semuelle77

Bakery scents typically do NOT work on me. Anything with honey or sugar notes amps so much sweetness that I gag. The cherry cream scent was sticky cough syrup. Awful. This scent is magic. I am one of the lucky ones for whom oudh does not stink. I love it. This scent is oudh heavy, with a light nuttiness backing it up. I’m sure thee are some very subtle spices mixed in there, but none that stand out. It is beautifully blended. As it dries, the scent lightens up quite a bit. I fear I would need to apply this heavily for a stronger throw and duration, which is a bummer since we only get the imp. If this ever is made in bottles I will be first in line to snag one. This scent is warm and cozy, yet sophisticated. I will happily take it off the hands of anyone who is not a fan!

I have no ideas what "aldehydes" are, but everything in this scent blends together so well. No one note stands out above the others. This is a rich, resinous, cozy scent. My husband really likes it on me, and I feel comfortable and content when I wear it. It is like slipping on that perfect sweater that is soft and cozy, yet somehow make you look like you've got it all going on.

This is one of those scents that I really like, but have no idea why. I get leather very strongly. I don't really detect the other notes, but I know they are back there rounding it all out. It is very masculine, which does not generally bother me. It has amazing staying power. I applied it at 7AM and I am still getting good wafts of scent at nearly 1:30PM. Olisbos is very straight forward, which makes me wonder how it would work for layering. I can see combining it was a subtle musk scent or possibly patchouli. I may have to experiment. All that to say I quite like it. I've had my imp since it was first released though only rediscovered it buried in my husband's drawer (sneaky theif!) I had a half bottle somewhere that got lost in our last move. 😢 I don't know that I'll go crazy searching down a bottle, it will definitely snag one if I stumble across one for sale.

I just received a bottle in the mail yesterday from a fellow forumite. This morning I applied for the first time. Fleshly wet on the skin....whoa boy! Patchouli! I'm guessing black patch, as it is eye wateringly strong and sharp. This is (as mentioned by many) incredibly dirty smelling. Were I not a seasoned lover of patchouli I would probably wash it off at this point. That is how strong it is. I love me some patch, though, and know how much it morphs as it dries. I smell absolutely nothing else. Only patch. 20 minutes later...The patchouli is starting to calm down and round out a bit. It is slightly less "in your face." I'm starting to pick up something else in the background. Possibly the tobacco? A coworker just stopped in my classroom and commented on how nice it smelled...over by my door on the other side of the room! I had opened the bottle over there, so maybe that explains it. Luckily, she is a big fan of patchouli. (She was super excited to learn about BPAL!) Dry...I get just a hint of the cedar other have mentioned, but not much. (Thank goodness, since cedar smells like BO on me!) There is just the tiniest bit of sweetness right at my skin. It could be the vanilla. It almost have a slight coconut tinge to it. It has faded tremendously, which is a bit disappointing. I'm hoping it is just that my nose is a bit stuffy. I don't think I could apply any more than I did without the wet stage being overwhelming. I have some cocoa absolute at home that I may need to layer with this to help bump the cocoa note. Otherwise, it is a great patchouli. Almost a SN, but a bit rounder. Overall: I'm glad I snagged a bottle, but will not be hunting down backup bottles. This is definitely a bold scent, not one I would wear every day. Perhaps it will be for those days I need a bit of a boost in confidence or if I am feeling particularly fierce.

I am so glad I did not judge this scent by how it smelled the first time I wore it. It was not freshly shipped, but perhaps needed settling a bit. It didn't seem to hit the mark. Today is a whole different story! I applied it much more heavily this go around and I think that helped. This might be one of the coziest blends I have ever worn. I just want to wrap myself in a think sweater and sniff myself all day. There isn't one specific note that sticks out for me. Everything is so well balanced and blended. It reminds me, not so much of a public library, but of sitting in front of a fire while reading a book at a lodge or very old home. There is an aged-ness to it. It smells like my idea of an ideal day: cozy blanket, kitty on my lap, a cup of tea, and a really good book. Home and comfort and contentedness. Super double bonus that it is the only bottle of bpal that my internet-shopping-shy mother has ever ordered for me!

This is definitely my favorite RPG so far. I’m honestly not sure what oud smells like, so I can’t speak to specific notes. To me, after a not great wet stage, Half Elf turns into a light scent that seems to become part of my skin. I kept getting subtle wafts of it throughout the day. It made me think of freshly bathed skin, cleaned with the most amazing smelling soap. The kind that you buy at a little boutique when you are on vacation and ration the rest of the year to make it last as long as possible. Heck, it may smell a bit like a soap I buy every summer in Cape May that is made in France and contains musk. I’m going to wear it again tomorrow and slather a bit to see if I can up the throw and life of the scent. This is absolutely going on the “need to buy” list.

I have just gotten my hands on a few single notes (Vanilla Orchid, East African Black Patchouli, and Sumatran Red Patchouli.) I love the idea of using these to boost or transform other blends. How have you layered with your single notes? Which do you have and what has been a winning combination? Do you have any guidelines, for lack of a better word, for how you decide what to layer? Thanks!

I tried Snake Oil with patchouli (both). Since SO is not great on me to begin with, I found that it helped to temper the sweetness a bit. I layered Boomslang with a chocolate absolute that I was given years ago. It really amped up the dark chocolate. It made it absolutely delectable.

Nope. I don't know if it is the lotus, because lavender usually smells okay on me, but this was a complete miss. I applied only a swipe and was overwhelmed by the fruity bubblegum scent others have mentioned. It was so off putting that I had to go wash it off after only five minutes. I know it should morph with drydown, but I just couldn't wait it out. It is a rare bpal that I react that strongly to, in a negative way. I so wish it had worked on me. Off to the swap pile...

I don't remember when I bought Clemence. It was at least two years ago, if not longer. (I completely lose track of bpal time!) When first applied, Clemence smells sharp and...dirty? Not in a sexy way, in an actual dirt sort of way. This is pretty typical for patchouli, particularly black patch. (Is that what's in there?) My husband once commented that, freshly applied, it smelled like bug spray. I've had to teach him the importance of letting the oils settle in the skin. After drydown, Clemence is a deep, spicy blend that is heavy on the patchouli. It is almost, but not quite, patchouli chai tea. It is cozy and dirty (in a sexy way) and absolutely wonderful. I don't wear Clemence often, but every time I do I ask myself why I don't wear her more. I tend to apply lightly in the morning, since the initial smell is so sharp and strong. I have to remind myself to slather, as Clemence softens considerably after about an hour, and lingers lightly for a while afterwards.

I tested this out at night because I was very doubtful that it would work on me, and didn't want to get stuck smelling it all day. What a surprise! It is not my usual taste. Once it dries down it is quite strong. It has tremendous throw. My husband sat near me on the couch and immediately asked what I was trying out. After settling it becomes a dry, sweet floral. It's a very summery scent, though I fear in the actual summer heat it may become overwhelming. The iris is definitely the strongest note, amping quite a bit. I wish the sandalwood balanced it a bit better, but it is still nice. I won't be searching out a bottle, but the imp will stay in my collection. I may try layering with some patchouli single note to see if it tempers the aggressive floral edge. I would give Nefertiti a 3 out of 5

I received an imp as a goodie from a forum member from whom I made a purchase. I was almost going to skip it, expecting that the notes would not work on me. Honey is usually overwhelmingly sweet and almost none of the chocolate scents have worked. Boy am I glad I gave it a shot! This is one of the most interesting blends I have tried. As many have mentioned, it morphs constantly from application to dry down. I felt like it was a different scent each time I inhaled. Once it settled it was this lovely not-foodie, not-floral, kind of resin-y mix. I can’t pick out one particular note, it is so wonderfully balanced. I think the cacao give it a deep, grounding element. At one point the cotton blossom came to the fore, but then backed off to coexist beautifully with everything else. I know this isn’t a terribly precise review, but I’ll just say everyone should give Tlazolteotl a try. It is a sophisticated, gorgeous blend!

My husband and I were just chatting about BPAL and I suddenly thought, "Wouldn't BPAL and NV be the perfect marriage of geekiness?" Seriously, the lab really needs to do a collaboration with Cranor and Fink!

I just snagged a bottle of Vanilla Orchid. It is absolutely gorgeous, so (of course) I want to try layering with it. Does anyone have suggestions for what kinds of brands might layers well with it? Possibly even recs for specific oils to try? Thanks! I am not experienced with layering, so this will be a new thing for me.

Thank you! I will have to check those out. I think the scents that I have which contain orchid tend to be incense-y or full of resins. I'm trying to branch out. I attempted to layer with O today. It only served as a strong reminder that O does NOT work on my skin.

Being that Black Butterfly Moon and Great Vampire Bat are two of my favorites, I had to snag a bottle of Vanilla Orchid SN when a forumite posted it for sale. Since it is a SN I didn't expect any actual vanilla notes, just orchid. It is perfect! Orchid always feels comfy, yet sexy to me. Kind of like wearing a delicious cashmere sweater. The scent is beautifully round, slightly lush yet light. It changes very little from wet to dry, but does fade much quicker than I would prefer. I will have to reapply or put much more on in the morning. Overall, a beautiful deep floral SN that is not at all overpowering. I can't wait to try layering with this beauty!

Despite having read the description (and being VERY excited to try it), I am like biocarolyn, I swear I am smelling cedar. On me that is not a good thing. I will be patient. I will wait and let it dry for a while. I am hopeful that the patchouli and frankenscence will come out to play, otherwise this is going to the swap pile. Sharp, almost BO smell is not for me!

I just receive this is a swap and was dying to try it, yet slightly apprehensive considering how complex it is. When I first applied the oil it went on fairly sharp, but with so many layers of scent that I knew I needed to wait it out. As it began to dry down, No. 93 Engine started to turn into what is hands down the spiciest BPAL I've tried. Holy cow!!! It was spicier than Scherezade or Bengal, and less sweet. (Which is a very good thing, considering I amp sweet to high heaven.) There is a slightly woodsy note anchoring the scent and an inscence or resin that reminds me of high holy days at church. Since I love the smell of the church inscence, this is a very good thing. (Does anyone know if that is the Balm of Gilead, the frankinsence, or a combo of both?) By the end of the day most of the resiny/inscence/woodsy goodness had faded away, leaving behind a rich sweet smell (saffron and benzion, perhaps?) It ended sweet, but not overwhelmingly so. I adore the middle phase so much that I immediately reapplied when I got home (a little over 9 hours after first application.) No. 93 Engine has a medium throw and long wear. This scent gave the feeling of being wrapped in your favorite cardigan. Not bulky or flashy, but comforting and slightly decadent.

Cathode is a gentler, masculine version of Green Tree Viper. It seems to have the same mint notes, but is far less sweet. The ambergris provides a warm, musky base. Unfortunately, the scent sinks straight into my skin and nearly disappears. I had to SLATHER it, mixed with unscented body oil and it still remains very close to my skin. It is lovely, however. I'll definitely keep the imp and contemplate a bottle. Now, to see if I can get my guy to try it on...

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. Oh noes!!! The note of doom!!! I'm not sure what it is. Vanilla? Cream? Saffron? Whatever it is, it's also in Love's Philosophy. Sweet, sticky, putrid spoiled plastic milk. Blech! I'm sure this is lovely one someone else, but I could not wash it off fast enough.

I had to try Hades based on the black narcissus alone. I so love it in Hunger. After trying Hades I have come to realize it really is the Black narcissus that I love, because my skin amps it liek whoa. I'm sure there is a difference between the two scents, but right now I can't tell. I will have to do a side by side comparison. Hades has this smokey/spicy floral quality to it. The narcissus is bold, almost overwhelming at first. Once it "mellows" Hades is a vibrant, strong floral. A little goes a long way. I will definitely be doing a Hades/Hunger comparison to see if I detect a difference, or if narcissus really does wrestle all other notes into submission. (Which would be just fine by me, since it plays so nicely with my chemistry.)

I snagged a decnt of DDLM a couple of years ago (2006 vintage.) I tested it at the time and it was nice to keep the imp, but nothing I was going to hunt down. It has been languishing in my imp box ever since. Last week I was sorting out my imp box and stumbled across it again. Since I was trying to decide what to keep and what to swap, I decided it was the perfect time to try it again (I mean it was November 1st, after all!) DDLM is the perfect example of the benefits of aging. The overly sweet foody notes had completely mellowed, allowing the insence to come out to play. The drydown was a rich, drifting scent. It was complex and multifaceted. As I moved around while teaching I would catch wafts of scent, sometimes the same, sometimes tantalizingly different. It was absolutwely gorgeous. There was something about it that was reminicent of Ozymandius (another blend with "desert" aromas.) Two years ago DDLM was worthy of keeping an imp. Today is in worth the effort to hunt down a bottle.

Yesterday and Friday I wore Samhainophobia 07. Today I wore (of course) Dia de los Muertos. I'll be wearing it again tomorrow, most likely.

If someone already asked this feel free to point me in the right direction. I understand the use od reducer caps to eliminate possible "contamination" of the oil (especially if you are layering or have applied lotion.) What I don't understand is the use of a wand. How does that eliminate contamination? You rub it across your skin, right? Then you place it back in the oil. Wouldn't it transfer the same body oils and such that tipping directly onto the skin could contribute? I might be misunderstanding it all. Can anyone clarify for me? Also, will the lab add reducer caps to an order if you only order imps? I'd like some for previously purchased bottles.