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BPAL Madness!

shadow

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Everything posted by shadow

  1. shadow

    Neo-Tokyo

    This scent was created for a very dear friend in Kyoto, with love, admiration and continent-spanning affection. The name itself was inspired by Vladimir. A scent that captures a meeting of the serenity and elegance of ancient Japan, the vibrant, shining, neon-lit and ultra-modern splendor of today's Tokyo and the fantastic electric fantasyland of post-modern manga fantasy. Urban metallics and an ozone-tinged breath of electric light mingled with reedy bamboo, crisp mountain air, cherry blossoms, delicate orchid and a splash of playful, wet fruits. This is beautiful. In the vial it's light and delicate, a little cold. Immediately after putting it on, I get a light fruity smell, I don't know what the fruit is, but it's a bit like apple. Not that strong fake green apple smell, or the heavy, sweet apple smell of Hesperides, but a clean, delicate, just cut an apple in half smell. This scent is REALLY light, almost nonexistent, and then it does this weird morphing thing. Over the next hour it slowly gains substance, gets stronger, and smooths out. I think my skin must have grabbed what little orchid is in there, because it's reminding me a bit of Blue Moon or any other scent I've tried with orchid in it. Five hours later it's still there, and it's blended into my skin in a gorgeous way. This is going on my bottle list. I'm glad I got a sample of this because I probably wouldn't have ordered it on my own.
  2. Nine-tailed fox demon of Korean lore who transforms into the visage of an irresistible beauty in order to seduce men and lead them to their doom. A sharp, biting blend of crisp white tea and ginger. Water, Saponified Organic Palm Kernal Oil, Coconut Oil, Soy Oil, Macadamia Nut Oil, Sodium Lactate, Jojoba Oil, Castor Oil, and Kumiho Is there really not a review for this soap yet? With April here, my longing for warmer weather has reached a fever pitch. This soap makes me happy - it's bright and invigorating, that perfect burst of energy I need to get moving in the morning. While I wouldn't say it's hugely moisturizing, I should also add that I don't find any bar soaps very moisturizing, and my house feels drier than normal lately. I can say it's not drying, especially compared to other bathing products I've tried recently. While I love the other soaps I ordered, I think this will be the first one reordered now that warm weather's coming.
  3. shadow

    Virgo 2007

    I was very excited about this blend, as it seemed different from your average Virgo blend (which always seems to prominently feature patchouli). I was a tad bit apprehensive, too. I didn't need to be. This is everything I never knew I wanted. It's strange, because I can identify the carrotseed and fennel and honeysuckle, but all together they combine into this wonderful sweet herbal smell. It's much sweeter than I expected, but not in a cloying sugary way. I just can't say enough how much I love it and have considered tracking down a second bottle. I really think this is much more representative of me than any other astrological blend I've ever smelled. Thanks, lab!
  4. shadow

    Gennivre, L’Artiste du Diable

    This is my favorite of all the BPAL tea scents. It just works with my chemistry, which can be freakishly finicky. I get a wonderful blend of most of the notes listed - tea, mint, sugar, and just a tiny citrusy twist (though I don't get any of the heaviness of honey). This will go back into heavy rotation when I'm longing for warmer weather.
  5. shadow

    Destroying Angel

    Hmm. I'm not sure this actually belongs here, but I don't remember ever seeing this scent released, and I didn't find it in the search on the website. I have to warn that I'm horrible with notes and feel like I have odd chemistry, but I'll give it a shot. In the imp - this is a sharp, clean floral with some slightly herbal notes. I think I'm getting lavender, but there's something else in here - something that seems a bit sweeter. On application - I'm worried I may regret the swipe on my arm. It's very, very sharp now, and I think I might be catching the faintest whiff of vetiver (though I'm never actually sure that what I think is vetiver is really vetiver). Shortly thereafter - I smell like soap. Not like drugstore soap, but super expensive French soap. And there's quite a bit of sweetness now. Maybe there's a touch of lily mixed in with the lavender? I don't know, but it's very pleasant and clean. Not comforting, just very white and... well, clean. Half hour later - It's even sweeter and softer now. I'm not getting any lavender at this point, which makes me wonder if I imagined it at the beginning. It's a lovely skin scent (maybe there's a touch of white musk). When I feel like I need to smell like me but better, I think I'll be pulling this one out. It's completely melted into my skin, which not many scents do. It's not gone, it just feels like me. I'll be very interested to see what notes are in this if it's ever released. I like it much more than I thought I would upon first sniff. Merged with existing thread. --Shollin
  6. shadow

    Lyonesse

    Golden vanilla and gilded musk, stargazer lily, white sandalwood, grey amber, elemi, orris root, ambergris and sea moss. I was very surprised by this one. Normally amber takes over a scent and leaves me with powder. This did something entirely different. I never got the separate notes, I ended up with a beautiful golden wood. It was like blonde woods and just a little hint of alcohol (scotch?), and maybe even a touch of tobacco. Very beautiful, but not what I was expecting at all.
  7. shadow

    Snow Bunny

    Snow Bunny is adorable. It's slushy and piney and fruit punchy all at once. I'm not really a fruit person, but it makes me smile and is bright, not cloying, so I'll definitely pull this out when I need some perking up.
  8. shadow

    Three Witches

    Oh, I love this one! I didn't like it in the bottle, but when I put it on it softens and mellows and deepens. This is what I hoped Gingerbread Poppet would turn into. I definitely get the cinnamon (bark, not candy) and the clove, and I think every once in a while I get a tiny hint of the pepper, but there's a weird hint of vanilla or coconut in there too, sweetening everything up. I know there's not actual coconut in there, it's just what the end product reminds me of. I like this one better than expected.
  9. shadow

    Pink Phoenix

    Is there musk in this? It's so strange! In the bottle it smells like fruity cotton candy - a bit like Midway, but with a bit of strawberry in it. I put it on and BAM! Within 5 minutes I reek of powder! Eventually it fades and then I smell like strawberries more than anything else, but pretty much I'm mostly powder. I don't get it, it does make me a bit sad. This would be fun to wear when I'm just hanging out with my kids.
  10. shadow

    Peace

    I wore this today because I really needed some. In the imp I almost decided against it. It had that sharp floral smell that indicates lavendar. (Or jasmine, but this wasn't jasminey.) I told myself to forget about it, I needed it more for the idea and effect than the smell. I put it on and forgot about it for a half hour, but when I lifted my wrist to smell it, it was a very soft, pretty, delicate smell. I think even now I'm catching the faintest whiff of violet, though I'm not positive. It's not a floral I generally wear. I really like this and am considering buying a bottle if it gets released for sale. It's a nice, subtle nonscent kind of scent, if that makes any kind of sense. And it goes soft surprisingly fast considering my chemistry does not usually play well with lavendar or similar scents.
  11. shadow

    Eden

    Where's the green stage everybody's talking about? I get no green at all. Instead I get a very wearable fig right at the beginning. Surprisingly coconut doesn't make its normal loud, boisterous appearance, but I think it does add a bit of warmth and creaminess. After a couple hours the sandalwood finally makes and appearance and this become something I really, really like. I don't know that it will be a workday scent, but definitely a nice Saturday scent.
  12. shadow

    White Light

    I need a bottle of White Light. I put this on for the first time on a stressful day - I had to take my son to the doctor - and I almost immediately felt centered. That's the first word that popped into my head. It stopped me from being my normal neurotic self, and I was able to focus on what I actually needed to do. The second time I wore it was at work. Again, it just gave me that same feeling. It's not quite confidence, and it's not cheer, and it's not even really calm. It's just being aware of yourself and your place in your surroundings and what you can and need to do. As far as the actual smell goes, it was all the good things about High John the Conqueror. It's herbal, light, clean and spicy all at once. I find it quite pleasant.
  13. shadow

    Oisin

    Oh wow. I don't know what happened to me, but suddenly I can wear musk. I never was able to before, it would always go to powder almost instantly. But I recently found it's my friend, and this is a wonderful musky scent. Instantly on I'm surprised by how warm a scent it is. I guess I expected something sharp and cold and white. But instead it's almost creamy, light, sweet and soft. Instantly I think it's a great summertime feminine scent, but then my husband sniffs and tells me it's definitely a man scent. I think he just wants it for himself. On him it is a tad cooler and crisper. It hasn't changed all that much since I put it on, it's still absolutely beautiful, on both of us. I think I might be catching a bit of the herb/flower notes in here. It really just grounds it a bit so it doesn't totally float away. If you like musk, or think you might like musk, definitely get your hands on some of this, because it's really, really beautiful. I'm so glad I decided to order a bottle even though I didn't expect I'd be able to wear it.
  14. shadow

    Bastet

    Anyway, I grabbed this on my way out of the house yesterday and threw it on because I couldn't remember what the notes were. I figured I liked Nefertiti and Cairo, so I probably couldn't go wrong with another Egyptian blend. Luckily I forgot that amber and musk were in here, because those generally turn to powder on me and I wouldn't have worn it, especially to work where I'm stuck with the smell all day. Once it was on I sniffed and sniffed and sniffed. Obsessively. It was the most beautiful, soft, golden, rich scent I've tried yet. I smelled almond, but it wasn't as strong as it usually gets on me. I smelled something almost aquatic, but more along the lines of lush tropical blooms than water. And I smelled what I was sure was cardamom (which is fast becoming one of my favorite notes). Imagine my surprise when I came home and saw that it had musk AND amber. Seriously, those generally hate me. Just goes to show that no matter what, I really need to try all the scents because it is amazing what the lab can do. I'm incredibly happy, because I've always been just a bit jealous of people who can wear these warm, sexy scents. And now I have one! I liked it enough that I wore it again today, and am considering wearing it again tomorrow. Definitely a bottle.
  15. shadow

    Gomorrah

    This is another one of those weird blends that smells completely different in the air around me than actually on the wrist. Right on it reminds me quite a bit of intrigue - strong fig and something grounding. I thought it might be cypress, but I don't see it in the list and it's not woody at all. Plus that's not quite right, maybe it's the vetiver someone mentioned? I don't know what vetiver smells like, but whatever it is, it's something I associate with classic, expensive, bold perfumes. That doesn't fade much, and it's like I got perfume right under my nose or something, because I can't not smell it. But when I put my wrist to my nose, something weird happens. I get a whiff of something absolutely lovely. Warm, rich, ripe, deep. I don't know why only the other smell lifts off my skin, but the one close to me is the one I love. I'll have to try this again when I don't have a headache.
  16. shadow

    BPAL and pregnancy

    Everything coming out of my mouth at this point is just guessing, so don't take it for anything other than random musings, okay? If the problem with essential oils during pregnancy is the absorption, then I would think if they're diluted with a carrier oil (which is how we're supposed to wear them, though I don't hear about many people doing it except with certain oils like cinnamon), it shouldn't be too big a problem, mostly because the amount of oil being used is so small. And I would guess that where you put it is important, too. Like if you use a progesterone cream, it's supposed to be most effective on your lower stomach or near reproductive organs. At least if I remember correctly. So if you used it on your wrists and backs of knees, maybe that wouldn't be as risky as your chest or stomach. I'm sure there are plenty of places that have real research, though. It seems like I saw a pregnancy and essential oils book at a nature store in the mall when I was pregnant. And it looked like there were quite a few that would be beneficial.
  17. shadow

    Leanan Sidhe

    Oh, this is going on my bottle list! Before BPAL, I never really thought of myself as a floral person. I don't think my first order contained a single floral perfume. But she's magical! This one is gorgeous! It's white and green and soft but bright. It smells like small white flowers, and there's definitely a wet/watery note in there. Somehow it doesn't go sharp the way I worried it would. I do get why people have compared it to dryer sheets or soap. It would be lovely on linens, and a wonderful, refreshing spring/summer scent on skin.
  18. shadow

    House of Night

    I ordered this thinking it would be somewhat like Midnight for some reason. It's not, but it is beautiful. It's one of those that are fun to track because it has so much going on and is, like everyone has said, so complex. When I open the vial and while wet on the skin, I smell cypress. I'm very worried, because cypress usually overpowers everything and gets really stinky on me. However, there's just a touch in this, because it never overpowers everything, it just deepens and dries the scent a little. Then I really worry because I get a sharp floral - almost jasminey, and I think I'm going to have to wash it off. Or try, anyway. But then I understand the Living Flame comparison - there's something sweet and almost fruity in here. I'm not sure what it could be. Maybe some residual sweetpea from Aeval? I thought I'd gotten all of it off, but maybe not. I have absolutely no idea what it is, but this is its perfumey phase. After a couple hours, it's still going strong, but the smell has deepened and richened and sweetened into something smoky and green. I really like this one, and while I probably won't order any right now (summer's coming, and I can't see wearing this one in the heat) I think it will definitely be something I look forward to come Autumn.
  19. shadow

    Brisingamen

    So, so close to being the only amber based scent I can wear. First on I actually don't get any amber - only apple blossom and myrtle, and a little of the green spiciness of carnation. The apple blossom begins to fade and the other two scents richen and deepen. At this point it's so gorgeous I can't take my nose away from my wrist. The amber appears, but is soft and subtle, and I'm thinking of a bottle. But then the dreaded amber curse kicks in, and I'm overwhelmed with a rich, golden powder smell. I really like the rest of this though, and I really wish I could wear it.
  20. shadow

    Juke Joint

    Oh, I thought something was wrong with me, because it's perfect in the vial - almost exactly what I expected, but in less than 10 minutes it got superstrong and I got a powdery, ambery feel. My husband said I smelled like a French whore, and while it wasn't to my taste, it wasn't raunchy. I'm guessing he's either been with some very nice French whores or he was just talking about the strength of the scent. Oh, and it LASTS. For a very, very, very long time.
  21. shadow

    Aeval

    I found Aeval pleasant and inoffensive, however one person said they didn't care much for it (it might not actually have been this, but it's possible) and one person said I smelled like an old lady. I'd guess that was the tonka - it (I'm assuming it's the tonka as sweet pea goes supersweet floral on me) adds a powdery sweetness on my skin. Of course, I just finished a mega dose of antibiotics, so my chemistry could be completely out of wack.
  22. shadow

    The Living Flame

    Here's another one I was worried I wouldn't like after raeding the reviews. It was the ones that mentioned it being "perfumey" that really gave me pause. Luckily it's wonderful! When I open it, and even right after I put it on, it smells like red popsicles. It's very bright and clear red, and it doesn't seem very complex. At this point I'm thinking either I got the runt of the batch or everyone who's reviewed this so far is smoking crack. But then the other notes come out and strengthen. And suddenly I understand the perfumey comments and the comparison to Venom. I don't know that it necessarily smells like Venom, but it certainly feels like it. It's grown up and expensive, seductive and playful all at once. At this point the florals have come into play as well as whatever it is that keeps it grounded. Musk? Amber? I'm not sure as both of those tend to make things seem similar. It's warm and almost like skin, just a bit powdery and dry, but not baby powdery. After a few hours nearly all the fruit has gone away, there's just enough to keep the lingering scent sweet, and all the edge of the floral's are gone. All that's really left is that skin scent. Well, that scent that's sort of like skin, only better. Another Limited Edition that I will treasure.
  23. shadow

    Chaste Moon 2005

    I am surprised by how much I love Chaste Moon. After reading the reviews and seeing butterscotch and buttery popcorn, and comparisons to some of the autumn scents (which I like, but it is spring, so I didn't want any more of those right now) and Snow White (which is lovely but too strong and overwhelming for me) I was VERY worried. Luckily all my worrying was for naught. I do get the butterscotch note mentioned in other reviews. However, it's lighter than in any of the other blends I've smelled it in. And upon application the lunar notes come out, giving it that shimmery, luminescent feel that most of the lunar oils have. After a while all of Chaste Moon's components seem to find a way to live in harmony on my skin, and I'm left with a sweet, creamy smell that somehow manages to avoid being foody. I keep trying to reach for the other oils I ordered, but I have to admit to having a really hard time with it as I've really fallen hard for this one. It's my second favorite lunar, after Blue Moon. Oh! And I do get why people compare it to Snow White, but it's much lighter, at least on me, and it's much more wearable.
  24. shadow

    Santo Domingo

    Oh Santo Domingo - I want to compose sonnets about you. I can't, but I will write a short review. I think this might be the one I was most excited about. There is just something about the smell of tobacco. Not stinky cigarettes, but unlit cigar and pipe tobacco. Everything from those cruddy Swisher Sweets, to Hula Girls, to that cheap cherry pipe stuff to those slightly expensive, obscure cigars my husband buys. This starts out a bit smelly on me, actually. It's a really sharp, slightly pungent smell. I'm not actually sure what bay rum smells like, but I suppose it could be a combination of that and something slightly "perfumey." After about five minutes I start to imagine I'm smelling tobacco. Hey! It's not my imagination! It really is! And it's a deep, very pleasant, sweet tobacco - it seems sweeter than it does in Hellfire or Perversion. After an hour, I'm dreamy and sniffing every few minutes. It's tobacco, and I think the blossoms have come out. Luckily most flowers like me (okay, most except for rose and jasmine and ylang ylang - those do NOT play nicely on my skin), so this combination is absolutely beautiful. If bay rum smells like rum at all, then I think I might be catching a teeny whiff of this one every once in a while.
  25. shadow

    Dragon's Milk

    Dragon's blood is one of those notes I can never quite pin down in a blend. It picks up on the other scents and either adds a floral, resin, incense or leather feel. Or maybe it's one of those things I can't actually smell and I'm only smelling the other notes in the blend. Anyway, Dragon's Milk is the star of the scents containing this to me. It's all vanilla tobacco - sweet, warm, smoky and comforting all at once. I absolutely love it and think it's going on a big bottle list.
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