donnatron

Imp: Patchouli and lime candy. A little nauseating, to be truthful. Wet: VETIVER! I AM GLAD TO MAKE YOUR ACQUAINTENCE AS WELL!! Wow. Vetiver is usually a good note on my skin, and while it's not rank or anything, it is very "HELLO!!! IS THIS YOUR PERSONAL SPACE? TOO BAD!! I'M SO GLAD WE SHARED THIS MOMENT!" right now. I can smell some patchouli in the background. Dry: It dries down to a warm patchouli-vanilla with a touch of citrus... and an assload of vetiver floating over it. There's nothing WRONG with the vetiver, it just compells me to type with a lot of caps and blocks out the other scents on my wrist. The longer I sniff the more it goes away--but that might just be because it's killing my sensory cells one at a time. Throw: Do you like vetiver? Sit next to me. Overall: I like it. It just likes me a wee bit too much.

Imp: Something like hair gel. Nice hair gel, of course, but something reminiscent of hair gel. Wet: This smells like a rose bush. Not the roses themselves, but mostly a heavy green scent with the faintest breath of roses. It's a bit sour and I'm unsurprised, as I remember that white rose hates me with the fire of a thousand burning suns. Dry: The white rose is still a little "And your mother, too" but it calms down into a light white flower scent. The jasmine hasn't even bothered to peak out, but the lilies are happy to do their thing. A very obviously lily scent with an undercurrent of fresh water. I can smell the faintest hint of spice--I think it's the amber. Throw: Average. Overall: A very pretty and flirty lily blend. Nice and light for summer with florals that keep smelling like florals after application. I like it, but I won't be hankering after it once I finish my imp up.

I haven't worn BPAL to a wedding thus far, but I'm always happy to help on the suggestions! I casually scanned some of your posts and it seems like you like resinous and vanilla scents and florals just aren't your bag. You said you liked Rose Red somewhat, so Rose Cross might work well for you--it's a sweet rose and frankincense blend that's very classical without being overbearing. The Bow and Crown of Conquest is in the same vein (for me); it's a sweet vanilla-tinged resin-leather scent that smells unusual without smelling unpleasant. It seems like we have somewhat similar chemistry (amp sweetness, devour florals, love the resins) but perhaps different taste. I personally feel like Lurid, Twilight, Psyche, Paris and most of the blends with lavender in them are both extremely gorgeous and mature and elegant enough for a formal wedding. Lavender adds an air of gravitas to an otherwise frivolous blend (like the difference between solemn, mature Twilight and young, flirty New Orleans) and is so well-associated with classical perfumery than it would be more than appropriate for a formal wedding--if you can wear TKO without nodding off, you can combine lavender with vanilla, which you seem to wear exceptionally well. While it might not be as tailored as my creepy "I totally clicked "Find member's posts!"" reply, there is a thread on wedding scents here and I believe it touches on bride, bridal party and guest scents.

Bottle: Old fashioned cream soda. Wet: The cream warms, and adjusts to smell more like a natural skin musk on me. The vanilla warms up a bit and the saffron lends a golden overall scent to the blend. Dry: Warm, creamy and delicious. This scent is glorious--I can't believe it took me this long to try it. It's a soft skin scent that just cries out for cuddling and warm blankets. Throw: Personal. Overall: I just received it a few days ago, but I've already started hoarding. What a glorious, glorious scent.

Bottle: Creamy strawberry and cherry ice cream. So far so good. Wet: This is gorgeous on the drydown. It's smooth, creamy fruit and just a sinfully delicious scent. Dry: For the first few hours of the drydown, it's very similar to the wet scent, just a bit more subdued. I've had it on for about three or four hours now, and it's acquired a bit of a plastic doll scent. It's nice, just a frequent reapplier. Throw: Average. Overall: I'm glad I tried it but I'm happy with my few imps worth.

Medieval romance and courtly love. White rose and soft resins. Bottle: Resinous white rose. Pretty true to form. Wet: White rose is very tempermental on me, and Parlemont of Foules is no exception. The rose goes sour and the resins are dragged down with it. Dry: It bounces back a bit when it's dry. The rose is still sharp, but it's a bit less... erm, gross. The resins are soft and overall it's a fairly pretty scent. Throw: Minimal. Only for snuggling. Overall: Sigh. I was hoping that Geoffrey Chaucer could save me from the white rose catastophe with some of his epic poetry. I'm not too fussy--this will be amazing mixed with a carrier oil and used as a body mist.

Bottle: Cake batter. This is DELICIOUS! Wet: The bakery quality smoothes out a bit and this starts to smell like that initial scent when you walk into a chocolate shop that makes all their product in the back. I don't get a plastic phase, but the cream warms to my skin and I smell like the cream is my natural skin scent and the chocolate note is my perfume. Dry: Man oh man. There's a light citrus/floral quality now, floating over a heavy dark base of chocolate and that creamy skin scent. This is fully edible, but refined somehow. I don't smell like I stole a preteen's Bonne Bell products; I smell like a grown ass woman who has phenomenal taste in perfume. It's like Angel done right. Throw: Good. Overall: I bought this with about an imp and a half left in the bottle. I know what I need to stock up on before the Carnival rolls out of town.

Machu Picchu is a gorgeous amber-tropical flowers scent with a shot of ozone. It smells absolutely divine and has outstanding lasting power. Scarecrow brings to mind hot sand and grass--it smells more like the brambles and grass at the edge of a beach than a beach itself. Blood Pearl has coconut as a note and the dragon's blood and orris lend a really sweet floral element to the scent.

Bottle: It smells like... jaeger. Or chartreuse. A for accuracy so far. Wet: White floral explosion! It actually smells incredibly good. Sort of tart and floral with a hint of foodiness. Dry: It dries down to a sort of hollow floral. Very pretty and feminine, and surprisingly beautiful considering the namesake. The strongest note I'm getting is tuberose supported by lemon verbena and a touch of rose. Throw: Average. Overall: I knew I'd like this the second I saw the notes. It makes me feel a bit dirty for doing so, but I don't care, it's a great, unusual floral that's perfect for business or school situations. I'm glad I acquired a bottle; it's good stuff.

Bottle: Spicy dragon's blood and amaretto touched with a grape juice scent. Wet: Dragon's blood is very excited to be hear and lets me know so. The wine goes BOOZE! HELLO I AM BOOZE! I know it sounds unpleasant, but it's actually very nice, if not a bit overpowering. Dry: Like others, I understand the comparison to Midnight Kiss, although it lacks the luscious cocoa note that Midnight Kiss sports. It's a very sweet, almondy and grapey dragon's blood touched with some resinous spice and a whisper of floral. Very, very complex and heady. Absolutely gorgeous, though. Throw: Good. Overall: I adore it. It's a perfect dragon's blood scent; it allows the dragon's blood to take centre stage, but it's well buffered by the other scents and everything comes together to create a perfectly blended and beautiful perfume.

Imp: Cool creamy mint (def. cat nip) touched with rose and lmen verbena or lemongrass. Really fresh and clean. Wet: Getting some rose there, maybe chamomile? The mint clams down and starts to recede into the background. I thrust my wrist in front of my cat's face and she went a little mad sniffing around my wrist trying to find the cat nip. Dry: Roses dominate with a touch of lemon herb over a cool minty base. Very clean and pretty, reminds me of cool summer mornings and camping. Throw: A little below average. Overall: I wasn't in a bad mood to begin with, but I am digging this scent anyway. It's fresh and pretty and seems like the perfect scent for sticky summer days and the warm season. I'm wavering on getting a bottle, since I'm not a fan of the karma incured by buying a possible hexing agent

Imp: It almost smells like a cooking vegetable. Appropriate to the name--it smells like a closed green bug. The potential of a flower, but no blooms yet. Wet: The plum blossom comes out in full force and sweetens this up considerably. The scent blooms (natch) on the skin. The lotus root lends a soft bubblegum element and the whole thing is a very soft and sweet floral just touched with a hint of spice. Dry: Similar to the wet phase. A sweet, sticky sort of scent, very floral and pretty. It smells almost candylike or foody. Throw: Average. Overall: I really like this one. It was a frimp and I think it might be a bit of a dangerous acquisition; I will definitely be picking this up if I come across it.

Imp: A soft pink rose with a very teensy whisper of lily. I'm not picking up on any of the vanilla musk. Wet: Rose! Pure, pink rose. Pink roses, like white roses, are mercurial on my skin and the scent can't decide if it wants to go sweet or sour. Dry: I can get the faintest huff of spicy vanilla in the background. The rose sweetens and dominates, and I can smell a whisper of the lily. Very graceful and well blended--very well suited for the character of Victoria. Throw: Minimal. Overall: A perfect scent for the character. It's very graceful and feminine and understated. Nice for the office or for any place where you just want to project a classic, feminine air.

Imp via HephaestosChick. Imp: Mainly frankincense with a touch of sweetness and the violet-tinge of orris. Wet: Rootbeer. Up close and in the throw, this is rootbeer through and through. I love the scent of rootbeer so I am rocking out to King Cobra right now. Dry: This calms down into the standard Snake Oil scent with a dusty church incense scent floating overtop. It's very weird, because the SO is super sexy, but the additions are not sexy scents. It's confusing, but interesting. Very well named, at least. Throw: A few feet from the skin. Overall: I like my decant and I'll use it up, but I don't think I'm in need of a bottle.

Imp: A delicious, sweet apricot. Wet: Goes a bit musty on application. The apricot was initially the scent of apricot flesh--now it smells like an apricot skin. Dry: The brandy went dusty on my skin. I smell like apricots and chalk dust. It's almost a nice scent in a dusting powder sort of way, but ultimately it's just sort of... chalky. Throw: Pretty close to the skin. Overall: If your chemistry can handle brandy, go for it. The apricot is to die for.

Imp: Fresh and cool and slightly floral. Wet: Hello water! This immediately turns into what I think of as a generic "aquatic" scent. It's not unpleasant; it's a very familiar scent. It's something that I have smelled in many perfumes over the years. Dry: It winds up smelling like a Ralph Lauren perfume that I used to wear during high school. I like it, but I'm not wowed. It smells very much like an approximation of water rather than a true watery scent or scent evocation. It's very clean and fresh--the aquatic version of Dirty. Throw: Amazingly ample for an aquatic. Overall: An interesting scent and definitely true to the inspiration. I think that if your tastes lean towards fresh, clean scents, you will love it. It seems to be pretty chemistry-friendly, so it's more a matter of taste than a matter of winning the skin chemistry lottery. Definitely recommended if you want a long-lasting, fairly strong aquatic scent.

I second the use of Magus, or for a bit more rounded out scent you could try Dee. It's a gorgeous dry incense/parchment/rosewood scent and it smells very scholarly and secretive. The gentleman himself seems like the perfect namesake for a trunk of those sorts. For the same reason, I would also recommend St. Germain, although that would definitely give you a different sort of vibe. I keep my tarot cards and tarot accoutremonts in a small chest and when I scented it, I just unscrewed a bottle of BPAL Cancer oil for a few days, decided I didn't care for it as a "magical" scent, and so unscrewed a bottle of frankincense instead and left it for about a week. Now whenever I'm doing a reading, I open the box and someone will usually exclaim, "Wow! Your cards smell like... magic!" If you can find a way to keep an imp upright inside for a few days, you should be good for scenting. Otherwise, unscrew a bottle of any varying fullness and if you can let it be for a few days, the interior should acquire the scent.

Imp: Sweet, warm almond and vanilla. Wet: The almond decides that it would rather be marzipan. This scent has an intensely sweet phase, that appears to be a little meet and greet between the vanilla, almond and heliotrope. The honey behaves itself. Dry: Amazing. There's a subtle cinnamon spice on this one, combined with a gorgeous, soft almond-vanilla-heliotrope trio, warmed with the most delicious honey. It's a really comfortable, warm scent, but it's not overpowering or overwhelmingly a cold weather scent. Throw: Good. Overall: Man oh man. This is good stuff. It smells... like a delicious amaretti cookie without being ridiculously foody. It's absolutely wonderful and definitely going into the "Do I need a big bottle?" pile.

Imp: Spicy bourbon. It is almost boozy and I'm afraid to put it on my skin. Wet: But I do, because it's a review and all. It immediately goes " BOOM! CLOVE!" It's a very sticky, resinous scent and I'm mainly getting that sort of waft off it. Dry: This is really heavy, resinous, and very, very spicy. I get a sort of metallic undercurrent that is probably the blood accord and it's... unsettling. Unsettling is a very good word for this entire perfume. It's absolutely gorgeous, but I feel uncomfortable with it. It smells very... holy. Throw: Amazing. Overall: On the one hand, I'm very drawn to this because I'm in love with the amazing throw. On the other hand, it's kind of creeping me out. Considering the name, I guess we could say, mission accomplished?

Imp: Almost a candy sweet/tart scent. Definitely getting hints of wine and honey, and I can detect what I think is dragon's blood. Very complex and almost foody. Wet: Ew. The honey and wine, as they are want to do, start to battle it out and things get sour and nasty. I, however, am smarter than them and sit back to let them tucker themselves out. Underneath the scent I can smel something a little sweet and spicy. Dry: Gorgeous. All the notes are too well blended to really distinguish in any meaningful way, but this is just a sweet, fruity, slightly spicy and smokey scent. It's very, very complex and very sophisticated. I'm kind of in love. Throw: Average. Overall: The drydown is a bit icky for the first ten or so minutes, but it evolves into an absolutley beautiful scent. Definitely recommended if you want a lighter, sweeter smelling Blood Kiss.

Imp: Bazooka Joe bubblegum. It's familiar--definitely reminds me of another in the BPAL oeuvre. Wet: That's because there be jasmine here! Hi jasmine, what is up my delicious smelling friend? Dry: To me, this smells like jasmine and honeysuckle with a touch of spiciness--cinammon, cassia, clove? Who knows? I definitely get honeysuckle. It's a really gorgeous scent, but considering what I think the ingredients are, it's probably a very chemistry-oriented scent. Throw: Pretty good. Overall: Well, I love me right now, but I don't have anyone in the immediate vicinity to seduce with my rapier sharp wit and magical smelling wrists. This is a lovely perfume, it's soft and cozy and doesn't necessarily get me all hot and bothered, but it does evoke a sort of nice, cuddly afternoon type of day. Definitely a keeper (and amasser-more-of--amass-more-ofer? ).

Imp: Mainly amber resin with a touch of floral (I can't identify it AS iris, but I'm going to assume it is). A soft hint of spice. Wet: This goes weirdly floral on me--for a second I thought there was freesia in it. Then it gets warmer and the spice starts to really come out. Dry: Super. Sweet berries, a touch of floral, and a spicy, golden, resinous amber. It all melds together perfectly into a really sexy, adult, in-control scent. It's not ladylike--this is a scent for one hell of a dame. Throw: Good. Overall: There are times in my life when I feel like being one hell of a dame. Florence is definitely one of those scents that can take me in that direction. It's an absolutely gorgeous scent and it's sassy and bold without losing a sense of tradition. I can't say it evokes Florence for me (for that to happen it would smell like dog doo and rain), but it's simply gorgeous. Another entry on the ever-growing list of big bottles.

This thread might help you. Personally, I love my jasmine (time of month dependent), and have amassed a good collection of it. I have read somewhere in my BPAL travels that there is a difference between night blooming jasmine and jasmine proper, although I can't be helpful enough to pinpoint the thread. For your own purposes, I would definitely try Eos, which has a beautiful honeysuckle-jasmine-skin musk not, or Twilight which also has the honeysuckle-jasmine bouquet, but with lavender. New Orleans also sports jasmine-honeysuckle.

Bottle: First of all, I just have to be a big geek and squee my ass off about how adorable this label is. I love it. Even if the interior smelled like wet dogs and pavement, I'd be like "SEE THIS LABEL? IT'S AMAZING!!!" Thankfully the oil smells more like... Mike Ikes. Opening a box of Mike Ikes and just sniffing the inside. It's nice but kind of scary. Wet: GRAPEFRUIT! I'M SO GLAD TO SEE YOU TOO! Grapefruit loves me. Grapefruit, in fact, is the president of the PaperRose fan club (suck it, cedar). It mellows out a bit and the most delicious fruit scent is rising from my skin. I can't (every lunacy I say this, but ever lunacy I mean this) distinguigh between the notes, but they are amazingly beautiful. Dry: Soft, citrusy scent with no dominating scent. Cheshire Moon is sweet, fruity and just... lovely. I get a hint of the guava and cherry blossom, but overall it's just a well blender, lovely, sexy, kind of funky (in the aesthetic, not olfactory sense) scent. Really, really beautiful and I am already staring in horror at my bottle estimating it's lifetime. Throw: Very good, although sharper the further you get from my wrist. Overall: Cheshire Moon, people, how could I not snap up a bottle? I have a sense it will put me in bad financial trouble, but it is amazing and I love it. Love, love, love, love it!

Imp: Sweet incense. Definitely a hint of jasmine, maybe gardenia (could be honeysuckle?) and what smells like almond to my nose. Maybe Egyptian musk? Golden musk? I would say there's a musk, but it's not one of the more common ones in the BPAL ouevre. Wet: Sweet candied almond and florals. Amped up, delightful jasmine. Very sweet and heady and womanly. Exceptionally naughty smelling. Dry: The naughtiness remains. I get an overall floral sweetness with a touch of (presumably sacred ) incense and that same almond sweetness. This is really, really beautiful. Throw: Really good. Overall: Synchronicity strikes again! I had Sugar Moon on the left wrist and was kind of depressed that I was in love with a LE that not a lot of people seemed to have for sale. Then I slapped Sacred Whore onto the right wrist and realized this is really similar to Sugar Moon and in some ways, even more sultry. Yay!