Silvertree

A balm for the soul, this is an oil that assists in healing the acute lacerations of sorrow and loss that both cut and calcify our hearts. Angelica essential oil and root, carrot seed oil, lavender essential oil and bud, Roman chamomile essential oil and chamomile harvested

from the BPAL garden, vetiver root and oil, neroli essential oil, organic Italian bergamot essential oil, and white vegetal musk.

FYI, for BPAL website issues, your best bet is to email the customer service team: answers@blackphoenixalchemylab.com

No additional scent description.

Anyone reaching out with customer service requests this week, please note it may take us longer than usual to reply, as Lab staff are tending to a family emergency.

 

If you'll keep directing requests to answers@blackphoenixalchemylab.com, we'll do our best to answer promptly. You will not receive a faster response via personal communication or social media messages; please consider that receiving these notifications at all hours can make it even tougher to set work aside during a difficult time.

 

Many thanks from Team BPAL!

[bpal]A love letter to goth kids everywhere...the perfect evocation of an old school clove cigarette.[/bpal]

We're back, baby!

The forum update is a success, but not without some issues. Which is to be expected! Please post in the appropriate topic to bring an issue to our attention, or use the report button.

Thanks for your patience as we figure this out.

Hi, everyone!

 

We have been working with a developer to fix the forum's more persistent issues, such as captcha-induced login difficulties. After a few rounds of extensive testing and troubleshooting, we are ready for an update.

 

The forum will be offline starting at 9:00pm EST on Thursday, November 1. At this time we are not sure how long the update will take. Save any information you might need for swaps and sales in a secondary location, and cross your fingers for us!

 

After the update, please report any issues you might come across. Once the captcha issue is resolved, we should be should be able to fix user names/merge accounts of those members who got locked out, so if you made another account please report your profile *after the forum is back online*.

 

Thanks for your patience!

I would include them among the Weenies, since they went live as part of the Halloween update.

Apologies for the short notice! We are making some upgrades tonight and the forum will be down from (approximately) 9:30-10:30pm EST.

 

The Bitch is back, and we're gonna be in trouble....

Out of all the Resurrected blends, I was most excited for Loviatar. And this most certainly does not disappoint. Loviatar 2.0 is very, very close to OG Loviatar, although of course it's tough to compare a fresh-from-the-mailbox blend with one that's been aging in a cool, dark box since...2005? But I'll try.

Loviatar 2.0 gives off that same radiant warmth of amber, musk, and myrrh, wrapped up in the sexy, smoky embrace of leather. Loviatar is confident, sensual, even elegant. But that doesn't mean it's soft. This is elegance with an edge. It's the scent of that seductive, prowling strut you can achieve only when you feel completely comfortable in your own skin--and those thigh-high leather boots don't hurt, either. This is sexy with a hint of sweetness, powerful, and perfect. My only complaint is that it's no longer available in 10mL form!

I may be about to commit BPAL heresy--actually, let's go with BPAL blasphemy, for the alliteration--but I may like Eve With Sage Fuck Up even more than OG Eve. Eve, it's not you, it's me--rose is a tough note for me to wear. So minus the rose, plus sage, Eve WSFU has suddenly become a very wearable scent for me.

In the bottle, and wet on my skin, Eve WSFU is soft mossy greenery and a hint of honeyed incense. It's green and warm and glowing, just a tiny bit "perfumey". The sage is fresh and herbal, and doesn't have that bone-dry quality it sometimes gives off. It's a beautifully earthy yet sophisticated blend, and I wish all my fuck-ups were this good.

Fresh out of the mailbox! I usually wait at least a day to test, but I couldn't resist smelling the Smooch.

 

This is Dragon's Milk older sister. A little soft, honeyed sweetness; some rich, burnished patchouli. It's a very smooth scent, and falls into the category I think of as "glowing". I'm so glad I got a chance to try it!

Velvety-soft, with a sinfully deep, rich patchouli, Belonging to the Darkness wafts delicious tendrils of gently spiced smokiness from its shadowy depths. I get a bit of the vetiver's woodsiness blending with the cardamom, and a pulse of golden, liquid amber adds a glimmering contrast to this earthy, mysterious scent.

Smooth and sweet, Petite Planchette falls into the realm of scents I think of as "glowing". It's warm and gently radiant, the slightly gooey honey and rich vanilla balanced by the deep woods and fragrant incense notes of the frankincense and myrrh. It's a little resinous, a little gourmand, and utterly beautiful.

A Wild and Naughty Girl reminds me of a Vosges truffle: smooth, exotic, and luxurious. This is deep, dark chocolate with warm clove and earthy-sweet tobacco and patchouli. As the blend dries, the chocolate takes a back seat to the other notes. It's like lounging in front of the fireplace while a snowstorm rages outside your cozy cabin and your best friend makes hot chocolate (probably spiked) in a little cast iron cooking pot over the flames.

There have been two lunacies--Crow Moon and Raven Moon--as well as:

 

Fuck You, Said the Raven (American Gods)

The Night-Raven (Marchen)

 

And from the BPTP Snow Queen update:

 

Caw-Caw hair gloss

Court Crows hair gloss

The Language of Crows perfume

The Wolves Howled, The Ravens Screamed perfume

This is one of the times when it is absolutely appropriate to contact the Lab, and is not bothering them. When in doubt, better safe than sorry.

 

Athena and owls both are significant to me, and I wanted to contribute to Athena's Army; I am very glad to have been able to do so. On me, Owl's Wing is a soft, comforting, resin-forward blend. I get primarily the cedar, sandalwood, and myrrh, with maybe a touch of earthiness from the sage. The lavender and champaca flower lend some lightness and sweetness, but this is not an in-your-face lavender (or floral) fragrance. It's snuggly without being meek; soothing, but with a protective, sheltering quality--like a strong shield that's lined with the softest, downiest feathers.

I ordered Closet Raid because I love the notes, and also because I remember how I used to love trying on my mom's clothes, and watching her get ready to go out. She's more of a Chanel No. 19 aficionado; I can still remember how special it felt when she dabbed the tiniest amount of scent on my wrists and behind my ears.

In the bottle, Closet Raid is a smooth, elegant, heady fragrance. I get little wafts of soft florals, like sachets fastened to hangers releasing their sweet scent, and a slight touch of something soapy-clean, like an old-fashioned aftershave.

Wet, I get mostly a sweet and powdery aroma. I'm not a huge fan of this stage of the drydown, but it's very short-lived. Which is great, because...

Dry, Closet Raid is glorious. It's one of those classic huff-your-wrist scents, a rich Snake-Oil-and-purple-flowers blend with resins and florals melding together to form a glowing, sophisticated whole. It reads as "warm" to me, but it's polished, not earthy. There's a little hint of the aftershave/cologne; I tend not to classify scents as "masculine" vs. "feminine," but if it's helpful I would call Closet Raid unisex.

I could see putting this on as a going-out scent, and putting the smallest drop of scent on the inside of my daughter's wrist while I'm getting ready. Closet Raid holds a special place both in my collection and my heart.

Most of the perfume oils should be gently rolled/swirled, not shaken (unlike the hair glosses, which benefit from a bit of energetic agitation). One or two blends are globbier (technical term), so you could use a clean straw or coffee stirrer to try to break up any bits that don't want to mix.

It could be both, especially if you got one (or both) from another BPAL fan vs. the Lab. I'd keep whichever one works better on you.

Per Failmingo's announcement:

 

"With the exception of our honey-based products and CO2 Butter Extract, everything that comes from BPAL is vegan, and we abhor animal testing. Black Phoenix does not test on animals, and we do not work with companies that utilize animal testing. Black Phoenix is entirely cruelty-free, as our four dogs, many fish, and resident cat will attest. All products are tested on staff, family, and friends. Always double check the ingredients or contact our Customer Service before making a purchase if you are unsure of any components listed in an oil’s listings."

I never have.

The Gift is a warm, radiant scent. It glows softly but surely--a burnished golden fragrance that is strong but not overwhelming. I was worried that the honey might be too sweet or gooey, but the wood notes keep both the honey and amber from getting too sticky or powdery. It's the olfactory equivalent of sitting in front of a gently crackling fireplace on a chilly night (without any of the bonfire/burning scent associations, if that makes sense). Or maybe snuggling up under the covers with someone you love--waves of comforting, cozy body heat. Truly lovely.

I think the email address is now answers@blackphoenixalchemylab.com! I seem to remember that a couple of email services (maybe live and hotmail) eat the Lab's responses, but you should be good with gmail.