olive

The first few seconds of Barleycorn were amazing, but it quickly faded into a sort of a mellow hopsy/cherry scent. I agree with the original poster, this is really fast fading stuff with little to no throw. After 30 minutes it had completely disappeared.

This is spicy! It's almost like Plunder (someone else compared it to Red Phoenix).. but I swear I'm gettng whiffs of Shub lurking deep in Hellhound. I'm a Shub connoisseur and can sniff out that gingerbread note anywhere. I smell the vanilla (it's really faint) but it's mostly bay and gingerbread to me. Drying down the vanilla moves closer to the front... vanilla+spices without being foody. I think this one lives up to the hype.

After testing all my Halloween oils, this is the one I decided on wearing today. It's so soft yet mysterious in an inviting way. Though this does share a little similarity with White Rabbit (Ichabod is much better imo), Ichabod is still one of those scents that smells completely original compared to any other bpal. To me this smells just like tea, pepper and lots of heavy cream.. and something (it smells like neither lily nor beeswax, though I'm guessing it's the combination of the two) sweetens things just barely, but it's a powdery/dusty sweetness.. and when this contrasts with the milk/pepper it creates something wonderful, subdued, unisex and very hard to stop sniffing.. easily in my top 5. (ETA: 8.5 hours later and its still there.. faded, but there, and true to its original scent. Ichabod is fantastic!)

That's an awesome idea. Are you listening, labbies? AGREED! I'd stock up on every GC I remotely like for a chance to have bunch of 10ml vats to age 'em in! Kabuki 10ml...

just seems so completely simplistic! Beth isn't reaching for Ye Olde Bottle of "Ocean Mist" - she's blending a whole bunch of EOs, absolutes, and all the other things people have mentioned to create something that smells like ocean mist (and then blending that with blood orange and Egyptian musk). I mean, jeez. And it DOES take her weeks to blend these things - which is why there are limited editions that we anticipate (eagerly, drooling) for weeks, and why something like Carnival Diabolique has taken so long to finish. I can kind of understand the skepticism about the volume of scents that BPAL produces - not that I agree, but I can kind of understand. There are SO MANY different BPAL scents, I can see thinking that they must start to repeat themselves, and yeah, there are some scents that smell a lot like one another (see the threads about GC equivalents to LEs and the like). But none of them are absolute dupes of one another - none! Obatala smells a lot like Milk Moon 2005 (thank god, or I wouldn't have a decent substitute for MM!), but they're *not* the same, and even if they are really close, some people are going to like the one better, and others will like the other. And part of BPAL's niche is to have this crazy variety (as opposed to CBIHP, which is going for a different niche). If the scents weren't actually different, people would figure it out and the strategy wouldn't work (because I just don't think consumers are quite as stupid as everyone assumes they are). Or to put it another way, maybe we all are brainwashed, but if we like the way BPAL does things, what's his problem with it? Individual notes are like letters - there are only 26 of them, but they can be combined in nearly infinite ways, and the resulting words combined yet again. Or we're talking about the ways that individual food ingredients can be combined into a ZILLION different recipes. (Sorry, I'm really rambling, but that post is kind of amazingly ignorant. Or just snotty.) Exactly. Ignorant doesn't begin to sum it up. I wonder if he could name any company that produces as many great scents as bpal. It's almost like he (or she?) is saying that the longer you work on one smell, the better it must be, never taking into account some people just have a knack for scents and a super refined sense of smell and maybe doesn't require abundant amounts of time to create a single scent.

I was scouring the web for info about CB I Hate Perfume when I came across this thread: http://www.atforumz.com/archive/index.php/t-307395.html The subject veered toward a CB vs BPAL debate and someone posted something that I just can't seem to shake, mostly because I think he's full of it (at least I hope he is) but I wish we could have an official word. Here's what the guy (troll?) posted: Ok, I'll be nice now. BPAL creates fragrances and people like them and buy them. Good. By ready-made bases I mean simple blends of aroma-chemicals sold by certain companies. Accords named "cupcuke", "dulce di leche", "blackberry musk", "ocean mist #2",etc, etc. In my honest opinion, all of you can make as good, or maybe even better, blends as BPAL if you buy and mix your own bases. I'm not saying they smell bad, it's just the sheer volume of it that makes me question the quality of it all. The woman behind BPAL isn't a perfumer and I think she'll be the first to admit it. In the beginning she claimed her oils were natural. She later had to withdraw that claim (because she learned from other sources she were wrong?). BPAL is fun. I can understand their charm and they deserve their success. But even a mediocre fragrance takes at least weeks until you get it right. Endless adjustments by people who have studied organic chemistry and perfumery for many years. (Edit) A simpified explanation: BPAL; 2 parts blood orange, 3 parts Egyptian musk, 1 part ocean mist. CB; 20% Iso-E Super, 5% geraniol, 2% cinnamic aldehyde (10% in DPG), 20% galaxolide, 10% floralozone, 15% jasmine absolute, 2% hexenyl salicylate, 10% rosa centifolia etc... A perfumer works with single building blocks . BPAL buys ready-made mixes of building blocks and blend them together. A perfumer has to have control over every single ingredient or molecule he or she uses. Their perfume has to smell good the moment you spray it on, still smell good when you're ordering dinner at the restaurant, and fade without smellimg weird. I want to tell this guy off (as I'm sure we all would!) but I want to make sure I know what I'm talking about. Personally it doesn't matter either way, I think bpals smell great and I don't care if they're made from scratch with pure essential oils or synthetic, pre-made accords. If it smells good it smells good, end of story.

I can't believe nobody has mentioned Kabuki or Krampus! In addition to those, I'll add to the chorus of Marianne, Scherezade and Midnight Kiss.

Dry, spicy, powdery woods. An autumn night encapsulated in a bottle, I love it.

At first this smells like hairspray, cherry candy, and it's really perfume-y. My only complaint is that the throw and life are disappointingly short, which I presume is the result of sitting on a shelf for four years? It quickly mellows then fades. I'm pretty sure this smells quite different from how it smelled in 2004.

here you go! hot!

This smells like a mixture of fresh rain/dirt and mushrooms. The best earthy scent I've ever smelled, by far.

I love this concept. This smells like ice cold Orange Crush soda with a splash of vodka over tons of ice cubes. It just has this really cold, fizzy, slightly alcoholic tinge to what is otherwise a very bright and juicy orange smell. I love this immensely and wish I hadn't ignored this decant in my desk for so many months. Love it! An instant classic, unlike any other bpal out there.

This smells exactly like burning thick cardboard. It is a very dark brown scent.. unfriendly.

Though the notes listed for Laudanum share no similarities to this, they certainly smell very similar. THPNTBD is a bit spicier than Laudanum and a bit sweeter as well thanks to the incense.

Burning leaves, cognac breath and soft, rotting mahogany stained with mildew and wet oil paint. This scent so perfectly encapsulates the Haunted House series. It is not something I would ever wear but this would be such a great room scent around autumn.. especially with the fireplace on. Spicy and mysterious.

This is a very dried up rose blended with something very dry.. the same thing that makes Dragon's Bone so dry. It seems far too ephemeral to have any real impact and the scent is not that interesting, wet or dry.

Fresh, dry-sweet and very green. This is moss baking under the sun after a morning sprinkle.. it is very nice but the strength quickly wanes, and as it does there is soon nothing left but a very soft and elegant smelling perfume framed in moss covered oak branches. For some reason this smell reminds me of both sunlight and wetness... like those odd moments where its raining while its sunny out. This would make a great bar soap.

Circus Peanut single note

At first this smelled like a dirty leather, but as it dries the sweet incense arises and, like magic, the smell of old paper comes alive. The Lurid Library really lives up to the name and description. 10 minutes later and the paper is even more alive. This scent is so thought provoking.. it puts such clandestine images in the mind. 30 minutes later and it is dense aisles of old books, earthy leather and some super warm resins (think Cathedral) -- all within the dusty confines of a silent and dimly lit cavern. Quite lovely and very poetic smelling.

This is an ancient feeling, decadent and creamy floral. I'm floored by how wonderful this is. Though the throw is not that strong, the feeling of this oil is massive and heaven-like. I'm typically not a fan of florals but this has such a royal and innocent aura to it. It is so inviting and I can't wait to see how it ages. Edit: 4 hours later it has turned into a silky sweet smoke. It is such a haunting, ghostlike floral with a creamy dryness (much like the way a smoke machine smells) -- I simply love this.

This stuff truly smells like blood - wet blood. That weird smell when you have a bloody nose is exactly what this smells like, and underneath that slightly tangy blood note is a very faint, powdery note that seems vaguely similar to something in Antique Lace. As other reviewers have pointed out, this is surprisingly wearable.. a nice and well rounded scent. Edit: After about 90 minutes I'm left with a very baby powdery & watered down Antique Lace. Sad, but the first hour was great.

AEris -- I completely agree with you. When I talked about businesses wanting the fewest options I mean the fewest options of available vendors. If there were 10-20 companies similar to bpal it wouldn't be as financially prosperous as it would be were it the only vendor of its kind, as bpal is now. I'm not in any way frowning upon this either as it is a very wise business practice and I commend Beth's style which is exactly what you said, creating quality products in vast lines. I doubt anyone here aside from Beth has tried every bpal blend and that alone just goes to show how much hard work has gone into the seemingly infinite number of blends. By creating such a vast world of oils, few of us have any desire to look elsewhere for other perfume companies that might dabble in the same ilk. Of course, I only speak for myself. Bpal is completely satisfying for me. Beth might as well hook my debit card up for an auto-monthly charge each update. joseybird: I hope not to convey in any way that my opinion is fact or that I'm suggesting I know why Beth does certain things. For all I know this entire company of hers could be completely accidental and every business move done on a whim without any thought... for all we know zombiefied magical rabbits concoct all of these oils under Beth's direction... but I have my doubts

I'd imagine Beth weighed the risk of selling single notes vs the possible profit and made a decision. I think it is a sound decision for any business owner. Regardless of what market you're in, the fewer options people have to buy from, the better. Of course, the customer wants the most options, because the more options you have, the lower the prices go, and the harder the struggle is to improve quality. Sure, Beth doesn't list exact recipes... but why make it easy for someone who may actually possess the skill to blend oils to elbow their way into her market? I've really not seen any company that does anything similar to what bpal does, however I could easily see a competitor or two popping up and cutting into an otherwise solidified fanbase. I can't imagine Beth woke up one day and was like "I'm just going to stop selling every single note for the fun of it!" I'm sure there was a justifiable cause to pull them from the site and I'd be very surprised if they were ever put back up for sale by Beth.

I just feel bad for the poor soul whose job is to carefully apply all of these labels to thousands of bottles. I'm sure working at the lab must be heaven, but that has got to be one TEDIOUS job!

You'd think if LE's had to be made in such limited amounts due to exotic ingredients that they wouldn't strictly sell bottles only. Selling imps of LE's would allow more people a chance to enjoy them rather than resorting to decant circles. Of course, I understand that bpal is a business and any business' focus is to make money so it makes sense that bpal would capitalize on that natural tendency to want to blindly jump for a 5ml out of fear it'll be the only chance to get it. I also think it would be a bad idea for bpal to start selling single notes again. That's sorta like Coca Cola selling their ingredients, then posting their highly secretive recipe (ie bpal note lists) on a website. It'd be a terribly unwise business move, which is undoubtedly why bpal no longer sells single notes. So with my commentary out of the way, here is another one that was touched upon slightly a few responses earlier. Sure, LE's are rereleased each year in slightly different formulations (Sugar Skull, Samhain, Krampus, etc) -- but what about GC? What about stuff like Djinn? I love Djinn, but how does this stuff survive while Asphodel dies? Djinn gets such poor reviews on this forum, I see very little praise for it and I cannot imagine there is much of a demand for something that smells so acrid. I'd imagine one formulation of Djinn would be all you'd ever need to make. If you look at the reviews for Dracul, you'll see most of the posts seem to sing the same song, but the last page of reviews starts to mention an overpowering mint smell. My Dracul (older) has no mint. This leads me to believe Dracul was recently reformulated and a little too much mint got thrown in?