Amoraexcena

I was hoping to love this, as I adore most of the notes in it... unfortunately, not my thing. It was surprisingly not very sweet at all on my skin, very sharp and powdery - I think perhaps the combo of dry sandalwood and musk took over. It reminds me of how I felt with Reapers Gonna Reap - when I think of sandalwood, I think golden sweet resin-y goodness, but some varieties are really sharp on my skin and doesn't work out. Luckily, this is beautiful on my friend, so it's off to a good home!

This is a lush, sweet floral in the bottle. Like Dancing Raven, to my nose I get honeysuckle as well (maybe it's a component of the honey musk?) On my skin, the honey amps - but it's thankfully held in check by everything else. Beautifully blended. It's rather strong, I only need a light dab of it. I think it's my favourite magnolia blend to date. It's a sugary, fun magnolia party. It's a little like Gucci Flora Gorgeous Magnolia, though I like The Bride better! This scent screams spring or early summer floral to me, so I'll be putting it away for a month or two (it's middle of winter now, and it feels blasphemous to be wearing now haha).

Hopefully it's okay that I'm starting a new thread, I did do a search to see if this existed yet. I've lately really gotten into the "pale tobacco" scents, with tobacco flower or white tobacco - To a Wreath of Snow, Pediophobia, Zorya P... I'm wondering if I've missed any GCs that I should try/LEs to hunt down. Hag Grey Hair Gloss seems really popular, is that a must-try? Any others that folks love?

I see, thank you for the recommendations! I'll have to keep an eye out for them! I missed out on Hag Grey as well, sadly... They resurrected To a Wreath of Snow, so maybe we'll one day see this one again as well (or something similar!)

Ohhhh, I had overlooked nicotiana - is that the same (or similar) to tobacco flower?

Gosh, this is such a beautiful blend. I'm so, so lucky to have had a generous Parlour friend hook me up with this. Wet, it reminds me a little of Midnight on the Midway minus the ozone and night-blooming jasmine. A little less floral, more sugar. Not the same for sure, but some similarities. A cousin twice removed. In terms of the Laces, definitely closest to original Black Lace, as Little Bird mentioned above - with more bourbon vanilla and sugar added. Dry, the sweet floral incense blooms. I have a beautiful handmade Witcher 3 Yennefer cosplay, and I definitely want to wear this perfume when wearing it. This scent is exactly that dark, sensual, powerful witch in my mind (though no lilac or gooseberries). Dry, a few hours later, reminds me a lot of original Black Lace drydown, a soft dark incense with more vanilla sugar, faded florals. Solid throw and longevity. It's just a shame I can't buy 11 more bottles of it. I'll treasure every drop I have!

When autumn hits, I always gravitate toward the golden resins. A few years ago I went on a bit of an amber/resin spree - I wanted to find the "perfect amber" blend for me. I knew I loved Haloes and L'estate, but they weren't quite as resin-forward as I wanted sometimes. Hesiod's Phoenix and La Lugubre Gondola are the two syrupy-sweet, yet not foody, rich resins I like most. I adore the scent of Lyonesse, but it unfortunately burns on my skin for some reason. Hesiod's is a little less sweet than Gondola on my skin, a tad more woody-oudh-forward, but very much in the same scent family. As many have mentioned before, they're beautiful alongside Implacable Beautiful Tyrant hair gloss, which is my favourite HG of all time (and I heard Ted made some more recently, waiting on labels... I TRULY TRULY hope I can snag a bottle when they restock, because I'm almost out). Walking through the park painted in fall colours, dry leaves underfoot, with Hesiod's or Gondola + IBT HG gently wafting around me is such an experience.

I recently got myself a bottle of this. I tried a decant ages ago and wasn't the biggest fan back then. I'm really glad I'm now able to try it from the bottle, as it's different from what I remember. On my skin, CC:F is mostly the softest, gentlest suede, sweetened by tonka. It's got the slightest hint of some sort of metallic substance - the clay? it smells like copper, maybe - which reminds me of Antikythera Mechanism a bit, though this is much more wearable for me than AM. This isn't as floral or sexy as Liz, and they're pretty different, considering the similarities in notes. I want to wear Liz with a nice leather jacket and skinny jeans and red lipstick. CC:F is what I want to wear with a pretty cream-coloured Free People dress and suede belt and boots and natural makeup, if that makes any sense. I'm definitely enjoying both!

I'm so happy to finally get a bottle of Stekk! Here are some side-by-side comparisons... In the bottle and wet on skin, it's reminding me most of Midway, actually - it's got a bit of vanilla sugar tart/funnel cake similarity, it's quite foody at first. After drying down the bakery-ness of Stekk fades though. It's not super similar to AL imo, on my skin at least - definitely not like original, and not much like res either. Of the scents I own it's closest to Vanilla Bean/Marshmallow/Benzoin, though it's definitely more like true marshmallows after drying. Now I really want to try Marshmallow Chick to try and smell the difference! I love ALL of the above and I'm so happy to see more marshmallow from BPAL. Here's hoping for a Marshmallow Snek and Marshmallow Lace one day ?

I amp rose a lot, and on my skin this is definitely a vanilla-sugared rose. Because of the rose prominence, I'm not getting quite a Lace vibe - it reminds me more of Joyful Moon 2010 and Sibyl. I like Sibyl the best I think, the tea rose in that one is a little more well behaved on my skin. I'll definitely keep the bottle and see if the rose tones down a bit. I was hoping to smell a bit more of the cream musk and marshmallow root, hoping they come out with a bit of aging.

Really enjoying this one. While wet, I get a bright, sweet lemon - I immediately think of pretty golden cat eyes. This stage doesn't last long, and the soft vanilla amber musk follows, reminescent of a soft cat's fur. The musk actually kind of reminds me of the gentle baby-musk smell of my cat. It's definitely a low-throw, close-to-the-skin scent, which is very appropriate I think - it's snuggled up on your lap. Might need another bottle, I like to slather this. Edit to add that yup, I need a backup of this. It's my favourite vanilla-lemon-amber scent now. It's a grown-up, sophisticated Sticky Bat with a touch of woodsy resin and sweet powder.

Doing a side-by-side comparison... Flickering Lights vs Antique Lace (original) Not that similar to my nose, though both are beautiful. Flickering Lights is more golden to my nose, more amber-y, almost beeswax-y. It has much less throw than original AL, which has incredible throw with the lightest application. Both are definitely sweet, lightly floral non-foody vanilla though so I get the comparison. AL original is just in its own class, imho. Whatever component it was that led to it being discontinued is hard to emulate, I'd guess. Flickering Lights vs Antique Lace (res) Again, not that similar. AL res is quite a bit sweeter, somewhat more foody/marshmallow-y than the original. Flickering Lights is more subtly sweet, subdued. Flickering Lights vs Tattered Lace This is definitely the closest lace that I own to Flickering Lights. Tattered Lace is a tad more cognac, a touch of woodiness, less floral, less sweet frankincense-vanilla (the herbaceous/green has calmed down a LOT with age). But if it wasn't a side-by-side comparison I'm not sure I could tell which is which. I love all of the above dearly, so I'm super happy to have gotten my hands on a bottle of Flickering Lights! This scent is definitely "Tattered Lace Curtains" in my books.

This scent has aged to perfection. Like a lot of reviewers, I got a surprising amount of citrus when I first bought this (okay, two bottles) and wasn't sure about it. But now it's definitely a pink-pepper-and-vanilla-sweetened Dorian. Like a bright, happy, effeminate Dorian. The white tea is also settled snugly into everything else. Gorgeous!

Sweet vanilla marshmallows, this is making me crave more marshmallow scents. I think I need to find a bottle of Stekk, I missed it during my perfume hiatus, if it's similar to this one. It's sweet and foody but not cloying. I love wearing it to sleep. I'm so glad I was able to grab a few bottles of this. Edit to add that I did get a bottle of Stekk! This one is a tad less foody - probably due to the sweet, slightly resinous powder of Benzoin. They're both utterly lovely. This one is my favourite for layering - this + a smidge of TKO is my go-to sleep scent now.

The words that come to mind for this scent are: gentle, warm, golden. Fresh out of the mail it was strong chamomile, but now it's changed quite a bit. The chamomile is still there, but well blended with a soft lavender and sweet pear blossom, the last which gives it just a smidge of fruitiness. Amber is quite prominent as well, very lovely and gentle, not powdery at all, playing beautifully with the golden musk. The sweet floral blendedness of it, the "high-end perfume"-ness of it reminds me a little of Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels attending. It's not similar really, but I could see someone who loves that one liking this too. Utterly beautiful amber-musk-floral. It's really calming too. I love this.

Hello! I've been out of BPAL forums for ages (though still a big fan and occasional buyer), but had to leave a review of this one. This is my fave of my recent big order. On me, it starts with about 60% Banshee Beat patchouli+sweetness, and 40% honeysuckle nectar - and by nectar, it smells almost like honey. I don't usually play very nicely with BPAL's usual honey note, but this is working really well on me. Definitely getting the "flormand" vibe. After about 10-15 minutes it becomes more patch-and-sweet-vanilla. As a big fan of BB I adore this one. VERY glad I got a bottle, might try and find backups!

I couldn't put my finger on what this reminded me of at first. Then I was reading a bit about Only Lovers Left Alive (as I ordered some Ava/Eve), and vampires... And it hit me. It's The Girl! I had a bottle of The Girl that I let go of. Something about that scent curdled on my skin, and I sadly couldn't wear it. Best for someone who could give it the love it deserves, right? Zorya is a version of The Girl that I can wear. It's definitely a cool, ethereal floral-vanillic-amber-musk. More similar to the original Antique Lace than the most recent reincarnation of AL, which I find much sweeter and almost-foody vanilla. This is much more crystalline and certainly not edible, but I find it very wearable. So does my boyfriend. On him, it's a little more musk-forward. Just ordered another bottle to tag along with Ava and Eve. If you ever need a The Girl replacement, this is definitely along those lines. It works way better than TG on my skin so big winner for me. Top 5 maybe. So glad it's not an LE!!!

Tonka absolute, ylang ylang, benzoin, and smoked vanilla musk. This is an extremely richly sweet scent. I was hoping for something a little more mild, but this is full-on, BPAL-strength smoke-heavy vanilla-musk and ylang ylang. It's sexy and sultry and bordering on cloying. Subtlety isn't the specialty here. It's kind of what I imagine Ted and Beth's bedroom to smell like, actually... If it had a bit more dark incense or something. If you like "classic" BPAL heavy-sweet vanilla, don't let this pass you by. If you want anything lighter, this is not for you.

So I tore myself away from Moon Reflected for a brief moment to try using this, and it's gorgeous. Agree with all the reviewers - it's refreshing white tea and cherry blossom, with strawberry adding sweet fruitiness, making the blend gourmand, not floral. In my hair, it's more than a drop of strawberry - I'd say it's equal parts strawberry, cherry blossom, and white tea. It screams sunny, breezy spring day to me, so I'll go back to Moon Reflected and IBT while the temperatures are still in the single digits here, but I imagine this will be my go-to soon. I really wish Ted would sell soap/shampoo/co-wash/conditioner with this scent. They would be marvelous.

A similar rice note to Boomslang, but for me it's better without the cocoa - it blends perfectly with the vanilla and musk. I can't tell what iris root smells like, but I imagine something grounding it. For me the scent is quite strong - I applied after blowdrying my hair. It's lasted 8 hours and is still going strong. It smells sticky-sweet yet refined and comes in lovely wafts when my hair moves or when I run my fingers through it. Love. I'd want this in perfume form too.

To me, this is a lovechild of Sugar Plum Fairy and TKO. Gorgeous, sweet, vanilla-marshmallow-peony with a soft, calming dusting of lavender. I don't get any rose, and I usually amp that note to the high heavens. It's my favourite peony scent by BPAL for sure, and my favourite BPAL scent this year. I got one for one of my best guy friends and he's also obsessed. It's stunning. I think I need another bottle or two of this!!! Edit to add that the drydown of this is similar enough to Antique Lace that I'm probably going to hoard this like crazy. The throw isn't as much, but it waffles and lingers in much the same way, too. LOVE this, going to get at least three more... Get this if you like sugary florals like Mouse's LST, Antique Lace, Sugar Plum Fairy, TKO, Butterflies Flowers and Jewels Attending, and Hope & Faith!

I searched, browsed, etc... unfortunately came up blank. If there's already a thread to this, please meld this into it! And if there IS a tonka thread, please add it to this useful list to prevent other tonka-lovers like me from cluttering<3 Wikipedia: The tonka bean is the seed of Dipteryx odorata, a legume tree in the neotropics, of the Fabaceae family. The seed is black and wrinkled in appearance, with a smooth brown interior. Its fragrance is reminiscent of vanilla, almonds, cinnamon, and cloves. It had been used as a vanilla substitute, as a perfume, and in tobacco before being banned in some countries. Its use in food is banned in the United States by the Food and Drug Administration. It is featured in some French cuisine, particularly in desserts and stews. The seed contains the anticoagulant coumarin, which can be lethal in large doses. Many anticoagulant prescription drugs, such as warfarin, are based on coumarin. The plant has its origin in Northern South America (Guyana, Orinoco region). Main producers today are Venezuela and also Nigeria. It can be a deathly poison, but alluring and warm and comforting.... love it. I'm planning on trying Perversion and Western Diamondback soon. What do the experts recommend?

This is perhaps my favorite scent since Antique Lace. It's a gorgeous sweet resin-centered blend, with oudh adding depth while ginger gives it a slightly airy top note. In its golden feel it reminds me of Haloes, Morocco, and Lyonesse. The throw works a lot like Haloes too. It doesn't really smother you in scent like some BPALs do, but more of a wafter - you won't smell it all the time (and thus desensitizing you), but will waft when you move. I only used 2 squirts though, so if you wanted to be enveloped in this, I'm sure you could use more. Brilliant, 10/10. A must-try for anyone who likes sweet amber. I got a bunch of Silkybat as well this order, and I had overinflated expectations for that one and IBT. The former was nice and I'll definitely use my bottle, but IBT exceeded my high expectations. THANK-YOU PUDDIN' for making this a GC, because I'm sure I'll get one with every post order from now on.

Awesome list I'm not usually a huge fan of snow (the only one I wear regularly is Snow Moon '05) but I can't wait to try Go to Sleep, Darlings. It sounds too lovely.

I can't wait to try Hesoid's Phoenix. Looks like a great amber-vanilla...