donnatron

Bottle: Strong white wine. It actually smells almost exactly like a wine I had at a tasting a few weeks ago. Wet: Still really strong white wine but also a touch of dandelion greenery. Odd combo. Dry: The wine note calms down to the point where I don't feel like I smell like I'm coming off a bender. It's there but it's less potent and less screamingly WINE! I get more of the dandelion note which is pretty but also a bit sappy and bitter. The currants are definitely the top note and they're giving this a lovely fruity quality. It's almost effervescent in a way. Throw: Heavy. Overall: I like it but it's not my bag. The alcoholic drydown gives me a bit of the old college queasy hangover feeling and it doesn't make the eventual drydown worth it. I like my lighter scents to meld with my skin rather than sit on my skin and this feels more like something just sitting on my chemistry. I get it and I think it evokes the concept wonderfully but it is just not doing it for me.

Bottle: Slightly cloying, metallic dragon's blood. Wet: Oooh... I've had a few bad experiences trying Blood out but this is lovely first on. Spicy, sexy dragon's blood amped up by the cherry. Dry: Right. Clove. This becomes the all clove all the time show. And something about the clove in this blend makes it very... literal. Uncomfortably so. I like blood accord and I like a lot of the bloodier scents. However this is just... bloody. It smells not so much like literal blood as an approximation of blood and I applaud how literal it translates to its namesake. However, it's just a little too metallic and realistically bloody. Throw: Strong. Overall: I appreciate this blend but I also don't really know where I can wear it that is appropriate. If I ever take up a secondary life as a vampire or assassin I have a ready to go scent for it, but as it is, I'm just not feeling it. Interesting and pretty in an odd sort of way but totally not my style.

ETA: Jinx, chaismolokom! I really love Kyoto. It's so fresh and sophisticated without being cloying. My favourite cherry blossom, however, is: The Lantern Ghost of Oiwa Black tea, cherry blossom, ho wood, calla lily, rice wine, and white mint. It's a sexy, pretty, skin close, almost skin musky cherry blossom. I adore it. There are a few other GC cherry blossoms as well: Aizen-Myoo Yuzu, kaki, and mikan with cherry blossom and black tea. Tried this early in my BPAL travels. I recall the tea being very strong and astringent. Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree Cherry blossom, blue lilac, lavender monofloral honey, white sandalwood, and Asian pear Haven't tried it. Seems like it will be rather subdued and "blue" in scent. The Fox-Woman Kuzunoha Leaving Her Child White tea, cherry blossom, wisteria, star jasmine, and teak. Another I haven't tried but rereading the notes I definitely want to.

That's the only Mrs. Norris suggestion I've seen. I think it's really good, but it would be nice if we could figure out a GC suggestion. Mrs. Norris is hard-- the cat scents people have suggested for Crookshanks, for example, just don't seem to suit her. Mrs. Norris strikes me as sort of chthonic. Maybe: Crossroads A chill twilit garden of blooms over dry earth and mosses, heavily laden with incense and offertory herbs. I think the dirt element adds a lot to this one. Sort of the scent of a cat that has been slinking around spying and had to run through bushes and herb gardens to get her quarry. The Witch's Garden Morning glory vines twisting around a patch of rampion, carrot, and parsley, with monkshood, hemlock, elfwort, sage, wormwood, and mandrake. Sort of the same concept as above but without the dirt. Seance rosewood, crushed rose leaf and the slightest touch of warm hazel. Not necessarily Mrs. Norris herself but the sense of being watched by her. The Obsidian Widow Pinot noir, dark myrrh, red sandalwood, black patchouli, night-blooming jasmine, and attar of rose. Dark, intriguing and full of feminity without necessarily representing human feminity. I think it's the scuttling description of the scent that inspires the connection. Man, this thread is so much fun for geeking out.

While nothing can replace Carnivale, it's getting pretty rare around the forum. Lolita has a really good heliotrope note that mimics Carnivale's and layered with Florence it's a nice approximation of the original scent.

Bottle: Violets and the ice/sludge note. Wet: Still extremely violety but starting to warm up. Dry: This smells like parma violets! Sweet and delicate and even with a bit of that powdery edge you get from the parma violets. It's not exactly a cold smell but it's very powdery and skin soft and sweet. It almost smells more like a dusting powder than a perfume. Maybe a bit of a lotion as well. It's very nonoffensive. Throw: Average. Overall: Me likey. It's a very beautiful and classical scent. Not something I'm necessarily going to wear when I have a first date but definitely something I'll be trying out at work or family events.

Bottle: Straight up bonfire with a bit of resin. Wet: Smoky vetiver and a touch of frankincense and bay rum. This is still smoky but has lost the outright bonfire quality. Dry: Gorgeous. The vetiver is my favourite gritty and smoky sort and then the frankincense and mrrh are sweetened by the bay rum. The white rose doesn't rear it's terrifying head. It's very simple but unlike any other scent you're likely to smell walking down the street. Throw: Strong. Overall: This is lovely. It's definitely not an every day scent. I can't see myself putting this on and going to the office or running errands. It's a special occasion scent although not exactly a fancy dress event. I guess I'll have to think about exactly where I'll be wearing this because I do love it.

Imp: Menthol. Wet: Still mentholated. Something sort of sappy coming through. I'm liking this. Dry: I don't quite know where this went wrong but it did and something fierce. It winds up smelling like a bit of camphor or pine over body odour. Like, seriously... the smell of someone who has just spent a week camping in the Nahanni Valley eating what they kill and portaging miles at a time. This is not good. Throw: Mercifully mild. Overall: No. I don't really have a lot to say about this one. It's not terrible when my nose is far away because I can't smell it but the skin close scent is so repulsive that I can't deal with it. Wash off.

Imp: Sour honey and patchouli. It's like Sed Non Satiata gone horribly wrong. Wet: Ugh. This is not working on my skin. It smells like rotten honey and BO. It's the dread pirate clove is what it is. Dry: Thick, viscous honey and fig with a little patchouli. Very pretty and lovely... until I sniff fully. Then the clove comes through and this is... not good. Clove smells very... visceral on me. So it's like a gorgeous perfume over congealed blood. And while I do love blood accord this is just too freakin' weird for me. Throw: Strong. Overall: Dangit, clove.

Imp: Grapefruit and apple blossom. Wet: Grapefruit explosion!! And a wee bit o' ginger. Dry: The grapefruit is still the dominant scent but it's neatly tempered by the apple blossom and a clear bit of tea. A slight hint of giner and greenery. This is very high and a little piercing. Definitely cold. I'm not feeling a lot of warmth or sultriness from this scent. It's definitely a bit standoffish. Throw: Average. Overall: This will be good on the hottest days of summer and possibly also when I want to send out "Do not eff with me" vibes without smelling overly resinous. Probably don't need more than an imp.

Bottle: Red rose and red musk. Wet: Strong, peppery red musk and a wee touch of rose. Dry: The red musk dominates which I am okay with. This is very sensual and sexy and the rose is neatly reigned in by the amber and musk. I love the warm, rose petal quality neatly tempered by the heavier, more velvety elements. This is very robust, feminine and exceedingly gorgeous. Throw: Moderate. Overall: I don't know if I can wear this at this particular point in time (it being summer and all) but this is going to be drop dead gorgeous after it has a few months to settle down for the fall.

Imp: Melons. Cantalope or musk melon specifically. Are cantalope and musk melon the same thing? Perhaps. I dunno. Wet: Jelly Belly melon jelly beans. Too a T. Dry: The melon and the sweetness calm down a bit but it's still sugary sweet and more like candy than real melon. I get the faintest, faintest hint of the moss but considering that I don't really care for moss that's not particularly it's not exactly the best scent on my skin. Throw: Ridiculously strong. Overall: Too much melon. I like melon in small doses (re: 51) but this is just way too overpowering and too fake smelling on my skin. BPAL is way too good to be taking me away like Calgon.

Imp: Candied mandarin and a twist of opium. Wet: Super, sticky sweet vanilla and madarin. Dry: Gentle, soft mandarin and vanilla over opium. It's a less complex Kubla Khan but with the way my skin amps vanilla and smber it smells a lot like KK. It's pretty, though. While KK has a sort of hard, masculine edge contributed by some of the ingredients this is a more yielding and delicate scent. It's definitely the type of scent that invites others to lean in and smell you. Throw: Good. Overall: Pretty and fun. It smells a whole lot better than that era literally did and that's pretty awesome. Due to my KK bottle I don't need a bottle of this but we'll see what happens when I'm out of KK.

Imp: Fizzy juniper. Wet: Very fizzy and crisp. If we're going with the martini idea it smells like the martini when it's just been shaken and strained into a glass and there are still bubbles on the surface. Dry: Crisp, clean juniper with a bit of... ozone? It's definitely juniper and it's definitely a bit fizzy. Thankfully it doesn't smell like I've been hitting the martinis all day but it does smell kind of like I ran out of shower gel and had to use my boyfriend's soap on a rope. Throw: Minimal. Overall: Eh. Kind of soapy, kind of clean. I like juniper as a cooling scent but this is not really doing it for me. It reminds me too much of... club soda, or something.

Bottle: Honey musk? This definitely reminds me of other honey musk blends I have encountered. I get the bright berries and a touch of the carnation. Thankfully it's a calmed down carnation and it doesn't have that sweet tart edge that I sometimes get from carnation. It's not my favourite scent in the world--there's almost a hint of decay like the berries are at the brink of rotting. Wet: This reminds me a lot of Freak Show. A little more calmed down and lot more adult but definitely in the same family. It amps to almost ungodly degrees but is pretty. The carnation is going a bit creamy. Dry: This dries down to just a beautiful, soft carnation touched with berries and musk. Still getting a honey vibe and the amber isn't so much present as it's just anchoring the scent to my skin. The carnation is absolutely drop dead beautiful in this. Throw: Mild. Overall: This is a gorgeous summer blend. It's warm and sultry and makes me a little sad that I'll probably never see another bottle after I power through this one. It's feminine and sexy and just completely fun and funky. Unusual, beautiful, and a truly lovely carnation blend.

That sounds fun! And hopefully it will be a sunny day. Some suggestions: Lust red musk, patchouli, ylang ylang and myrrh. This came to mind immediately. It strikes me as a very rich and grounded and extremely feminine scent. Very earth mother and sultry. Les Bijoux Skin musk and honey, blood-red rose, orange blossom, white peach, red apple, frankincense and myrrh. This definitely falls into the fruity side of the spectrum but the skin musk and honey ground it and make it ridiculously sexy. Hollywood Babylon glittering Egyptian amber and heliotrope, infused with the sweetness of strawberry and vanilla - dragged into debauch by lusty red musk and a dribble of black cherry. It has the brighter party elements and then some grounded amber and musk to prevent it from just evapourating into the ether. Ulalume 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. Really the only reason I'm recommending this one is because it SCREAMS fall to me. I don't know how appropriate it is to your chemistry as it's unlike a lot of the things you like, but I'm just lobbing it out there. Samhain Truly the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein. Pumpkin pie, a bit of dirty patchouli and some forest. This is definitely an autumn scent. It's a LE Halloweenie but hopefully it will be returning this August. Hexennacht 2008 German fir and forest herbs, incense and bonfire smoke, infernal flora, glowing amber, and the wet, glimmering scent of skin warmed by dance. Another LE but not exceptionally difficult to find. This is a gorgeous, sexy sort of forest/skin musk/incense blend. Very crisp and light but also just drop dead beautiful. Love it.

Depending on your vetiver tolerance you could try Saturnalia (Violet deepened with vetiver) or Bluebeard (Violet, lavender, white musk, and vetiver.). If you have no vetiver tolerance or don't find it sexy I would suggest Nocturne (Deepest violet touched with lilac and tuberose) or The Raven (Violet and neroli mingled with iris, white sandalwood and dark musk).

Nuclear Winter is a relatively easy LE to find. It's mint and a frozen field--sort of a dry grass/dirt quality.

Bottle: Sharp and almost nose biting. Definitely getting the pink pepper. Wet: Rich, warm pink pepper and honeysuckle. I love honeysuckle! I also get some of the passion flower--this reminds me a bit of Cottonmouth. Dry: Gorgeous. The pepper adds an interesting zing to a warm amber/honeysuckle base with the passionflower just sort of drifting about. It's a bright, warm, girly floral and I am patting myself on the back for deciding to wear it to a anniversary garden party this afternoon. Throw: Strong. I've had the bottle for a year and a half, however, and it's actually lost some of the intense throw it had when I first bought it. Overall: I love this when I'm in a specific mood for it. Although Hermia is beautiful it's just so bright and peppy and all out cheerful that I have to be in a celebratory mood to wear it otherwise I'm sitting at my desk like, "Why do I smell like I'm ready to party but I'm actually just emailing people?"

Try Gaueko. It's a bit drier and more reserved. If you like the sweetness you could also try Defututa--I find that it has a really personal, skin close throw but ymmv.

First things first: This has nothing to do literally with Twilight the book series but I've always thought the BPAL blend Twilight (Lavender and jasmine, with a touch of glowing honeysuckle.) was very vampiric. It's very regal and detached, like a vampire queen who has minions bring her sustanance rather than someone who is constantly on the prowl. A lot of the suggestions already mentioned are good ideas and I particularly think Blood Countess is a good choice. A few other ideas: Blood Rose voluptuous red rose bursting with lascivious red wine and sultry dragon's blood resin. This one is drop dead sexy, very feminine and very sultry. It has a hint of danger to it like it's trying to hide something. Masquerade Patchouli, ambergris, carnation and orange blossom. A sort of interesting vaguely salty vague musky vaguely spicy patchouli/neroli combo. It kind of conjures up the image of running through a crowd of well dressed and proper people unsure if you are giving chase or are being chased. The High Priest Not to Be Described Monastic incense, blood musk, black leather, cypress, pimento, white pepper, and Roman chamomile. I wear this one all the time but it actually kind of freaks me out. It reminds me of the stories of the conquistadors encountering the sacrificial pyramids at Teotihuacan--the smell of incense and ceremonial herbs combined with the scent of death and blood. Rumpelstilzchen Firewood and ash with an oddly otherworldly blend of patchouli, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, tonka, vetiver, and myrrh. Dark and smoky. Kind of out of left field but strikes me as vampiric. Masabakes Thick black currant with the darkest, deepest myrrh, a drop of bitter mimosa and the slightest touch of mandrake dust. Pure power. Nosferatu desiccated herbs and gritty earth brought to life with a swell of robust and sanguineous red wines. Duh, I guess.

double post. See below!

Oh crap. Triple post.

Imp: Sandalwood and neroli. No vetiver. Wet: Uh... peachy? Like peach skin? Sort of dusty and sweet and with a distinct and weird peachy hit. Dry: Oh vetiver, why you gotta be like that? I like vetiver but the vetiver in this is more of the grassy, dry, almost sour vetiver than pops up in some of the labs blends. I get some vetiver sourness and... nothing. Maybe a bit of the neroli. Actually, I can smell the neroli and the sandalwood but overall it's just a faint, faint blend where things are amping in weird ways. Throw: Mild. Overall: Eh. It's not repulsive or anything but it's really not even close to the sum of its parts on my skin chemistry.

Imp: Ambergris? It's actually surprisingly green in the imp. Wet: Salty leather and incense smoke. I get a faint hint of the tobacco but nothing overpowering. Dry: Oh baby. Leather and incense and tobacco and... GUH! THIS IS SO SEXY! It's actually not particularly feminine but it reads more as a dark, skin close, almost feral scent. The leather dominates with the incense and musk in the background. I keep going back to sniff my wrist--this is a very smooth and sexy scent. Almost smells like there's tonka in here. Throw: Average to strong. Overall: Why have I avoided opening this imp for so long? I think I had the vague notion that there be whiskey here but I was clearly mistaken. This is warm, sweet, a little sexy and mostly just a yowsa sort of scent. Love it. Will probably not think of it much this summer but come the cold winter months? Hubba hubba.