Apple

Ah, for the chlorophyll scent, I'd go for A Blade of Grass: A Blade of Grass (2008 LE) - Autumn leaves scattered among blades of grass. Some others that might have layering potential: Amsterdam (Wanderlust) - Tulips, peony, fresh flowing water and crisp green grasses. The Apothecary (Illyria) - Tea leaf with three mosses, green grass, a medley of herbal notes, and a drop of ginger and fig. House of Night (Ars Moriendi) - A sorrowful graveyard bouquet of somber blooms, funereal boughs, dismal green and laden with grief. Sunflower (The Salon) - Sunflower bouquet, black amber, creeping black moss, wilted greenery, and scorched, dry stems. And a couple of the "Who Killed Amanda Palmer?" scents look promising: Floater (WKAP) - Murky water, rotting leaves, and silt. Leaf-Strewn Couch (WKAP) - Dust, decaying fabric, dead leaves, and concrete. Manus Dei (or the Typewriter Incident) (WKAP) - Weeds, dirt, red clay, scattered groceries, inked fabric ribbon, machine oil, and cast steel. Unexpected Golf Hazard (WKAP) - A freshly mowed teeing ground. I am personally lusting after Leaf-Strewn Couch. It sounds AMAZING. ... ETA Manus Dei to the list of WKAP scents.

Oh, I wouldn't classify October as "bitter," but on me it is quite green and fresh - a dead ringer for Declaration by Cartier. And Van Van wasn't remotely foresty on me - I got all vetiver, powdery musk, and civet. The mysteries of skin chemistry! What was missing from October for him? I agree that Robin Goodfellow might be too musky; it's very powdery on the dry-down for me. I'm guessing that your best bets are probably Yggdrasil and Ochosi, but Arkham might work if he doesn't amp the floral elements. Let's see... what else? Maybe: The Norns' Farmhouse (Gaiman/American Gods) - Dusty, ancient wood, horehound, and sage, with viper's bugloss, mugwort, chamomile, nettle, apple blossom, chervil, and ashes. Odin (Excolo) - His scent is dry elm bark, amaranth, warrior’s musk, and Odin’s Nine Herbs of Power. Thorns (Marchen) - Thorn-spiked vines, blood, and tears. Ulalume (Bewitching Brews) - Starry white lilies lend an eerie brightness to the deep black wooded scents of cypress and oak, layered with a touch of crushed dried leaves and the faintest aquatic note. The Witches Garden (Marchen) - Morning glory vines twisting around a patch of rampion, carrot, and parsley, with monkshood, hemlock, elfwort, sage, wormwood, and mandrake. Yorick (Illyria) - Grave dirt, bone, decay, angel's trumpet, and moldering scraps of shroud: the essence of finality. On me, Ulalume started out green and natural smelling, but the lilies quickly took over on my skin - maybe Kali would have better luck. Yorick is similar to Graveyard Dirt (the closet I've found in the general catalogue) and would probably need to be layered with something woody and leafy... but it would give a nice grounding of dirt and moss. I can't remember what Odin was like, and I haven't tried Thorns, The Norns' Farmhouse, or The Witch's Garden yet. Good luck and do report back with your findings!

Me too! Me too! I want this scent too! But alas, I haven't found it yet. Arkham was too floral, Envy too lavender-y, and Ochosi and Yggdrasil were nice but not quite right. I think a lot of folks would recommend October to you: October (2007 LE) - Dry, cold autumn wind. A rustle of red leaves, a touch of smoke and sap in the air. I liked October in its own right, but it didn't give me a deciduous forest feeling. It is, however, a fresh, crisp, green scent, and Kali may like it even if it doesn't quite hit the nail on the head. Robin Goodfellow might be another to try, although it was rather sweet on me: Robin Goodfellow (Illyria) - Dark musk, moss-covered wood, ragwort, heather, and sage. Have you peeped in here yet? Forest and Woods Scents (with & without evergreens)

Thank you so much for the detailed reply, terrenity! On my skin, jasmine is second only to civet as the worst note of death ever, and it has ruined many a blend for me... but there are a couple of jasmine-containing blends that I can wear (e.g., Wilde, Kubla Khan), and so I might look into swapping for an imp of Kitsune-Tsuki. Bordello was fruity and candy-sweet on me. It wasn't bad, just very one-dimensional (and I don't like smelling like candy). I hadn't tried Lovers in a Ricefield yet, and it didn't occur to me at the time to try layering Bordello with anything. Might have to re-try it... Makhanitis wasn't even on my radar (I think I must have dismissed it initially because of the champaca), but that does look promising. Thanks for bringing it to my attention - on the wish list it goes! I haven't tried Agape, but I just thought of Shadwell as a potential choice for layering. To my nose, Lovers in a Ricefield has just the slightest hint of a coconut note. Nothing remotely like suntan oil or macaroons or anything, but like the scent of extra virgin coconut oil, diluted. On me, Shadwell went unexpectedly fruity-coconutty, and I think I may have swapped it. Gonna have to look for some more. I've got imps of Prunella, Bathsheba, Oya, and Frumious Bandersnatch on the way, along with imps of Lyonesse and MLST (and I already have some Dana O'Shee). I'll report back with my results after they arrive, and I look forward to hearing the results of your experiments, as well. I appreciate your assistance muchly!

Mm, I love Lovers in a Ricefield too! Unfortunately I haven't really found a twin in the GC. Kitsune-Tsuki and Mme Moriarty both have the same plum note, to my nose, but Kitsune-Tsuki is bright and fruity and Mme Moriarty is deep and sexy, whereas I find Lovers to be soft and sweet. Maybe if you layered Kitsune-Tsuki with lots of something with soft vanilla (Castitas?)? Thanks for the reply! Unfortunately, jasmine and red musk are horrid on me, so I don't think either of those would work. I'm considering rounding up a collection of plummy imps and trying some layering experiments, though. Any thoughts on the following and how they might compare with Lovers in a Ricefield, or what they could be layered with to achieve a similar effect? Bathsheba (Ars Amatoria) - Her scent is breathtakingly lovely, exotic and powerfully sensual in its innocence: carnation, sensual plum, and Arabian musk. Bordello (Ars Amatoria) - Bawdy plum with amaretto, burgundy wine and black currant. Dionysia (Carnaval Diabolique) - Wild plum, pomegranate, raspberry, Siamese benzoin, plum blossom, patchouli, frankincense, and mahogany. Frumious Bandersnatch (Mad Tea Party) - Bandersnatch musk, redolent of spicy carnations, wild plums and chrysanthemum. Oya (Excolo) - Oya’s ofrenda is a Nigerian potion of love and war, sweetened by darkest plum. Prunella (Marchen) - Ripe purple plums, wildflowers, and cream. I haven't tried Prunella yet; the "wildflowers" have been giving me pause (Bensiabel was way, way too floral). I also haven't tried Dionysia, but it looks promising if the pomegranate and raspberry aren't too assertive. Maybe Bathsheba layered with Lyonesse or Dana O'Shee? Frumious Bandersnatch + Mouse's Long and Sad Tale? Thoughts? Comments? I'm desperate!

My skin chemistry is very different from yours (everything seems to turn into vanilla on me, much to my chagrin), but you might try these from the general catalogue, if you haven't already: Dana O'Shee (Bewitching Brews) - Offerings of milk, honey and sweet grains were made to placate these creatures, and it is that the basis of the scent created in their name. Lyonesse (Wanderlust) - Golden vanilla and gilded musk, stargazer lily, white sandalwood, grey amber, elemi, orris root, ambergris and sea moss. Mouse's Long and Sad Tale (Mad Tea Party) - Vanilla, two ambers, sweet pea and white sandalwood. Tombstone (Wanderlust) - A rugged, warm blend of vanilla, balsam and sassafras layered over Virginia cedar. If you're willing to track down limited editions and un-impables, you could try: The Illustrated Woman (Carnaval Diabolique) - Skin musk, smoky vanilla, pine pitch, patchouli, Indian resins, golden honey, and tobacco. Inez (Carnaval Diabolique) - Golden amber, vanilla musk, myrrh, cedar, carnation, and red sandalwood. Midway (Carnaval Noir) - Funnel cake, caramel apple, cotton candy, salt water taffy and sugar tart. On my skin, Tombstone and Midway were both very similar to Love's Philosophy, but your mileage may vary.

I was lucky enough to be part of this chain of ninja love and received a decant of Boot Hill from the lovely tartchef in an awesome stealth "Package of Glee". I LOVE IT!!! It's like Quincy Morris and Brom Bones and Jolly Roger had a hot man-on-man-on-man threesome that against all odds resulted in a miraculous lovechild. It's leather, leather, leather with a hint of sweetness and spice and a clean breeze blowing through. But mostly leather. Sexy, sexy leather. I want to scent my world with this, but especially my bedroom... Please, please release this one, BPTP!

When I've given BPAL as gifts, I've tried to tailor my imp selections to the preferences of the intended recipients by trying to figure out what types of scents they enjoy and what current fragrances they use. I do have a sort of mental list of scents that I think are very accessible, interesting, and/or representative of BPAL, and I've listed those by scent category below. If I had to pick just six imps for a totally random newbie, I would probably go with: 1. Dorian (I really dislike this one, but so many people love it.) 2. Snake Oil (Ditto.) 3. De Sade 4. Nosferatu 5. Embalming Fluid 6. Something from either the "Fresh/Clean/Light" category below, or something from the "Foody" category. FRESH/CLEAN/LIGHT 51 Amsterdam The Dormouse Lightning Mag Mell Rosalind Sea of Glass Sudha Segara Szepasszony Titania The Unicorn CITRUS Croquet Embalming Fluid Kuang Shi FRUITY Akuma Blood Kiss Bon Vivant Bordello Fae March Hare FLORAL/ROSE Hermia Two, Five, & Seven Whip ??? (I don't wear heavy floral scents and don't know anyone who does. If I'm going to wear something floral, I tend to prefer lighter scents like those listed up above in the "Fresh/Clean/Light" category, so I'm at a loss here.) VANILLA Dorian Lyonesse Mouse's Long and Sad Tale SPICY Bengal Plunder INCENSE/RESIN Bastet Cathedral The Lion No. 93 Engine Snake Oil anything with red musk (Czernobog, Fenris Wolf, Scherezade, Sin, Vixen, etc.) FOODY Bliss or Vice (chocolate) Dana O'Shee (almond extract) Eat Me or Cockaigne (cake/butter) Hellcat (frosting) Jack (pumpkin) OTHER/INTERESTING/WEIRD Nosferatu, Death Cap, Jazz Funeral, Penny Dreadful, Zombi, or Yorick (DIRT!) De Sade (leather) Perversion (tobacco) MASCULINE/UNISEX Dee Jolly Roger Olokun Wilde

You're very welcome! I think you will like Yorick; although not identical, it's the closest to Graveyard Dirt of all the BPAL "dirt" scents that I've tried. And now you have me lusting after The Season of Inundation and The Fool - they both sound marvelous!

For those who enjoy the BPAL dirt/soil/loam note, definitely check out Yorick: Yorick (Illyria) - Grave dirt, bone, decay, angel's trumpet, and moldering scraps of shroud: the essence of finality. It's very similar to Graveyard Dirt, and it's GC!

How are you with coconut? I see Brown Jenkins mentioned frequently as a "furry" scent: Brown Jenkins (Picnic in Arkham) - A small, furry, sharp-toothed scent that will nuzzle you curiously in the black hours before dawn: dusty white sandalwood and orris root, dry coconut husk, creeping musk, and the residue of ceremonial incense. There are some additional suggestions in this thread: Recommend some scents that remind you of animals

Just throwing this one out there in case anyone is looking: If you like Declaration by Cartier, you'll love BPAL's October. I know they don't sound alike, but I wore Declaration for years, and they are very similar.

We just got a kitten who is adorable and who I nuzzle constantly. He has a delightful, sweet, clean kitten-y scent that I'd forgotten (we have two adult cats, but I don't generally stick my face in their fur). Yesterday I spritzed on some Bastet, and I'll be damned... it really does contain a "fur" note (or "kitten accord")! I already thought Bastet was perfect, but somehow that makes it even more perfect.

Very welcome! On me, the tobacco note in Perversion is strongest; it smells just like coconut pipe tobacco. I have noticed some batch variations with it, however. I've gotten imps directly from the Lab that were very coconutty (which I guess might be the rum?) and others from the Lab that only had a hint of coconut and that were more straight-up pipe tobacco. If you find it's too sweet and boozy initially, maybe try another imp from a different batch. I don't really get any leather or wine, but other folks do. My skins tends to really mute down the Lab's leather notes, though.

Inkaddict - You might want to check out these threads: Autumn/Lilac/Library-y Recommendations Old books... Books, paper, libraries, Library, book and paper BPAL scents Forest and Woods Scents (with & without evergreens) I want to smell like dirt! Dirt, Earth, Soil recommendations The most natural or lifelike scents?, forest, earth, rain, water, grass, moss and so on... For a new take on autumn scents, maybe try: A Blade of Grass (2008 LE) - Autumn leaves scattered among blades of grass. October (2007 LE) - Dry, cold autumn wind. A rustle of red leaves, a touch of smoke and sap in the air. Ulalume (Bewitching Brews) - Starry white lilies lend an eerie brightness to the deep black wooded scents of cypress and oak, layered with a touch of crushed dried leaves and the faintest aquatic note. For the library scent, I'd suggest: Perversion (Ars Amatoria) - Smoky rum and black tobacco with a whisper of steamy leather with a splash of crystalline chardonnay, layered over a sensual, sweet, and deceptively magnetic base of tonka. (I think of this as my "tweed" scent - as in, if tweed had a scent, it would smell like this... despite the sexed up name, it reads as library to me.) Aziraphale (Good Omens) - Ethereal musk, blonde woods, and dusty Bible accord. (I think it has a hint of library from the "dusty Bible accord".) The Buggre Alle This Bible (Good Omens) - Crumbling paper and ancient cracked leather with a touch of tobacco leaf and incense.

I also hate red musk, had no luck with Snake Oil, and found O to be powdery. Have you tried Bastet? It's sweet, spicy, and sensual, and some find it borderline foody: Bastet (Excolo) - Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus. I would put Morocco and Western Diamondback in the same category: Morocco (Wanderlust) - 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. Western Diamondback (Carnaval Diabolique) - Snake Oil with leather, tonka bean, red sandalwood, and sage. I don't find the Snake Oil to be prominent in this one. On me, it's mostly a spiced vanilla leather. And since you like vanilla, musk, and carnation, what about Inez? Inez (Carnaval Diabolique) - Golden amber, vanilla musk, myrrh, cedar, carnation, and red sandalwood. You might also like: Blood Kiss (Bewitching Brews) - Lush, creamy vanilla and the honey of the sweetest kiss smeared with the vital throb of husky clove, swollen red cherries, but darkened with the vampiric sensuality of vetiver, soporific poppy and blood red wine, and a skin-light pulse of feral musk. Hellcat (Diabolus) - A soft, sensual, luxuriant blend with a wicked bite: hazelnut, buttercream, honey mead, rum and sweet almond. Horreur Sympathique (Diabolus) - The perfume of a hellbound soul, gleefully lost to iniquity: blood musk, golden honey, thick black wine, champagne grapes, tobacco flower, plum blossom, tonka bean, oakmoss, carnation, benzoin, opoponax, and sugar cane.

I feel a little uncomfortable reviewing a TAL oil that I used with intent, for a variety of reasons. Hell, I feel odd using TAL oils with intent, but at least I do that in the privacy of my own home. Please understand that I don't mean any disrespect by that statement; it's just that I've been a more-or-less reluctant atheist/rationalist (less reluctant and more atheistic in my youth, more reluctant and less atheistic in the past couple of years) for the past 22 years or so. So the idea that I could anoint myself or objects with an oil and focus my energies/intentions/hopes/etc. didn't initially strike me as likely to be more effective than making a wish while blowing out the candles on my birthday cake (in fact, I do make a wish every year - but still). Nevertheless, I've recently taken an interest in... well, a lot of different things. I'm trying to open myself up to possibilities and to my own personal efficacy and... stuff. I've been taking a "It can't hurt and it might help" approach to exploring the limits of my ability to have faith, and it is with this attitude that I've been hoping to experiment with TAL oils. I don't want to get into the details of my situation because they are long, boring, and well-understood by anyone who's ever been poor. Suffice it to say that I'm broke, I'm unemployed, I've got bills to pay, and I didn't know how much longer my husband and I were going to be able to stay afloat before everything came crashing down. So I anointed all of the entrances to our house, our bed, a salt lamp in the bedroom, and my nightshirt with Bastet's Laughter, concentrating on welcoming good fortune into our home and banishing poverty. The oil smelled nice: bright and happy and bubble-gummy (lotus?). I liked it. I probably wouldn't wear it as a perfume, but it was a pleasant scent that I didn't mind having on me or in my home. It made me smile. I should note that I also anointed my computer, the telephone, and my nightshirt with Road Opener (I view the computer and the telephone as symbolic links to the "outside" world and imagined that the paths leading to new opportunities would be virtual ones leading to and from these communication devices), concentrating on opening up opportunities. The next day I took my dog to the vet because I suspected that she had yet another mast cell tumor developing and was probably going to need yet another surgery. But the sore looked better that day, and the vet thought it was more likely that it was a skin infection and not cancer. Then my credit card company called to remind me that my account was past due, as if I needed reminding. When I explained the situation to the representative, he arranged to lower my interest rate... something a previous customer service rep had refused to do a couple of months earlier when I called and attempted to negotiate new terms. And then I discovered that my application for financial aid was approved and that the loan amount was more than I had dared to hope for by a substantial margin. I actually cried when I logged into my student account and realized I was going to be able to afford to enroll for my last semester of graduate school and finally finish the degree I've been working on for the past 10 years... and I was going to be able to afford to fix my car, which has been sitting at a mechanic's for the past 2 months because I didn't have the money to fix it... and that I was going to be able to afford to pay my bills and support myself again and take some of the weight off my husband's shoulders... No, my friends, I am not making this up. It was like a goddamn miracle. Or rather, like a Goddess blessed one. Now, of course, I'm still unemployed and in debt up to my ears... but it feels like I've been granted a reprieve. Like I can breathe again. Like I'll be able to rally again. Thank you, Bastet. Thank you, Twilight Alchemy Lab. Thank you, Beth, the Universe... whoever or whatever. I am enormously grateful. If this is how quickly and dramatically these oils work, I seriously need to get my hands on some Steady Work... and maybe even some Sexual Energy. Although, perhaps not on that last one... I'm not really lacking in that department, and if it worked as well as Bastet's Laughter and Road Opener have, I might kill my husband!

Heeheehee!

O has that reputation, as do some of the other honey-containing blends.

The same is true where I live. I desperately miss autumn in the Midwest... there's just nothing like the look, feel, and scent of dry, crackling twigs underfoot, a crisp breeze blowing through the fiery red and glowing yellow maple leaves and brown oak leaves... the gentle sun during the day softly illuminating the rolling hills and great open sky, the hint of snow in the air at night... aaahhh... Still hoping for a BPAL that could capture that for me, so I always keep an eye on this thread and read the Halloweenie scent descriptions with great interest and crossing of fingers.

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. 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.

I more or less live in White Rabbit during the fall. I'm still searching for the perfect BPAL reflection of my conception of autumn, which is my favorite season. I had high hopes for October (my favorite month), but it was all bright and clean and citrusy and green on me... not autumnal at all. This year I am salivating over the thought of Lambs-Wool, but I haven't tried it yet.

Nope, in my experience (which isn't a huge amount) the snow note is not minty. It's, well... snow. Not like ozone or Irish Spring or anything else, just cold. It's really masterful, and I have no idea how Beth does it. And here I was just coming to say that I'm pretty sure the "snow" note is a combination of some type of mint and eucalyptus. At least, that's what it always smells like to me.

I was hesitant to try this one. The description sounded perfect, which I've learned should send up a red flag for me and my finicky skin. But nutmeg is one of my all-time favorite notes and tragically under-used in perfume, and so I ignored my trepidation. I'm so glad I did! On my skin, Lovers in a Ricefield is the perfect plum scent - the one I've been searching for. The plum blossom gives it a subtle hint of sweet fruit, the nutmeg a teasing of spice, and the vanilla sandalwood and wild rice ground the scent in a rich creaminess that is positively sensual. The scent is rich and warm, sweet and subtle, with nothing overt about it. Sultry in a restrained way, young without being adolescent, and flirty but with the whispered promise that you can (and will) deliver the goods. It's a great sexy, nuzzle-able, "come hither" scent that isn't too heavy for hot summer nights. On me, Lovers in a Ricefield is not: Christmas-y or remotely like potpourri, which spiced plum scents often are candy-ish cinnamon-y overly sweet overly fruity overly vanillic powdery buttery plasticky generic or perfume-y Instead, it's rich and creamy and mildly sweet and gently spiced and a little plummy - very natural. It's perfect and I love it. I only wish I hadn't discovered it so late! (And as I sit here drinking my tea, I realize Lovers in a Ricefield smells like it could be the refined cousin of Ashbys of London's cinnamon plum black tea... with milk. No, with half-n-half. Mmmn... decadent.)

Any recommendations for an equivalent of Lovers in a Ricefield? I discovered this one too late! Lovers in a Ricefield Plum blossom, vanilla sandalwood, nutmeg, and wild rice. I need more - help!