Balame

GC

Al Azif - An Arabic term that refers to both the chirping of nocturnal insects and the ambient sound made by the chattering of demons. A sinister, sinuous incense of summoning, a herald and paean to the Primordial Gods of Darkness, Chaos, Madness and Decay.

Incubus - Spectral white musk and the heart-stopping chill of sheared mint, fanned by caramel-touched body heat, and the diabolical sensuality of black musk, nicotiana, and sage.

The Isles of Demons - The scent is of wet, dark greenery, carnivorous flowers, volcanic gas, and the hot black musk of the demons and wild beasts that populated the islands.

LE

An Incubus Leaving Two Sleeping Women - Vanilla-infused white honey, magnolia, skin musk, ylang ylang, and beeswax with patchouli, olibanum, kurundu, and a feral brown musk.

Hellhound on My Trail - Bay rum, bourbon vanilla, galangal, hyssop, High John the Conqueror root, tobacco, life everlasting, and brimstone.

Succubus (DCed) - The scent of their skin is bittersweet, dusky and terminally seductive. Mimosa, orange blossom, neroli and bergamot with a drop of sweet clove.

The Hell-Gate of Ireland - Smoldering brimstone, bitter labdanum, clove, black musk, and copper-colored feathers.

The Infernal Lover - A creamy, sensual, honeyed red musk.

The Wild Men of Jezirat al Tennyn - Fiery, primal, and precociously diabolical: red amber, Spanish moss, Indonesian patchouli, ambergris, red pepper, two cloves, and vanilla flower.

I like Al Azif the most out of these... it's much gentler than it sounds, but still has a bit of mystery about it. The current Luper blend, Mars Ultor, actually made me think of an incubus/succubus as well. It has a smoky sweetness that feels alluring but powerful.

*edit* Forgot Lucifer, duh! Patchouli, golden amber, deep woods, fig, and vetiver.

While squandering my time on the World Wide Waste last evening I came upon this

http://alchimia-apothecary.com/product/sandstorm/

That sounds beautiful, thanks for posting it! Haven't tried Alchimia yet but now I'll have to give it a shot.

Also, with the new Plague line out it sounds like these two might fit this category nicely:

All the Dust of the Land

An infestation of Ceylon cinnamon bark, black patchouli, tonka absolute, bitter almond, and frankincense.

Blood Throughout All the Land

Olive wood, acacia, and juniper, stone and clay, all thick with blood and crusted with dust.

The 1st thing that came to my mind was Little Metalmark form the metas last year. The notes are "Nagarmotha and sweet musk."

There is a subtle sweetness, but it is really a super subtle sweetness (on me). Like how some woody notes can have a sweet aspect. Overall its an arid desert musk cloud.

I was fond of Little Metalmark myself, but while there was a mustiness about it, it also felt kind of rainy to me. Like a coming storm (which is a great, evocative thing but not quite as dry as I wanted).

Gosh I have not logged in in forever. But desert scents happen to be a thing toward which I gravitate, so!

 

In terms of GCs:

*Lear is very arid to me. Dusty, dry, not hot but certainly not cold. The sage note in there is hugely reminiscent of the Mojave Desert.

Lear is actually one of my favorite GCs! It's definitely dry and warm, makes me think of a sun-kissed log in a forest surrounded by little herbs.

I'm taking notes on the other recs btw, just wanted to mention my own experiences with these in case anyone else wanders in curious about the same thing.

Thanks everyone, these are great recs! Already adding some to my wishlist so I can hunt them down.

I don't know how I missed Ozymandias in the GC. Based on the description it sounds perfect, though reviews seem all over the place so it'll be interesting to test that out. I did try The Trackless Erg, but sadly it ended up smelling fairly powdery and floral to me.

The LEs/unreleased blends sound really nice, so here's hoping I can find them without too much difficulty. Paduan Killer Swarm sounds like something I'd enjoy anyway due to the coconut, so definitely have to make that one a priority.

Spiced, bittersweet fruit and a dark hint of herbs. Strong alcoholic bite, reads as very astringent.

So, a sharp and sweet herbal rum. Too sweet and boozy for me, though the vetiver makes it more woodsy as it dries down. Still too overpowering in general.

What a surprising blend. It's not as terrible as I thought it would be - between the ginger, pepper and sasparilla I thought this would be disgusting mixed together. But I ended up with a frimp and decided to give it a shot. Glad I did!

At first the sasparilla comes on strong which smells like a sweetened soda, but it's the balsam that ends up amping on me. Quite smooth and clean. The ginger and pepper are both extremely well-behaved here, neither coming across as super spicy or astringent. There's a subtle hint of something smoky beneath the slick base. I do smell a little gear oil, but this is largely a very clean, very polite skin scent on me. Not what I expected at all. It seriously reminds me of a softer version of Dove soap + gear oil.

Maybe it's just how my skin chemistry makes this play out, but it smells more like I thought Neutral would smell than a Gnome. (This is actually less sweet and more... well, neutral than it is.)

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!

Instead of buttered popcorn I get another weird association with this blend. It immediately reminds me of the weenie pumpkin patch. Seriously, it smells very much like a pumpkin pie with a mix of sweetened spices. It’s yummy, but not what I was expecting. The coconut does make an appearance as time wears on, but it’s still less cream/coconut to me and more spiced pumpkin with coconut frosting. At first I thought it was my skin chemistry playing up, but it smells similarly in the bottle and on a cotton pad. I prefer the type of cream the Lab used in Glowing Vulva: more milky sweet than sugary/cakey. I’m wondering if it’s the combo of cream + macadamia that pushes it into pie category.

Nice for gourmand lovers, but not what I wanted. Based on the notes it should’ve been perfection, and yet here they just don’t read properly. I would have been bummed this wasn’t the dreamy amber-coconut I wanted if there weren’t so many other winners for me in the Lupers this year. That includes Lovers and a Fan, which has an awesome, realistic honeyed coconut.

Aah, the blend with "dat ass." Straight applied Loucetius reminds me of SweeTarts candy and pine. It's a really weird and kind of unpleasant combo.

But as it dries things get better. It's pretty much white tea with a bright orange/citrus layered across it. The champaca slowly starts lending it a bit of powdery floral sweetness, too. Not so floral that it overwhelms, thankfully, but it adds more interest to the blend. If I don't focus that's all I smell, but there is a bare hint of sandalwood in the background. It smells quite typically feminine to me, so it's a little surprising to think this is actually a Mars blend.

It's friendly and cheerful. Pretty simple overall, not that that's a bad thing, but I personally prefer it when tea is deepened somehow (like honey/tea or incense/tea) versus everything being this bright. I'm pretty sure most people who like Kumiho would also be into this. Also similar to Geisha in Orange Kimono Admiring a Samurai, though I like that one more because the sandalwood is more apparent.

Something in here is extremely sweet. The chamomile is present but the musk and ambergris deepen it a lot. The heavy musk and ambergris together is just so candy-ish that it’s a bit overwhelming. The chamomile is trying to be all, “Hey guys maybe we could get some greenery up in here? Take down the sugar a notch?” But then the musk and ambergris cut him off all, “Nope.”

It smells like a strong, sugary men’s deodorant to me. I think it’s the musk more than the ambergris acting up, as it’s one of my favorite notes and usually adds just the right touch of brightness. As Lunasariel said, the musk is providing an icky synthetic sweetness, but unfortunately I never get the toned-down phase she did. This is a sweet, soapy hot mess on me. Kind of turns into baby powder, actually. Blegh.

Peach spritzer: that’s Mare Nectaris when first applied. And I love it. It’s exactly what I was hoping for. I used to be addicted to the things, especially the bright and fuzzy peach smell. I’d been looking for something like that for a long time. True, juicy, trickle down your lips peach with bright and tingly bubbles.

Unfortunately. It is only a glorious peach concoction while wet. It loses everything I adore and turns into soapy/generic peach shampoo as it dries. Why Nectaris? You were perfect early on. I think it's the more commercial-smelling musk that messes up the balance. Screw you, papaya musk.

Almond, almond, almond. It’s the cherry medicine kind I don’t like instead of the warm nutty kind. That’s all I smell for a long time, then it dies down into… a whisper of cherry almonds. I get none of the other notes, except maybe the tiniest hint of vanilla. Unfortunately I have a bad history with nearly all almond blends so I’m not too surprised it didn’t work out.

Best green tea from BPAL yet? I think so. It smells exactly like chilled green tea, very refreshing. But there's also a lovely richness and suddenly it turned into honeyed tea! Still cool, but sweetened in the best of ways. The plum is perfection; juicy and sweet but not candy-ish, adding to the brightness of the tea.

There’s a soft touch of floral vanilla, but it adds just the right amount of creaminess without becoming cloying . I can’t pick out the ambergris on its own, but I know that’s what’s giving the blend its charming fizzy “twinkle” (as in Y’ha-nthlei). It’s more prominent when wet and contributes to deepening the blend as it dries. It actually keeps this from being too fruity and moves it into more mature territory.

An amazing summer blend. Bright, carefree and lovely. I want to snuggle into this scent and lay out in the sun all day.

My second favorite blend from the Lupers this year! At first the patchouli comes on a bit strong, but it quickly turns into a seamless, gentle blend. Patchouli, honey, leather and soft incense are all here. The notes feel smooth and seductive together. It’s similar to A Variety of Pleasing Amusements with its leather/honey combo, which was another Luper blend I loved. But it’s less in your face and more “come hither dear stranger." More complex, elegant and subtle.

It has the delicate, sweetly spicy saffron that’s gorgeous in Lovers and a Fan as it is here. Overall it reads as a creamy, spiced vanilla and honey backed by woods and leather. Absolutely delicious yet graceful. Even a bit mysterious. It feels like a decadent dessert I want to indulge in, if that decadent dessert were a very good-looking nobleman/woman. Very happy this one turned out the way it did, as I was having the worst trouble trying to hunt down more Variety, and I like this even more.

Wow, where do I start with this blend? First off I want to ditto everything Leopard403 said. This is my favorite Luper this year (perhaps ever), and indeed what I wanted from the vulvas – from Love’s Philosophy as well, which was just plastic and spice on me. This is warm, creamy and seductive… yet subtle. And it has possibly the best coconut and honey I’ve smelled from BPAL. It’s absolutely gorgeous.

It perfectly evokes the image/scene, and it’s really seductive to me. Like accidentally walking in on a crush disrobing on a hot day. Somehow everything smells heated. The honey is SPOT on, exactly like it just came from the hive. Rich and sweet and almost overwhelming in its luxury, but in a good way. It drives home the feeling of being hot, caught up in a sticky sweetness. The coconut is similarly decadent but gentler in comparison, adding the cooled feeling of the "fan." Also a true scent, not plastic-y as is can be in other blends. That's a huge plus for me, as I love coconut but it rarely smells right to me in perfumes.

The saffron adds just the right amount of… well, what I can only call a “tingle.” A bit of spiciness, but not “spicy hot,” more like a sweet cooking spice. Similar to the subtle zing that blends like Morocco and Penitent Mini Magdalene possess. Most definitely a new favorite of mine; I need several bottles. Natural but sexy, sticky sweet but not cloying, plus a delicious frothy coconut.

Is it getting hot in here, or is it just my perfume?

Not what I was expecting, but certainly not bad either. As others have said this starts out in a surprising way. It smells like an almost alcoholic nutmeg to me. Deep and sweet, but also dry and airy. Brighter than I imagined. There’s a soapiness and a little bit of a fruity/citrus vibe from the cistus. During this stage I don’t hate it, but it smells a bit generic and/or cleaner-ish.

However, as it dries it becomes quite the charmer. The amber and tobacco suddenly show up and darken the blend, giving it a sweet, incense-y and throbbing base. Yet the cistus remains and now an amazing vanilla helps overlay it with that same cool and airy feeling. The cistus also becomes less fruity and simply rounds out the amber.

Something of a play in opposites. Sweetly smoky but not cloying. Makes me think of a succubus/incubus or an attractive someone giving you beckoning glances from the shadowed corner of a bar. Enticing, seductive, but also comfortable. I like it despite the weird wet stage. I’ve never smelled tobacco thinned out in such a pleasing way before. Give it time to settle since it’s a morpher.

Like zankoku noted, the label art for this is epic. I wanted to like it just for that, but let’s get to the blend itself! The lemongrass is nice; I’ve always loved the smell and was excited to see it here. It reads true: bright, fresh and citrusy, but not high-pitched or overwhelming. I don’t really get any patchouli woodsiness, but I smell a delicate red floral (carnation) and yes, “frothy” vanilla which somehow feels very liquid and smooth. The Lab did a great job on that note. Overall it makes me think of Thai tea.

For some reason I feel like some hip, young J-pop artist would smell like this. The blend is bright and happy but primarily citrus/floral on me, where I would’ve preferred the amazing vanilla take front and center. I wish the frankincense and patch developed more on me, because I think they could have darkened it up enough to suit me more, but unfortunately they’re not really present. A pleasant and unique scent, but not my style.

This reminds me of Knight in Shiny Armor, but it’s made more Yule-y due to the juniper. A bit bright at first, but in a mature way. It feels like there could be a little white musk in here, or maybe some combo of the notes is just reading that way. It isn’t sharp or cloying at all.

I do love me some sage, and this gives it a beautiful platform on the soft woodsy/leather base, with the citrusy aspect of the chypre joining it on the top. No single note is trying to push the other out of the way; it’s blended well. Juniper is usually iffy on me because of Xmas tree associations (don’t always feel in the mood for that), but here it’s tempered nicely. It makes for a clean woodsy skin scent roughed up gently by the leather. The leather gains strength making it more woodsman than businessman as it dries. Kind of like a lighter, more refined version of Ranger to me. Very nice.

This is fantastic. It's a super delicate cacao fused with pillowy mallow and a hint of honey. I know there are more notes in there but it's pretty simple on me, in a good way. No floral note which is a plus, and I don't even notice the patchouli. Everything smells very natural and yummy, but it's soft and very much a skin scent. It could be called a much, much gentler relative of Banshee Beat. Foody but refined, sweet but not overwhelming. Kind of reminds me of Delight and Consternation (which I love) in that it's a light foody mix that passes as "your skin but better." So good.

I could have sworn I reviewed this ages ago. Ah well, better late than never.

Lady Death: Savage was a blend I wore for a good 3-4 years before finally shelving it then subsequently selling it to someone who'd appreciate it more. It was one of my early favorites, but my tastes have changed and I can't handle musky sweetness like I did before.

It's does have a vaguely commercial feel to it thanks to the heavy musk, but the bergamot and bois de jasmin brighten things up and bring it into more unique territory. It's sparkly, but not in an effervescent way. The rich, perfumey base of musk, vanilla and resins would be quite dark on their own, but by layering it with a floral/citrus combo it becomes more welcoming and stereotypically "womanly." It's great if you want to feel friendly/presentable but still carry a hint of mystery about you. It does come across as expensive, but in an approachable way, if that makes any sense.

This was one of the few perfumes where jasmine didn't bother me, but I guess that component eventually caught up to me. It just felt too floral/musky over time despite my love of the amber/citrus/vanilla. I think this is a great blend to introduce someone to BPAL when they're used to mainstream stuff - it has several components that would be at home in a commercial setting, but then gives them an interesting twist.

As for the inspiration itself, while I enjoyed the blend I never really felt like this perfume lived up to its namesake. It feels more like Lady Death in this picture (rich, elegant, sexy) versus her crazy warlord side.

I never reviewed this? Dang. CLH was a blend I was interested in based on the sun-warmed hay note alone - I find it to be very soothing and outdoorsy. This did not disappoint. The hay is very realistic and gentle, and it's backed by spicy herbs, something syrupy and smoky grass (vetiver, probably). It's a great mix and very evocative. I don't find it creepy at all, instead being both intriguing and cheerful. I can see the spices becoming overwhelming on someone who amps them, but otherwise I think this is one of the underappreciated gems of BPAL. Anyone who likes foody and/or woodsy blends should definitely give it a shot. I think it's similar to Halfling but less Yankee's Candles sweet and more natural.

I’m new/ish to BPAL, but I love this sort of thing, and I’m happy to see that people are still posting in here. 'Scuse the incredibly self-indulgent novel, but I've been wanted to do this for awhile:

Hopefully people don't mind me jumping in again, I don't mean to monopolize the recs. I'm jealous that you're a distant relative of Grace O'Malley! From one (lesser but still partially) Irish-descended gal to another, here are my thoughts:

Anne Bonney - A blend of Indonesian red patchouli, red sandalwood, and frankincense.

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.

Embalming Fluid - A light, pure scent: white musk, green tea, aloe and lemon.

Half-Elf - White sandalwood, beeswax, white tea leaf, oud, and a hint of sophisticated urban musk.

Leanan Sidhe - Her perfume is a crush of Irish herbs and flowers, Gaelic mists, and nighttime dew.

Nemesis - Cypress, ginger, fig, dried rose, red patchouli, tonka bean and cyclamen.

Pepper - Wild English roses, French gardenia, vanilla, honey, golden ginger, blood orange, pine resin, pink pepper, crushed berries, tuberose, bergamot, and geranium.

The Chicken-Legged Hut - Creaky wood and sun-dried thatching, clacking bones, leering skulls, burnt herbs, and enormous magical chicken feet.

LE:

Harp of Cnoc I'Chosgair, The - Gilded amber, tiare, golden sandalwood, vanilla, cardamom, and tagetes.

Host of Air, The - Peat and rolling grass-covered hills, with wine-dappled heather, white clover, cloudberry, juniper berry, bluebell, dandelion, and cross-leaved heath.

In the Forest - A wild, passion-inflamed skin musk with black pine pitch, brown leather, black clove, copal, white sage, oakmoss, patchouli, and saffron.

Kit - Mysore sandalwood, a tattered and patched 16th century waistcoat, inkstained, still scented with the marjoram and benzoin dry perfumes of his youth.

Lambs-Wool - Roasted apples mashed into warmed milk and ale, with nutmeg, sugar, ginger, and clove.

Pirate Moon - Red musk, ambergris, coconut palm, red sandalwood, balsam, date, warm leather, tobacco, ebony, lingum vitae wood, pandanus grass, an' a touch o' lime.

Post-Mortem Laureatus - White sandalwood and twining ivy.

Russian Dance, The - Florentine iris, black tea, labdanum, patchouli, champaca flower, benzoin, and ambergris.

Sailor's Den, The - Orris, bay rum, palm, coconut meat, oak wood, tobacco, linen, blue lilac, and leather.

Sword of Surtur, The - Iron and fire; red-hot ginger, fossilized amber, prickly poppy, red cedar, cubeb, star anise, and scorpion pepper.

White Witch, The - 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.

I know I don't always explain my choices in full, but my thought here was balancing soothing and outdoorsy scents based on your affinity with animals and remote excavation sites with more fiery blends in a nod to your scrappy side.

So pretty. Definitely my favorite BPTP blend out of their Lupers this year.

When I got this I sprayed it on and was initially disappointed. It was a nice, non-astringent lavender slightly darkened by the oudh, but it still smelled predominantly like basic lavender EO - no complexity to differentiate it. Thankfully I let it sit a few days and that seemed to allow everything to settle. Now I get the same lavender but with the warmth of a beautiful, soft vanilla backing it. I can't really pick out the sandalwood but it's still a lovely, comforting combo.

While I love patchouli I'm not a big fig fan, but I was generously frimped this by my BPTP decant circle leader. Far be it from me to pass up a free tester!

This mix is interesting. I agree with Boudicca in feeling like this is almost sweetly minty, warm yet fizzy. I'm used to fig being darker but this is definitely a more playful version. While it does almost come across as cola, it retains a nice earthy smell thanks to the patch. Something about this combo nearly reads as musty Xmas tree, and I hope that doesn't sound terrible because I mean it in a nice way. Usually pine sap can be a bit overwhelming, but this takes that sort of sharp greenery and puts a damper on it.

In the end it's still not really my style, but I enjoyed it more than I expected. Seems like a great Yule blend to me, or simply when you want something comforting but refined.

I thought Gula would be more intense than it is with all the powerfully sweet notes listed, but it's really quite delicate. This is both good and bad... I smell light chocolate, a whiff of caramel and a slight tartness from the black currant. It's not terrible, but the overall effect is like some generic piece of candy, not a decadent gourmet dessert. Something a bit plastic-y about it as well (probably the honey; doesn't always happen on my skin but when it does it's very noticeable). Not complex or realistic enough for me, and instead it comes across like a commercial Bath & Bodyworks spray.