sunshinedaisybliss

I find it interesting that so far most people are saying that blonde = all the soft/pink/fruity/pretty scents. As a (natural) blonde... I do appreciate those kinds of things but the BPALs I reach for are more the dark, resinous, voluptuous type - from gnarly patchoulis through to smokey incenses and snuggly leathers. And I stay far far away from any 'white' notes. But to be fair, I'm definitely not a bubblegum-chewing flowery-dress-wearing type of blonde

I was able to see the photo by clicking the little 'gallery' button under your avatar in your post I'm curious now, too! I know my bottles are pretty old (2008-ish) so I suspect that the coloured snake is younger, but I don't know for sure. I have a vague recollection of the Snake Pit labels being re-done at some stage, with slightly different designs and more colour, but I could be completely wrong about that. Hopefully someone around here has got a bottle of Australian Copperhead that they bought right back when it first came out, and we'll be able to find out PS to put an image into a post, just grab its location (right-click/copy image location) then use the 'insert picture' button inside your post to paste that in. Here's your pic:

All my bottles of Australian Copperhead are around five years old, and they have this label: The label itself is not shiny - it's the 'parchment paper' style. Hope that helps!

Salty, woody, slimy. It smells like mushroom and coconut soup poured over seaweed. Nasty.

So... on me, his smells like dirty socks that have been soaked in orange juice then sprayed with pine disinfectant.

This is a very strange blend indeed - there's the black rose, rosewood and oudh which for me just blend together into dark rose... but over the top of all that is a very salty, clean and almost menthol-like aroma which I guess must be the 'sea-kissed' aspect. It's the olfactory equivalent of pushing a heavy curtain aside to look into a room... I really have to push past the saltiness to get to the rose. I'm not finding anything related to the candle at all. After fully drying down (about 30 minutes), all I have here is a weird mix of saltiness and soapiness with rose. So as usual, the rose here amps on my skin so that eventually it's all I can smell. Note to self: give up on these rose blends! No matter what other notes are there to tempt me, I should know by now that rose always wins

Thank you to the lovely Mellifluous for frimping this to me! The first thing to hit my nose here is the laurel honey - very fresh, and almost 'green' smelling. But right behind it is a gorgeous glowing amber softness, and then the bright saffron peeks through the honey-amber haze. A few minutes later, the waxy sweetness of the heliotrope appears. The only thing I never really find in its own right is the cedar, but there is a 'woodsy' kind of undertone to this blend. Unfortunately, the honey drowns out everything else here... that's just how honey rolls when it gets on my skin. BOO! I love all the golden warmth and brightness of Progressus, but that damn honey just spoils it... this ends up being just all honey all the time

I had to try this one, because I'm a fan of the perfect and absolute mental collapse I don't get the OMG VETIVERRRRRRRR thing that others have mentioned - not at all... what I do get straight away is a gorgeous smokey cacao - imagine a chocolate factory on fire - that's the smell, and it's fan-freakin-tastic! Quite unlike any other scent experience I've had in BPALania so far. But then - just as I'm swooning in a cloud of smokey cacoa... the black pomegranate shows up - like a dark red hard-boiled candy... all sticky juicy dark sweetness, which adds a whole new dimension to that smokey chocolate. I investigate this business a little further - lean in for a deeper sniff - and there's just a teensy hint of rose, and I notice the smoke isn't like a black/ash smell but a softly sweet smoke which must be the vetiver + myrrh working together. And hey - there's my beloved red patchouli in there too! The patchouli comes out at about the 5-minute mark, by which stage the smokiness has mellowed right out. i'm not picking up any bitterness at all from the rue, and I expected a tinge of orange/citrus from the petitgrain... it's there, but it's very much a subtle top note rather than a key player. Unfortunately, that lovely smokey/chocolate/pomegranate/patchouli combination that I enjoyed so much at the start doesn't hold strong through the dry-down... for a blend that started off with so much oomph, this one fades fairly quickly into a mix of mostly pomegranate and rose on my skin - sweet, almost sickly, and a bit powdery. That's what happens with rose for me - it almost always ends up drowning everything else out So... sadly... this is not a winner for me. Bummer, because those first ten minutes of it were glorious.

My first thoughts on this one... Snow White + mint, with something floral - lily, maybe. It has the exact same vanilla with a touch of tropical sweetness that I love so much from Snow White, but also a cool, crisp mint element that I wasn't expecting. Perhaps I should have expected it, since 99% of the time the BPAL 'snow' note translates straight into mint on my skin As it dries down, the mintiness subdues a little and everything sweetens up, but I never really get a true 'spun-sugar' because the mint stays there the whole time and that floral tone is also quite obvious. The whole thing fades rather quickly (in less than an hour, it's almost completely gone and it fades down to something that smells kind of stale), where a dab of Snow White lasts on my skin all day. So although it seems unfair to directly compare this to Snow White - that's honestly what it is on me... Snow White + mint. Lovely in its own right, but it's just not doing it for me.

Heh... hello crazy Most of the 'sludge' I have encountered recently has been due to cocoa/cacoa/chocolate in a blend. As you mentioned - BTBT has sludge, and so has Countess Willie, Playing With Dangerous Toys, Delight and Consternation, and #occupywallstreet (the sludge in one of my OWS bottles is so thick that it absolutely refuses to budge from the bottom of the bottle!). I have a few bottles of Boomslang that I've been aging for a while now - they are all at various levels of sludginess, but the oldest bottle is very thick and sludgy and glorious... like a chocolate syrup And of course, the older Snake Oil gets... the thicker and sludgier it becomes - same with most of the Snake Pit blends, and also Snake Charmer. I dig the sludge too! But I also dig the BPALs with globules - they're like little lava lamps in a bottle The one that most comes to mind is Hellhound On My Trail - my bottles of that all have black globules in them

I don't think there would have been many people more excited than me when Siilkybat Hair Gloss was announced. Sensual? Sugared? Patchouli? Oh yes, I thought... OH YESSSSSS. I ordered two bottles without a moment's hesitation. But I have to say... oh no. OH, NO. Just no. For me, Silkybat is all just so wrong, and I'm very disappointed First up - the patchouli here is not rich and warm and earthy - it's light, but sharp. Whatever the 'sugar' is, it's not mixing well with the patchouli at all - not to my nose - and overall this smells like one of those spray cleaners you use on your kitchen bench. I wouldn't really say it's 'sweet' - it smells like dry, dusty candy that's gone a bit off, and that's just a bad, bad match with the sharpness of the patchouli. I'm happy with its performance as a hair gloss - in that regard, it's just as good as all the other HGs from the Trading Post that I've tried so far - but... oh, the smell. I was hoping for a more sensual, sweet and rich version of Amber and Patchouli HG, which I lovelovelove, but... no. To me, Silkybat is not anything like the A&P gloss with its beautiful dusky amber and snuggly patchouli. So I do believe I'm the first reviewer to not love this, but there you have it. For the record.. I got mine from the second batch - following the backorder from the initial orders. So perhaps there was a batch variation? I dunno, but I'm definitely not gettiing all the sexy sugared patchouli goodness that everyone else is talking about I don't know what I'm going to do with these two bottles, but I really can't see myself wearing this. I just don't dig walking around in a cloud of Ajax Spray n'Wipe.

You're going to get a mix of answers to that question, because patchouli is one of those notes that is very susceptible to skin chemistry On me, red patchouli is warm, syrupy, sensuous and voluptuous... and black is more woody, earthy and dry, and often goes a little bitter or sharp on my skin. Red is snuggly, Black is gnarly. So if I had to choose, it would be red all the way (for example, I have... er... several bottles of the Sumatran Red Patchouli SN, but I only bought one of the Black Patch SN). Knowing what kind of BPALs you like, I suspect it's probably the rich sticky vanilla that makes the patchouli in Banshee Beat work for you - which makes me think that the red variety will be more your thing because it's generally sweeter and warmer than black. I can't say I've ever really thought of patchouli as being 'gourmand', but if a patchouli were ever to be placed in that category then it would be the red. But hey - that's just my opinion! Someone who loves black patchouli will probably be here any minute to smack me down

This is one of those smooth, creamy blends that I love so much... whenever I see 'golden amber', I know I'm in for a treat. I still have fond memories of my first dab of Feed Me & Fill Me With Pleasure, when I first experienced that beautiful luxurious vanilla amber... and this beautiful amber in Hesiod's reminds me very much of that - not in smell, but in feel. I really appreciate the BPALs that have only a small number of notes - I seem to have a lot of wins with three-note blends, and this is a definite winner. If I had a criticism of this lovely blend, it would be that I find it a little too sweet. I do love oudh, but this isn't your regular kick-ass dark/smoky variety... it definitely has a sweet top note about it, which in combination with the robust bourbon vanilla is giving me an almost licorice-like smell. I mean... almost licorice, just on the verge - like hmm... is that licorice? Nah, it's not kinda thing. And that does mellow out after it's been on my skin for 10 minutes or so, and then a lovely woodsy tone comes out. This amber+vanilla+oudh combination is just divine. I can see myself reaching for this on those days where I don't feel like drowning myself in my usual gnarly patchouli or dark voluptuous incense-y or resin-y BPALs - it still feels like all of those things, but a more snuggly and softer version of them. On me, Hesiod's Phoenix stays close to the skin, and doesn't have a lot of throw, but I can catch little whiffs of it around me. I think this one is going to be one of those BPALs that people go nuts trying to find a few years from now - it should age beautifully.

I see you've already made your decision, so I'm a bit late... but I would have recommended the Erebos atmospheric spray from BPTP (reviews here) - it's a beautiful lavender with soft vanilla and subtle florals, really beautiful and a must-try for lavender lovers. Because it's designed for a room scent rather than a skin scent, I think it would have been a better choice because BPAL oils don't always translate fragrance the same way they do on your skin when used in an oil burner. If you want to give it a try, I'm pretty sure you could find a goblin squirt of Erebos for sale on the forum (or post an ISO) But - I have Temple of Dreams, and it is great too - I hope your friend loves it!

As an anti-floral person myself, I hear ya You definitely need to try Twinkle Twinkle Little Bat - green tea, melon, mint, lime rind, and champagne grape with lemon balm, mullein, and toadflax - those notes may sound like an odd combination, but this is a beautiful fresh slightly-minty citrus/melon blend that's really lovely. The whole Mad Tea Party line is probably one you should explore, as it has a lot of blends that fit your brief. For warm/spicy vanilla - Morocco is the main one I'd recommend, but check through the whole Wanderlust line as it has some beauties. And as others have said, the White/Red/Black Riders for sure. For wild cards, I would recommend Depraved and Debauchery

I knew I was in for a treat when I slathered this on and saw that the oil was a rich dark brown colour - always a good sign Oh Callidora, you vampy thang! There is not one note in here I don't like - everyone's a winner baby that's no lie (that's no lie) /Hot Chocolate (and if you get that musical reference, you are simultaneously awesome and ridiculous and I love you) Of course the star of the show here for me is the gorgeous red patchouli - it lays down a warm bed of sumptuous velvet and beckons the blood musk to come lay its voluptuous body down on top. The myrrh sneaks in softly with the slithery sweetness of the benzoin dancing around between its swirls of smokey seduction - these two lovelies get on in there with the blood musk so beautifully that it's as if they were always meant to be together. The patchouli holds everyone close then lets the tobacco rain its soft flakes through the air, its warmth giving off a softly comforting glow. The cacao makes an appearance late in the game but it gets in there under the covers and snuggles right in, adding just the softest breath of warm spicy chocolate. Once everything's wrapped up together in Red Patchouli's velvet wonderland, the magic really starts to happen as the musk sexes up the place... I'm pretty sure these notes aren't just blending - they're fornicating. This is the kind of perfume that makes men swoon, and should therefore be worn with caution - it is not one to slather before going to Tuesday night bingo with your Auntie Sarah. It reminds me very much of my other favourite BPAL vamp - Lucy, Kissed... it has that same lusty throbbing thing going on. It's definitely one of those 'wear if you dare' blends - I agree it's in the same family as Snake Charmer and Mme Moriarty, as the lovely VioletChaos mentioned. Callidora is the BPAL to reach for when you're wearing that naughty black underwear you save for special occasions. It's the BPAL you dab behind your ears when you know someone's going to be breathing there later. It's voluptuous and vampy, and completely seductive. It's Morticia Addams in a bottle.

Hmm.. the only thing I can think of is Tristan - from Stardust. The notes are redwood, tonka bean, white sandalwood, lemon peel, patchouli, rosewood, coriander, and crushed mint. ... I don't think I've tried it myself, but it doesn't sound like what you've described. There's also Trick or Treat - but that's a full-on popcorn smell so that doesn't seem to match... and also The Triumph of Death - black patchouli, red sandalwood, dark musk, peru balsam, ambrette seed, vetiver, and ambergris accord - Trinket, which is like cherry cola - and Trick #2 - pomegranate, tobacco leaf, patchouli, wild berries, pine pitch, oak-aged vanilla, and pink pepper - that's about all I can come up with. Oh - there was a proto... Hermes Tri-something-or-other. I hope you manage to figure it out!

You're right - it does seem that there is a proportionate amount of frimps with orders - around 2 x frimps per bottle... generally (of course, this varies). However frottles seem a bit more random. I've received a frottle with large orders, but also with not-so-big orders. I really don't think there's any such thing as "guaranteed to include" - free *anything* is to be appreciated, not expected. I don't mean that as a personal thing aimed at you, aphrodite, but I just felt it's important to remember this

Oh dear... when my bottles first arrived and I de-lidded As Above, I was assaulted by a blast of almond. Yes, assaulted! Aww sheeit, I say to myself, this is not good. But I put my fears aside, for I am an intrepid BPALer! I know that notes who jump out of bottles up my nose don't always have the same vigour once they get on my skin. Like you - stupid almond... you think you're all that when you're safe in your little glass home, but let's see if you can stand your ground when I get you out Sadly... I have to report that yes, the almond does stand its ground when it gets out. Really... this is all about the almond (which translates to cherry cough syrup on my skin) - way too much about the almond It's almond who ruined the original Haute Macabre blend for me... and it's doing it here too, damnit! And then peeking out behind the almond is the jasmine - a note that typically does not work for me (although the Moroccan variety is often an exception) - so at first all I get from As Above is an awful mix of almond + jasmine, which together smell like cherry-flavoured vomit. It takes about 20 minutes for that to go away, and then huzzah! Here comes the bourbon vanilla! There's the leather! And the white patchouli - quite ethereal here, very clean and fresh, with the oak bark very faintly at the very bottom of the note pile. I dunno... this turns out almost OK in the end, but overall I'm just not digging it all that much. It's just a bit brash for my liking - the notes are kind of clanging against each other rather than blending harmoniously. Most of the time it's all just a bit of a soapy mess - like walking into a laundromat and breathing in the odour of the twenty different washing detergents and fabric softeners that have been used that day, combined with the remnants of eau de smelly socks.. Every now and then I get a waft of lovely soft woodsy leather with a touch of vanilla sweetness - and those moments are pure bliss - but then the cherry and jasmine come back and we're back to laundromat land.

This is so much like several other BPALs that I know and love - yet uniquely different. It's like Beth has gathered up all my favourite blends and somehow mixed them together to create something that smells hauntingly familiar yet intriguingly different. I recognise the warm meaty sweetness of my beloved black coconut (soft here, like in Haragata II rather than gnarly like in Body, Remember), and oh hey there's my most-loved patch.. Sumatran Red, warm and luscious. I have a real thing for Beth's 'golden' blends, and here we've got golden musk swirled together with soft dusky amber - it's like having a snuggly golden moonbeam blanket wrapped around me. The green cardamom adds an interesting tang of slight spice (it's a little wasabi-like, to my nose) - it's not obviously spicy, but there's a nice soft almost-peppery tone in the background. The only thing that's not really winning me over here is the copal - it tends to lay a bit flat on my skin, and has a habit of smothering other notes, and unfortunately that's what I'm getting here - the copal itself is beautifully waxy and silky but it is dominating a little more than I'd like. Overall, this blend has a lovely luminescence to it - a definite glow - it's quite soft and close to the skin... I really have to lean in close to get a good nose-full of it - more like the fragrance on your skin after applying a decadent body creme, rather than an obvious perfume - so it doesn't have quite the oomph that I was hoping for. But I do love how the richness of the black coconut + patchouli are lurking under the top layer of golden musk and amber, all under the cover of creamy copal. Over time, the musk + amber fade before the patchouli does, but the copal stays for the long haul. Patchouli haters dislikers - do not fear this... it really isn't that 'stinky hippie' patch that people have trouble with... but if you love those elusive, lean-in-to-sniff-me soft golden-glow type blends then this is definitely worth a try.

First up - thank you to the very lovely bheansidhe for picking up a bottle of this for me at Dragon*Con So as some of you may know, I am a big fan of patchouli. When the Sumatran Red Patchouli SN came out, I was more excited than Charlie Sheen at a strip club.. and I bought - err - a few bottles. Then lo and behold out comes East African Black! So of course, I had to give this one a try as well In my experience with various patchouli oils - both BPAL and not - the black variety is not really my favourite, it usually goes a tad bitter on my skin. And so it is with this one - when I first slapped it on, I leaned in for a big whiff and got a nose full of sharp, bitter patchouli fumes. So I left it alone for a while... half an hour later, the acrid tones have mellowed out but the smokiness definitely remains and a nice earthy/woodsy vibe has developed. It's good, but I'm not loving it, and it lacks the impact that the Red has on me... this has far less throw. I do recognise this black patchouli from #OWS, and Goblin, and a couple of other blends too - and I loved it in the mix with those, but it's not so great on its own for me... it needs something to sweeten it up a bit. I know it's kind of unfair to compare the Red to the Black, since they're.. you know.. different and all - but I'm doing it anyway For me, the Sumatran Red wins this race hands down - it's kickass but also warm and cuddly and voluptuous and smooth, where this East African Black is kickass in a slap-your-face harsh and sharp way. And whilst they definitely both have my beloved stinky hippy thing going on... Sumatran Red is the kind of hippy who takes you back to his cosy cabin in the forest to smoke some bowls, listen to Pink Floyd and make pancakes - East African Black is the kind of hippy who takes you back to his van in the trailer park, puts LSD in your hot chocolate and makes you listen to all his Beatles records played backwards.

Yeah, me too - they are perfect for the weenies! Autumn Fancies is excellent. I'm also loving the phobia labels. Thanks for posting pics!!

Quite a few lunacy blends have had "traditional lunar oils" or "lunar herbs" included in the notes, and if you cross-check a bunch of them you'll find certain notes make pretty frequent appearances, but as far as I know there's not any particular note or notes that appear in every lunacy blend. But you will sometimes hear people saying that the lunacy blends never work for them, that "there's just something in them..." - which makes it sound like there actually is something they all have in common. But... I'm pretty sure there isn't... well, unless there's a secret lunacy ingredient that we don't know about

@bpal posted on Twitter that all the BPAL weenies are now available at Dark Delicacies... so if anyone happens to be strolling by there, maybe they could get a pic of all the new labels!

Hey! I wore my Snow White '04 today as well - and you're right, it's still completely gorgeous I'm hoping all my best-loved BPALs will last longer than dirt. And I suspect they will