black Lotus

(Rappaccini's Garden) - Black lotus flower, amber, myrrh and sandalwood.

Trying this might isolate if the offending note is the lotus (kind of a fruity/bubble-gummy scent on a lot of people). It's an "imp-able" general catalogue scent.

 

Cleopatra Testing Poisons on Those Condemned to Death

(The Salon) - Accords of peach kernel, hemlock, aconite, and belladonna, with bitter almond, saffron, honey, myrrh, hyssop, frankincense, and palm.

And this has no lotus but does have almond, so it would further narrow the issue. You'll have to search the forums for a decant, though - it's a Salon scent, and you can only gets imps of those from the Lab by buying the imps of the entire exhibition as a set.

And I haven't tried this one, but if you determine it's not the almond (and even if it is the almond, you might have better luck with almond blossom), you might look for a decant of:

Miss Lupescu

(The Graveyard Book) - Animalic musk, with amber, patchouli, ho wood, cypress, almond blossom, golden sandalwood, and strange spices.

sqwook is very wise, those are some good suggestions. I would definitely second her on the Eden, it does have a similar "feel" to Bastet.

Bastet is one of my all-time favorite blends, definitely in my top five favorites at all times. Eden was one of the worst BPALs I have ever tried. Skin chemistry, it is a mysterious thing.

 

ETA: Two others that might be worth trying:

Baghdad

(Wanderlust) - Amber, saffron and bergamot with mandarin, nutmeg, Bulgar rose, musk and sandalwood.

 

No. 93 Engine

(Steamworks) - Balm of Gilead, benzoin, frankincense, balsam of peru, beeswax, saffron, galbanum, calamus, hyssop, mastic, lemon balm, and white sage.

They don't smell like Bastet, but they have some similar characteristics and share the saffron note. Depending upon what it is that you like about Bastet, you might like them, too.

Edited August 29, 2009 by Apple

[Myrrha]

I received a frimp of the Ghost and scent-wise it is my absolute favorite. LOVE. However, like a ghost it disappears quickly and completely. Is there anything similar in the catalog? I do have some Witching Time of Night which seems a bit similar, and had a decant of Bat last summer, am planning to get some more soon. Is there anything else I should know about?

thanks!!

Edited March 20, 2010 by Myrrha

[NixieCakes]

Im not sure if Im posting this in the right thread, but I will give it a shot. Bewitched is one of my favorite BPAL's ever, but my skin tends to eat it. Does anyone know of any other scents that smell similar but have more throw and/or lasting power?

[HKB]

I think Hunger is my favorite BPAL ever. Sadly, it turns into a flat peanut-y smell on my skin because of the narcissus. It's a whole different scent on my boyfriend though, and it really is amazing. I wish I could wear it.

 

The only thing that's come close is Snake Oil. Unfortunately, Snake Oil also turns into something awful on me after one minute. I think they share the same rich vanilla note that I love.

 

Any ideas?

Edited May 15, 2010 by HKB

[blu°]

Khryseê, if you can find some? I'm sorry, that's the only thing that comes to mind right now...

[sixthsentinel]

Ravenous, maybe? They seemed kind of similar to me, if I remember correctly.

[sqwook]

Lust, Hell's Belle, and Ravenous are all in the same family, to me. You might also like Mme Moriarty.

 

ETA: Also, if it really is your favorite scent, then it may be worth it to get a scent locket or put it in your hair where your skin chemistry won't change it.

Edited May 15, 2010 by sqwook

[SarahCamelia]

I'm curious to know how similar are Bordello, Countess Willie, Dionysia, Blood Countess and Lady Macbeth from each others. They all seem to be in the same dark fruits/berries range...

[KesHiro]

I'm curious to know how similar are Bordello, Countess Willie, Dionysia, Blood Countess and Lady Macbeth from each others. They all seem to be in the same dark fruits/berries range...

 

I can't compare Dionysia, Blood Countess, or Lady Macbeth, as I've never tried them, but I own both Bordello and Countess Willie.

 

On me, Bordello is quite sweet: once it dries, I get currants, plum, and amaretto. Countess Willie is very similar but the red musk and ginger really temper the sweetness. I still get plums and amaretto, but it's much more sophisticated. A lot of people have called Countess Willie the older, grown-up sister of Bordello and I'm inclined to agree.

 

Sorry I couldn't help with the other scents!

[SarahCamelia]

I'm curious to know how similar are Bordello, Countess Willie, Dionysia, Blood Countess and Lady Macbeth from each others. They all seem to be in the same dark fruits/berries range...

 

I can't compare Dionysia, Blood Countess, or Lady Macbeth, as I've never tried them, but I own both Bordello and Countess Willie.

 

On me, Bordello is quite sweet: once it dries, I get currants, plum, and amaretto. Countess Willie is very similar but the red musk and ginger really temper the sweetness. I still get plums and amaretto, but it's much more sophisticated. A lot of people have called Countess Willie the older, grown-up sister of Bordello and I'm inclined to agree.

 

Sorry I couldn't help with the other scents!

 

 

Woah, that was fast !

Thank you so much. Yeah, i'll def get Countess Willie at some point. However, i'm a bit worried about the ginger. I love eating ginger, but Siren was much way to much ginger on me. I'm afraid I amp up spices...

 

Thanks again !

[reconditarmonia]

How similar is Anesthesia (from the non-impable Neverwhere line) to Baku (from the impable Somnium line)? It's lavender/peppermint/bergamot/mandrake vs. lavender/mint/anise, and since I'd rather try an imp than get a bottle unsniffed if they're mostly the same anyway, I turn to you all...

[Little Bird]

I don't find Anesthesia to be very similar to Baku (I mean, they both have chilly notes and lavender, but they don't seem like the same types of chilly notes and lavender to me). Baku was more black licorice and menthol-minty on me with a bit of herbal lavender, where Anesthesia is a cold, sweet peppermint and cool, smooth lavender to my nose. I find Anesthesia to have a sweeter mintiness, smoother lavender, and no black licorice...

[sarielswish]

oops, wrong thread.

Edited July 5, 2010 by thepiratequeen

[tinytiki]

Hi everyone

I am fairly new to BPAL and thanks to a very kind enabler, I

fell in love with more than a few scents. Does anyone know what scents

in the GC would be similar to Haloes ? To Snow Maiden?

Thank you for your help!

Tinytiki

[donnatron]

Hi everyone

I am fairly new to BPAL and thanks to a very kind enabler, I

fell in love with more than a few scents. Does anyone know what scents

in the GC would be similar to Haloes ? To Snow Maiden?

Thank you for your help!

Tinytiki

 

It's been a while since I sniffed Haloes but it reminds me of a lighter, fruiter version of The Antikythera Mechanism (Teakwood, oak, black vanilla, and tobacco). You could try layering it with something like March Hare (Apricot and clove) to get that fruitiness from Haloes.

 

Morocco (The intoxicating perfume of exotic incenses wafting on warm desert breezes. Arabian spices wind through a blend of warm musk, carnation, red sandalwood and cassia) is also similar in feel although less lush than Haloes and without the depth from the darker woods.

 

The Snow Maiden is a chilly sort of spring floral scent and the best approximation I can think of in the GC is The Owens' Tomb (Marble and dust surrounded by burdock, knotweed, dandelions, daffodils, and long-dead calla lilies). You might want to hunt down a decant or partial bottle of this as it's part of the Neil Gaiman line and is not available in imp form from the lab so you're going to be gambling on a full bottle.

 

You could also try Utrennyaya (Osmanthus, Damascus rose, violet, delphinium, white mint, palmarosa and white sandalwood). It shares the osmanthus note with Snow Maiden and the mint adds a beautiful chilly note. It's also impable which is always a bonus.

[Lorna Brigid]

Oops... wrong thread.

My issue belongs with the LE's, not the disco'ds....Sorry mods!!

Edited October 28, 2010 by Lorna Brigid

[Lorna Brigid]

Hi all!

So I just searched through a whole bunch of pages, as well as did a search for "velvets" and cannot find anything.

I have fallen in love with "The Velvets." However, it goes soft on me and then disappears in 20 min or less.

I love the cool, incensey floralness of it!

Is there anything else available right now that is just like it?

 

Thank yooooos!