Balame

Baobhan Sith - Grapefruit, white tea, apple blossom and ginger. Bewitched - Blackberry, sage, green tea, wild berries and dark musk. Brisingamen - A glittering mantle of rich golden notes: five ambers, soft myrtle, apple blossom and carnation. Delight - Frangipani, with rose, tuberose, and jasmine. Fairy Thorn - Vanilla musk twirled with tuberose, Siamese red benzoin, cassis flower, Irish moss, white sandalwood, plum nectar, violet leaf, and apple petals. Siren - White ginger, jasmine, and a touch of vanilla and apricot. The East - Bluebonnet, passion flower, freesia, jasmine tea, mint, thyme, and redcurrant. Veil - White sandalwood, lilac, gardenia, violet, orris, lavender and ylang ylang. Adam - The scent of the wood of his guitars, the rosin from his violin bow, the musty wool of neglected Oriental carpets, the plastic, metal, and magnetic tape of his reel-to-reel, the dust that permeates everything. Black Lace - A delicate sugar-spun vanilla cream cotton, stained by tobacco and incense, Indian musk, and drops of cognac. Boo - Eerie billows of spun sugar, fluttering white cotton, and sheets of cream. Ghosts in Love - White sandalwood, tobacco flower, lily of the valley, white carnation, and magnolia blossom with tea rose, labdanum, and oudh. Horror Sympathique - Blood musk, golden honey, thick black wine, champagne grapes, tobacco flower, plum blossom, tonka bean, oakmoss, carnation, benzoin, opoponax, and sugar cane. (Not So) Penitent (Mini) Magdalene - Candle wax, smoke, red sandalwood, a dusting of kitchen spices, and a dribble of vanilla ice cream. Shelley, Byron, and Keats - Red roses and pale carnation with a draught of laudanum, smears of opium tar, a hint of absinthe, and mercury ointment. Tombeur - Vanilla-infused sandalwood, blood musk, antique patchouli, vetiver, lavender, bitter almond, amber, and a trickle of Snake Oil.

Welcome! A few that haven't been mentioned: Coconut: Lovers and a Fan (this is actually coconut and honey, which is delicious), Harigata II, So Below, Obatala, Paduan Killer Swam (coconut and spices) Caramel: Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht, Red Lantern (also has coconut) Strawberry: Kitty, Strawberry Moon Vanilla: Boo, (Not So) Penitent (Mini) Magdalene Marshmallow: The Gorobble, Little Maggie

Lovers and a Fan is an amazing honey/coconut from this year's Lupers. And no Black Pearl on your list? My favorite GC which smells like amaretto/coconut.

Unfortunately Mars Ultor is one of the most unique scents I've smelled from BPAL, so I've been having to ration as well. The closest blends I can think of are also LEs for the most part, but they still might be more readily available. Red Lantern is sort of similar, so is Eyes Made Strong and Grave with Sleep. Both of them are heavier, though. Nothing I can think of really has that unusual smoky airiness that Ultor does. If I had to come up with some GCs, maybe Antikythera Mechanism and Hellfire. In fact, Hellfire would probably be your best bet. It's got the sweet smoky musk, tobacco and incense. Still going to be heavier overall, but it's not incredibly far off.

For something close to Lush's Rose Jam you might want to try La Mort (Mon ironie depasse...) I know Missy upthread said it smelled like potpourri on her skin, but it was really beautiful to me, and I usually don't do rose. It's very thick, sweet and sticky. The velvety rose note is super present but the pom is just as in your face with lots of succulent sweetness. It's realistic rather than cloying and does give me something of a foody vibe like Rose Jam did. Very womanly and sexy. I would say it's a bit darker and stronger overall, but still has that lip-licking vibe. For fizzy, try Roses, Pearls, and Diamonds. The "crystalline musks" and coconut do wonders for making it brighter and more sparkly-smelling.

Well, there's Nyx (Greek Goddess of Night): Night-blooming jasmine, warmed by myrrh, lifted by the promise of rose. Some other night-related blends - some of these are LEs: Blacker Than the Raven Wings of Midnight - Black tea leaf fougere with black sandalwood, opalescent vanilla, osmanthus, 18-year aged Indonesian patchouli, and the suggestion of ancient incense smoke. Darkness - Blackest opium and narcissus deepened by myrrh. Hecate - Deep, buttery almond layered over myrrh and dark musk. Intrigue - Black palm, with cocoa, fig and shadowy wooded notes. Night's Pavilion - White musk, osmanthus, Nile lily and frankincense. Oblivion - Dark musk, wood spice, labdanum, patchouli, dark African woods, and saffron. The Final Darkness - Black amber and shimmering moonflower blackened by opoponax, khus attar, smoked oudh, and myrrh and all swallowed by the fathomless depths of a lightless ocean. The Night-Raven - Indigo musk, wild plum, rose geranium, benzoin, night-blooming jasmine, and patchouli. The Phoenix at Midnight - Indigo musk, black iris, orris root, rosewood, night-blooming jasmine, and honeysuckle. And I know this sucks since it's DCed, but if you can find someone selling it, Queen Mab is a warrior and the goddess of magic and poets (similar to your character). The notes are: Black orchid, sandalwood, night-blooming jasmine, osmanthus, Somalian rose, and Chinese musk. Another harder to find blend is Our Lady of Pain (Sumatran patchouli, blood musk, white lavender, opium tar, and black orchid). I think it would suit her perfectly. It's deep and dark, but also sultry and warm. Understated but powerful. The patch and blood musk make it feel a bit feral, like a force of nature, underneath all the elegance.

Thank you, I'm happy to hear it! I had way too much fun picking out creamy, thoughtful "sleep" blends for you considering your profession. I can totally see some of the spicy scents working for you as well though, which I think suits based both on your love of travel and enjoyment of Snake Oil. It's always fun exploring new things! You're very welcome, and I KNOW! What was up with that? It seriously blows my mind to realize there are people out there so dedicated to justice/following the rules that they would throw someone in a cell for ensuring the safety of others, even if their means were violent. I'm sure we could spiral into a whole discussion about vigilantism and how that could either help or hurt society, but man, I'm just too loyal to my friends for reason to win out all the time. I love when I manage to hit on the type of blends people like! Doesn't always happen but I try my best. I think there's definitely at least some crossover based on personality. In an extreme case it's more common for a tough/manly dude to wear a heavy cologne than a fruity blend, after all, though I have smelled surprises now and then! Haha, regarding how many oils I have now... maybe it's best not to say. But hm, I would say around 35 bottles and 60+ imps? Goodness knows I've had more at certain points in time, I try to cull as much as possible to avoid going crazy. Some members' collections put mine to shame though. They easily have 100s of bottles, and let's not even get started on the imps/decants. I was never big into perfume at all until I discovered BPAL, but I love that indie blends don't tend to overwhelm as much as commercial stuff. Even for those that aren't "me," it's always fun to experience how an experience, emotion, concept or memory is captured within a single bottle. I would say Solstice Scents and Arcana are my other favorites. As far as memorization - I've been lingering around the forums since '09 (yeesh, feels like it was only yesterday) so I guess it's just exposure. You end up testing more and more, remember blends that stand out, or at least think, "What was that one with amber and jasmine from the Ragnarok update..." and then find the info online and refresh yourself. Or think, "Hey, The.Little.Red sounds like a creative, sweet unicorn, so I need to find that one unicorn blend again." Congrats on getting Kumiho and TTLB! I really love the clean, crisp sweetness of Kumiho (I'd say it's one of the most popular GCs) and TTLB is a delicious fruity blend. I hope you love them!

I'm so glad! Yes, I ended up browsing descriptions of other types after getting my result (INTP) because it seemed close but not quite. Then I read the proper one and it was like everything clicked into place (INFP). I think for me, and it might be your case as well since we're both introverts/probably F, but a lot of the questions can make it seem like you're overly emotional if you give "feely" type answers. And I mean, I'm just barely on the F spectrum (I was literally 1% away from T last I checked), but it matters. For a question like, "When solving a problem you consider the rational approach to be the best," I would knee-jerk answer yes because duh, I'm not going to jump to conclusions because of my feefees. But I realized that while I do analyze things logically, my emotions also play a big role. If I was in a situation where my best friend just stabbed someone because the "victim" had killed their kid months ago, then you know what? I don't care about the fact that my friend is a murderer and that, logically, they really should be in jail. I'm gonna' stand by them. I had to consider the questions a bit more deeply. Which is important for the, "Is justice more important than mercy?" one as well. It was sort of a revelation in itself for me to realize that other people would not always do the same in a similar situation. (Not saying someone is a bad person for not wanting to get involved with that, it's just very different from how I would react.) Another thing that helped was looking at myself from an outside perspective. I'm in my head a LOT, so it was hard. And I can kind of sound like a jerk sometimes - to myself. But while I might see a woman crying about her boyfriend who's cheated on her for the third time and think, "Wow, you are an idiot. How can you be so blind?" in reality I'm probably going to go, "I'm so sorry, how can I help you?" So for a question like, "When making a decision, you rely more on your feelings than on analysis of the situation," my answer will actually be yes for the most part, because a lot of my visible reactions end up being based on feelings of compassion (unless I actively dislike someone). F types are not eternal carebears and T types are not robots, it's just the basis for how those types arrive at intelligent conclusions. And yes, the tests can be misleading so I think recognizing yourself in a description is far more valuable than basing it on the questions alone. I don't think being ISFJ is bad at all though; they are wonderful, kind and creatives types. (And I wonder how many in that 13% also ended up mistyping themselves!) Remember MB explains just one facet of your personality, and we are constantly changing. Enneagram is pretty interesting too and can help fill in gaps and account for differences. For example, I'm a 5w4 which is a bit unusual for an INFP and accounts for my more scientific bent; you may similarly have a unique enneagram configuration for your type. I'm glad you think my recs might suit you! I tend to write down whatever comes to mind (I was feeling the Asian-inspired and fruity-floral blends for you) and unfortunately that included several LEs. But the good news is you should be able to find decants of them, including 13, from other members swapping or selling here on the forums. Although LEs disappear from BPAL's site, goodness knows a lot of members still have things that didn't work for them or they've simply moved on from. Often for very reasonable prices! You can find people who have them by using the search function in the swap/sale sections. Here's a few more from the GC for good measure, though! Bon Vivant - An effervescent blend of crystalline champagne notes and sweet strawberry. Croquet - Pink lime, pink grapfruit, white nectarine, wild rose, sage, woody patchouli, bergamot, and ornery hedgehog musk. Endymion - A sweet, wistful blend of d'Anjou pear, Lily of the Valley, bois du rose and white musk. Mouse's Long and Sad Tale - Vanilla, two ambers, sweet pea and white sandalwood. Vasilissa - Creamy skin musk and blushing pink musk with soft sandalwood, white amber, dutiful myrrh, and star jasmine. And yes, LoML is currently out of stock but will be back. The other GCs in my original list are Kumiho and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bat.

I'm sorry to randomly play armchair psychologist in a rec thread, but you do not sound like an INTJ at all. I have several INTJ friends and have done a ton of research on their type in order to better understand them (they can be quite elusive to me) and a lot is not lining up. I know there's no "perfect" representation of any type, but I would guess ISFJ based on how you describe yourself here. I only say this because I mistyped myself for some time and it was pretty enlightening to find out my real type years later, so maybe it will be helpful to you. 13 (February 2015) - White chocolate with thirteen luck boosting elements: pomegranate pulp, red mandarin, five-finger grass, stephanotis blossom, star jasmine, pink carnation, white chamomile, irish moss, Jamaican ginger, acorn blossom, a pinch of sweet basil, a drop of peppermint, and strawberry juice. F5 - Aloe, white musk, lime peel, fresh mint, seaspray, verbena and green tea. Inganok Jewelers - Gleaming stone and silver. Knight in Shiny Armor - Dapper lavender fougere with white carnation, sweet oakmoss, clary sage, crisp leather, bourbon vanilla, and a hint of armor polish. Kumiho - A sharp, biting blend of crisp white tea and ginger. Lights of Men's Lives - The wax and smoke of millions upon millions of candles illuminating the walls of Death’s shadowy cave: some tall, straight, and strong, blazing with the fire of life, others dim and guttering. Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree - Cherry blossom, blue lilac, lavender monofloral honey, white sandalwood, and Asian pear. Startled Toad - Golden amber and coconut with frankincense, frothy vanilla, carnation, sweet aged patchouli, and lemongrass. Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bat - A sparkly, batty little scent: green tea, melon, mint, lime rind, and champagne grape with lemon balm, mullein, and toadflax. Velvet Unicorn - Spun sugar, sparkling rainbow candies, strawberries, merangue, and cherry fluff.

Don't be afraid to give recs even if you're a newbie! You can totally base your recs on the blends you've already tried, even if that's a limited amount. Or simply go by name, such as "Fighter" for someone who seems confident and strong. It's not required of course, but I know people like hearing from various members. Aziraphale - Ethereal musk, blonde woods, and dusty Bible accord. Bewildered in a Dream - A disorienting eddy of French lavender, black tea, orange blossom, sharp green tea leaf, pink flowering thorn, and a blot of inky resins. Bewitched - Deep, luscious green and berry scents that evoke images of woodland witchcraft and the raw power of nature: blackberry, sage, green tea, wild berries and dark musk. Boadicea - Amber, fig, vanilla flower, oak, patchouli, vetiver, dragon’s blood resin, leather, and neroli. Lamia - Pale orchid, vanilla amber, black currant, white peach, champaca, coconut, Arabian myrrh, Burmese vetiver, and oude. Managarm's Bloody Jaws - The offspring of Fenrir, known in whispers as the Moon-Hound, the Moon-Snatcher, the Enemy, He Who Hates: ironwood needles and blood-matted fur. Pele - Muguet and Hawaiian white ginger enveloped by warm, damp tropical blooms. The White Witch - Gold-flecked honey amber pulsating with red musk, patchouli coeur, bourbon vanilla, inky vetiver, pomegranate rind, myrrh, blackened violet leaf, and blood red rose petals. Your English is great, you don't sound like a kid at all! Bard - A ridiculously charismatic blend of bay rum, honey, and white musk mingling with the scent of harp wood and lute strings and the twang of horn brass. Dana O'Shee - Offerings of milk, honey and sweet grains were made to placate these creatures, and it is that the basis of the scent created in their name. Katrina Van Tassel - White rose and honeyed cream. Love and Sleep - Fig milk, vanilla, orchid and ylang ylang. Morocco - Arabian spices wind through a blend of warm musk, carnation, red sandalwood and cassia. (Not So) Penitent (Mini) Magdalene - Candle wax, smoke, red sandalwood, a dusting of kitchen spices, and a dribble of vanilla ice cream. The Flower Song - Pomegranate wine, lotus root, river reeds, hyssop, and barley. TKO - No notes listed but general concensus is lavender and vanilla.

C'mon forumites, I know you all have plenty of wonderful recs to share. Let's not leave such a clever, fun thread all abandoned and dusty. I'll address some of the backlog to start. Black Forest - Thick, viscous pine with ambergris, black musk, juniper and cypress. Clio - Warm, dry parchment of scrolls, lavender for critical thought and analysis, the solidity of heavy woods, ornery patchouli and glib benzoin, and superstar-splashed orange and amber. How Doth the Little Crocodile - Chocolate peppermint, mint-soaked vanilla, pistachio, oakmoss, and green cedar. Lady Death: Savage - White musk, grey amber, Calabrian bergamot, vanilla absolute, French labdanum, styrax, wormwood, caraway, and bois de jasmin. Philologus - Ancient books, crackled parchment, faded incense, and candle wax. Red-Spotted Purple - White thyme, yuzu fruit, hinoki wood, blue cedar, white carnation, plum rind, white mandarin, and lime-tinted white musk. Tombstone - A rugged, warm blend of vanilla, balsam and sassafras layered over Virginia cedar. Black Lace - The embodiment of Victorian funereal elegance. A delicate sugar-spun vanilla cream cotton, stained by tobacco and incense, Indian musk, and drops of cognac. Dorian - A Victorian fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea. Gothic Horror - Morbidly romantic, thick with murky melodrama, untouched by the centuries, and dust-rimed: Byzantine incense, benzoin, myrrh, bitter clove, spikenard, oud, and ancient balsam. Lord Ruthven - The father of all dandy aristocrat vampires: Aqua Admirabilis with polished boot leather and blood. Shelley, Byron and Keats - Uncompromising idealism, haunted romanticism, fatal ennui, and a heady amount of scandal and vice: red roses and pale carnation with a draught of laudanum, smears of opium tar, a hint of absinthe, and mercury ointment. The Gentleman - A dapper cologne, distant and refined: white musk, lime rind, and rosemary water with tobacco leaf and lilac. Tombeur - Vanilla-infused sandalwood, blood musk, antique patchouli, vetiver, lavender, bitter almond, amber, and a trickle of Snake Oil. Transeo - Benzoin, orange blossom, cumin, King mandarin, gaiac wood, juniper berry, Calabrian bergamot, Ceylon cinnamon, and blood camouflaged by wine.

This is very, very perfumey. I don't know why I didn't heed the other reviews, maybe because some people said they were just getting honey and spiced resins. But nope, not on me. It's sharp and ashy yet also cloyingly sweet and powdery. I mean no offense to grandmothers, my own would never be caught dead wearing something like this, but since a lot of us have a "special" scent memory associated with the phrase, I have to say Imaginer smells like a grandma sort of perfume. I do enjoy all of the notes listed individually, so something about the way they're coming together here is just not working for me.

Ooh, Harigata II. Where have you been all my life? (Actually don't answer that, considering "harigata" means "dildo." ) This is a delicious, creamy blend, and as the Coconut Queen, I am very pleased. It smells like soft coconut flakes with just a hint of nutty warmth swimming in a milky base. I had avoided this for years because of the anise, but I finally tested it out since some of the reviews said it wasn't too noticeable. Luckily, they were right! I could sort of pick out the anise fresh on my skin, but it wasn't heavily licorice-smelling (which is what I dislike). I would say it was a little sharper during that stage, but it quickly settled down. I actually think this is one of the best BPAL coconut blends overall, definitely the truest smelling - very close to fresh coconut milk. I just tried Arcana's Fresh Coconut layering note a while back and I think this is even more realistic than that, since the layering note is on the sweeter side (but still very lovely). How fortunate to find another favorite blend so late in my BPAL-sniffing career. It's especially perfect for the hot summer we've been having. Soft and refreshing yet sultry.

Hi all, does anyone have a blend that make them think of dry heat? I was going to request something that smells like a desert, but it seems like a lot of people associate certain plants with the desert, even florals (like poppy). What I want is just straight-up hot, dry sand/plains. A barren desert, more focused on the heat than the life within it. I think the scent that comes closest to what I'm after is The Coiled Serpent. It's a very dry, warm patchouli on me. (Dance of Death is also extremely dry, which I love, but it's too floral.) I was wondering if people had any other recommendations that are less woodsy? The Robotic Scarab is also good at creating that "warmed" feeling, but it's definitely on the metallic side. I've tried Coyote which was too musky/cologne-y. While I like Tombstone it's way too sweet and woodsy for what I'm after. Something like The Ifrit it too spicy. I know I'm being picky, but I don't want "embellished" sand, just... hot sand. I guess it might include something like a light musk, minerals and mellow resins? I'm open to recommendations from other sellers as well, if there's something that springs to mind. Thank you in advance!

After all the wonderful recs I wanted to drop by and give another update - First off, All the Dust and Blood Throughout ended up being total busts on me, as were most blends from the Plague line unfortunately. Dust was icky cherry almond and candy cinnamon while Blood was an overwhelming mix of red musk and ozone. I ended up finding a bottle of Paduan Killer Swarm and yup, it's fantastic! A nice dry heat with just a hint of spice, followed by a delicate coconut sneaking into the base notes. It's not a direct interpretation of the desert but it definitely provides the feeling I was after. Also, vox was kind enough to follow up with me and mentioned Ma'at (currently unreleased), with all the reviews describing it as sand. She's on a roll with the enabling so that's next on my hit list! I also tried Arcana's Shambhala recently and it scratches the same itch. I posted a short review here but basically I find it similar to Lear (mentioned upthread) with the bonus of rich honey dribbling over the resins.

Brings to mind an ethereal, gentle and luscious fairy queen draped in white silks. Gorgeous! This is indeed similar to Snow White (without the weird plastic) and also in the same family as Aphrogenes and Loosening of the Obi, but it's not as heavily floral or boozy. Just the right amount of sweetness. Dia seemed too focused on the floral aspect directly on the skin, but it quickly settled into a soft white musk and realistic coconut. The amber adds a breath of sweetness while the oakmoss provides just enough of an edge that it doesn't feel candyish. The tobacco flower turns into something really amazing the longer it sits. I loved it in Ginny the Reaper of Vengeance, but while it was drowned out in the booze there, here you can really pick out the amazing vanillic sweetness. This is pretty much a perfect vanilla/coconut cushioned in white musk. I would probably enjoy it even more without the musk since it ever so slightly deepens things (it ends up feeling more "hazy" than "airy" if that makes sense), but that's just a personal preference. I still think it's fantastic and hoard-worthy, like being lost in an opulent dream. For Labyrinth fans, I bet Sarah smelled like this all decked out in that pristine white princess dress while dancing in Jareth's ballroom.

Oh my goodness, oh my dayum. They gotta' slam (dunk). This is gorgeous. When first on SNaS smelled very much like a lighter version of French Tobacco SN with the bonus of ambergris. As it dries the vanilla, honey and balsam give this a very elegant yet seductive side while the woods balance out all the lush notes with their grounding presence. The rose is extremely well-behaved and just peeps out behind everything else, and I'm usually very sensitive (read: terrified) of it, so that was a relief. Sleeping Nymph is glorious, rich and sweet with a subtle lick of naughtiness. I'm completely taken with this one. It's like if Prosperous Flowers of the Elegant Twelve Seasons, Beauty the Aggrieved and Lyonesse had a love child, which is an extremely good thing. Definitely want to find more.

Some LEs I don't see listed (both kind of refined leathery, musky woods blends): Antique - Fossilized amber, juniper berry, wild musk, oudh, vetiver, white cedar, black currant, oakmoss, and leather. Mars Corotiacus - A dark leather chypre with white sage and juniper berry.

I've wondered about this myself. They're kind of hard to place since I don't think a viking should smell too refined... though Floki seems perfect for Laughter of Loki. He's famous for his ships though, so Ship of Hel or The Sea Rat could work. For Helga maybe Venerable Priestess of the Wood? It's incense-y and pretty but still very green and outdoorsy. Also The Chicken-Legged Hut! It's got that homey warmth with a mystical vibe. Athel isn't as difficult, I'd go with Aureus. I think it's great for him because it reminds me of a cathedral in the woods, so it expresses his faith getting caught between Catholicism and Paganism. I would say Midnight Mass too, but it feels too dark for him. For Ragnar it's gotta' be Odin. Got that warrior vibe, plus Odin is his family's god. For a more refined King Ragnar I'd go for something sexy but still wild, probably Antique. Rollo... Dragon's Hide? And Bloodlust. For Lagertha I like Brisingamen but it needs to be roughed up a bit, so I'd layer it with Fighter or something tougher. I think Dark Rosaleen would work for Siggy, since it's very regal but still smells earthy and practical. Aslaug: Skuld or Scrappy Damsel. Bjorn could fit Rending of the Rock. It's kind of a masculine, no-nonsense blend and yet it smells surprisingly clean and straight edge like him. How about Ecbert? I want to say something like Crypt King, because he's charismatic and manipulative. He enjoys being in a position of power but is too smart to get his hands dirty. Blends like Jareth are too floofy for him, and King Haggard is too brusque (though I could see that for Jarl Borg before the end).

The cedar here amps early on, indeed giving this a bit of a "sweet hamster cage" vibe, but after that it's a very true vanilla sandalwood. The vanilla is the soft, sort of powdery kind, but it doesn't veer into baby powder territory . The sandalwood is soft and lovely. Balsam makes everything smoother and the frank is pretty well-behaved, adding just a bit of heaviness to the blend. It's almost a bit too sweet for me, even though I enjoy all the notes. Kind of foody overall, and it does remind me of Tombstone. On the fence about whether to hang onto this or not.

Quite nice, and it figures. All the other plagues either bombed big time or underwhelmed me, but the super rare one I'll never get more of I like. The frank and agarwood mix to give this an almost grape-y incense feel. It reminds me of Philosopher in Meditation at first, but not as heavy. It's got the same rich, sweet frank as Herodotus' Phoenix; something you can sink your teeth/nose into. Very incense heavy, leaning toward the sugary sweet side, but stops short before getting foody. I actually think Relics of Herself is the closest approximation I can come up with, since as it dries it gets softer. A pretty blend, but thankfully not one I'm going to pine over. This is very similar to other incense blends I like more, that are easier to get. If you love frank then you'll enjoy this, but it really doesn't differentiate itself from others in the incense family to warrant obsessive hording.

Sniffed wet, I smell blood on top of sharp metallic notes. Uugh, and something here is too sweet again like it was in Fire Mingled. Ozonic notes with sweetness just do not work for me. I think juniper is the culprit since it's definitely a woodsy sweetness, but it does kind of remind me of dragon's blood (which I dislike). This is like a spicy soapy men's cologne + dragon's blood. It's another one listed as dry but is anything but to me. Almost reads like it has red musk. Not me at all.

This is kind of similar to Eldritch Drunken Constellations, but much heavier and sweeter. It has the same bright, fizzy quality of EDC but with a commercial-smelling vanilla mint. To use an example, the combo reminds me of the little green mint candies certain restaurants will give you after a meal, haha. As it dries the sage and balsam mix to provide a wet, green backdrop for the sugary notes. It's definitely not dry or restrained to me. I was hoping for something in the line of How Doth the Little Crocodile, which is a delicately sweet and natural vanilla/mint/resins, but this reads as too candy-ish for me.

Yikes, this blend is intense. I decided to grab a decant when a Will Call attendee said it was kind of vanillic, but smelling it from the vial this is super ozonic and sharp. We've definitely got an aquatic here, but it's mixed with something that smells like white florals, as MCS mentioned. So yes, there is a definite sweetness present but it's kind of like a floral soap with extra "cleaner smell" in the backdrop. There is a smoky, ashen quality as well which definitely does not save this because flowers + ash is one of my death combos. It was the same terrifying, headache-y crap in Battle of Vigridr. Which I suppose is fitting, but not for me at all. Had to wash this one off.

I generally don't like almond in BPAL for the sharp cherry-ish scent, but thankfully the note is subdued here. It does go on super cherry at first, but it quickly relaxes into a pleasant milky almond. On me this blend is surprisingly light. I figured it might have a little "hot candy" kick from the cinnamon bark, but it's actually an elegant spiced wood made smoother by the tonka. It's kind of like an improved hybrid between Goatweed Leafwing and Question Mark, minus the citrus. But where QM turned kind of powdery and grandma on me, this is a wonderfully subtle woodsy blend with the slightest hint of incense. The frankincense is very soft, and I barely register patch when I smell this. It's kind of nice because while I enjoy patchouli, it tends to dominate, and that's not the case here. This is definitely it's own thing and not simply "another patch blend." Fully dry I get a sweetened almond/dust/wood combo. It's not particularly dry like I imagined it would be, but that's okay. It verges on being just a bit too sweet for me, but I'm pretty sensitive to those things. It is nice to have found another spice blend that doesn't go crazy on my skin. I think with some aging the almond/tonka will chill out and this will become even nicer, so I'll probably snag a bottle or at least a partial to horde for later.