AliBabble
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Everything posted by AliBabble
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out of the vial this is very clean and aromatic, in a way that reminds me of a sunny kitchen windowsill with pots of herbs growing. The bay leaf is the most dominant note, followed by the rosemary, and i could actually do with a bit more lemon, as i get only a hint. on my skin, i first get a "cedar closet in a wood cabin" vibe, which is quickly taken over by the pine and the dreaded "pine-sol effect". this pine-takeover does calm down a bit, allowing the lovely bay leaf to reappear. nero sweetens on my skin the longer i wear it, becoming rather pleasant. but somehow, i'm "so-so", overall on this one. i could see this maybe working better on a man, but unfortunately i have no willing males to experiment on, at the moment!
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ooh! out of the imp i get - peppermint lifesavers mixed with something fruity/tangy - makes me think of apple or juicy pear, but i see that it's lime. quite a happy smell - zingy and uplifting. on my skin it's a bit sweeter, still getting the citrus and mint, but something lightly floral too, vaguely lilac...very faint, can't indentify it. this reminds me of something you would splash on in the summer - an old fashioned lime eau de cologne, or men's after-shave splash (it is not particularly manly, though..i'm just picturing those old fashioned big glass bottles you see in some drugstores... i think it's called "lilac vegetal", but i digress..). i don't know why most of the mint scents i've tried go a bit light and soapy on me after a while, but this is still a nice, light, summery scent, the lime being my favorite component..
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well, thanks to a lovely and generous frimp, i'm finally able to get in on the snake oil action, i've heard about for so long...yes, it's definitely in the snake charmer/smut family, but with a lovely sweet tinge of vanilla. and a bit more earthiness...i definitely get that snake slithering in the grass, close to the ground... it has a dry spiciness...maybe cinnamon and pepper...and a lush richness too. very, very nice!
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this is the second "stations of the sun" frimp i've received (the other was ra) and i have to say, i'm quite taken with them...at this rate, i might have to try the whole solar collection! anyway, like ra, ahathoor has this mighty, majestic, *golden* feeling to it, although the scent is completely different...out of the vial it has a slight hint of orange or lemon, but what i smell more is an almost turpentine smell - like sap on a tree. on my skin, the turpentine becomes more mentholated - it smells like wintergreen, or camphor, rubbed on birch tree bark. at this stage, it's all woodsiness, wintergeen/birch and lemon/orange - invigorating, warm and glowing. then, slowly, a resin-y smell emerges, and i am pretty sure this is frankincense? i like this a lot; it feels very ancient and magical. Nice!
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oh boy, i was excited to get a frimp of Ra - thanks to the lab for this. my first thought upon sniffing, out of the imp, and on my skin, is that it reminds me of succubus - that's neroli i think? or is it orange-blossom? or both? anyhow, it's a lovely golden-orange smell, like the glowing sun. as it dries down, it sweetens some, and i can smell a bit of spice...not sure if it's cinnamon or clove ..or.. it's not that distinct to me, maybe even patchouli? i'm really not sure. there's just something sweet and spicy which begins to come out, a bit. anyhow, it's a really good one. the feeling i get from it is powerful, and regal. this one would be good when i'm needing strength of some kind...it also just smells really beautiful.
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oh my, this scent is so dreamy and magical...i resisted it for a long time, then i smelled it at the nyc meet and sniff, and i was a goner. i ordered it right before the yule oils came down, and i'm so glad i did. out of the bottle, it is a very soft and gentle creamy floral - not a loud floral - i couldn't pretend to know what flowers are in this, it's not as blatant as jasmine, but maybe in the lily or moonflower family? i dunno...but it reminds me of a milky vanilla pudding, into which white flower blossoms have been stirred in.also, and i don't know why, it reminds me of cucumbers and sweet cream. it is reminiscent of childhood innocence, but is also very womanly. i don't exactly get coconut so much as a hint of spice in the creaminess, perhaps that comes from the flowers. ylang-ylang can be almost spicy, but again, it's much subtler than that. on my skin it is also very gentle, creamy, feminine, and i can see that i am already addicted to this.
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budding moon is hard for me to define...in the bottle it is very gentle and sort of "far-away..." i have to try hard to smell the plum blossoms...but they're there, just very quietly blowing in a warm breeze...this is real subtle on me. i get something which reminds me of carnation (although i know that's not in there ) - a spicy-flower smell. on me, this is a "barely there" kind of scent. very subtle. it is floral, but a quiet, passive floral. i like it, although it disappears rapidly on my skin. however, i find it calming, meditative, and good for bedtime.
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well, i love this scent. does remind me of freak show, which i also love, but is longer-lasting and a more "straight-up" white chocolate-tangerine, as described. 13 works really well on my skin. this is a happy, pleasant scent, that has garnered many compliments in the few days i have been wearing it - it is also appropriate for many occasions - in the last few days i've worn it to a memorial service, a festive party, and to my job. it seemed to work well for all of those. i've said it before and i'll say it again: i haven't met a bpal "foody" scent i haven't loved. also the chocolate/fruitiness stays very "true" throughout many hours of wear.
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wow - this is a really intense smell. out of the bottle i did notice a kinship to snake charmer, but rougher and more aggressive...less sweet, too. i really don't get so much of the booze and sugar that's been mentioned, but much more spice - i definitely smell a lot of black pepper. and i do get musk. there is something almost biting and metallic - like copper - or like the way blood tastes like copper pennies... i know that is a weird association, but that's what i'm getting. i can see the "root beer" thing... like a peppery, musky root beer. this is a really "ballsy" scent, and i like it a lot. there is something definitely erotic about it, in a dark, assertive way.
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the perfumed garden is one scent where i get more complexity out of the bottle, than on my skin. out of the bottle the apple peel and quince hit me right away - not in a sharp way, just a nice, juicy apple, blended beautifully with the jasmine. it's got a quiet intensity, but nothing too crazy. on my skin, however i get, like 90% jasmine. it's not really a problem - i like jasmine, and this is a very nice jasmine - i picture beautiful, fresh white flowers - this would be a perfect scent on a beautiful spring or summer morning. i only get an inkling of the myrrh...not sure what is going on with that. it could be that this is one of the bpal scents that takes a while for me to get to know...to discover all its subtleties. or maybe it will just be Mostly Jasmine. but either way, i really like it, and i like the idea behind it. also the label - really pretty.
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wow - this is a highly unusual scent. out of the bottle, i do get the miskatonic reference, but on my skin it becomes way more complex and interesting: the coffee/caramel thing recedes fairly quickly, and the smoky, spicy and almost astringent notes come out more. there is a definite smokiness, which i can only assume is the tobacco. i also detect leather, although i don't think that's listed as a component...it's very evocative...dark, dusky and mysterious. there is the coconut - yes, but it's one of those very well-blended scents where nothing pokes out awkwardly...it just all mixes into one thing. so i don't think it has the..."obviousness' of elegba - which is pretty much straight up coconut/rum - or of miskatonic - which is pretty much butterscotch/irish coffee. red lantern has more subtlety, complexity and mystery. i think it's the "asian spices" that are characterizing it the most, for me. nice!
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i should just order every bpal foody-scent as a matter of course...i haven't met one i didn't get along splendidly with, and gingerbread poppet is no exception. i ordered it impulsively one night, as an addition to another order, and i'm glad i did; it's truly drool-worthy - molassses and cinnamon in uncooked gingerbread dough...reminds me of the cinnamon-graham cracker cheesecake-crust in beaver moon...god, it's just so yummy...cozy, and fun.
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i really love this. at first, i get a great dose of citrus - specifically grapefruit, maybe tangerine or even kumquat! wow - i love this. although this is a lunar oil, it makes me thing of sunlight - dappled sunlight on big dark green leaves. anyway, as it dries, i get more bamboo and tea...very cooling and refreshing..i don't find it overly perfume-y as some have mentioned, just very...watery and moist? like the wet inner bamboo, or a lovely pool with lily pads, or something. it's tranquil, but bright and energizing at the same time. uplifting, but not hyper. beauteous. oh and the oude - if i'm perceiving it, is a very, very subtle woody-spiciness i get at the end, but not dark at all...it just gives the scent a little more depth...
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Cleansing - Purification - Imagination - Dream Work Emotional Growth & Healing - Mystery - Veiling - Deception – Impulse Capriciousness - Bewitchments - Glamor - Delight - Pleasure hey, this is not too bad. i really wasn't too sure what to expect, but: in the bottle, and wet, i get a cherry-almond at first, with a bit of something lemony... on the skin, it soon begins to have flowers emerge...ylang-ylang or jasmine someone mentioned, and i can see that. there's a bit of plastic note for a bit, but it goes away. i still get a bit of lemony-something. i'm also thinking of the flower called "paper-white" narcissus, which reminds me of hyacinth at easter-time. this is a fairly soft, meditative scent, but also with an "up" sort of energy, like you sometimes get on a full moon. i'm pretty happy with this one, moreso than i thought i would be.
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yay! i got it! (i've been excited about this one..) out of the bottle i smell more of a variety of notes than i smell when it hits my skin..it smells slightly more medicinal in the bottle, but still soft and sweet. wearing this, i do lose some of the "wet" notes; this smells very nostalgic for me...sugared lemons at first...reminds me of a perfume from my childhood: "love's fresh lemon.."...then the musky vanilla comes out...the comparisons to antique lace are understandable...i get a lemony antique lace with a bit of herbs, just a bit green. fresh, but soft and honeyed, and sort of "pillowy". it is quite a switch from the "other" absinthe, which i'm a big fan of...nothing could be too dark, black or licorice-y for me...so this is a real departure. i like it though, it's definitely more sweet and feminine than i was expecting...lighter, and almost summery to my nose. but i am really enjoying it - it's pretty and sort of..floaty. i love the label too - very beautiful.
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i acquired an imp of this at the recent nyc meet and sniff... i get a lot of lilac in this, which is great - i love lilac. and the dragon's blood most people mention, plus a bit of spice in the distance. it's a bit heady and dreamy, like walking down a garden-y street in New Orleans. a little vanilla and muskiness seems to come out later. reminds me slightly of dragon's milk, with less plastickyness, and a bit more soapiness...the more it dries, i get less lilac, more dragon's blood, and almost a cherry-vanilla feeling. after a while it gets a bit soapy, as i said, and the dragon's blood reminds me a bit of "urinal cake" as it sometimes will do when i wear it...but don't get me wrong, it's very pleasing and charming at first , for the first hour or two... as to whether it works..i don't know yet, i've only worn it once, late at night, to go to the deli. nothing happened. but i'll try again soon...
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Similarities Between BPAL Scents - GC and general discussion
AliBabble replied to Shollin's topic in Recommendations
Medicine Show, from springtime in arkham, smells remarkably similar to Lex Talionis, (although lex has the grapefruit). (and if you mix either one w/ 3 witches it smells good! - but i know that's for another thread...) as far as sword of war/kali....to me they are fairly different - sword is very orange-y, whereas for me, kali has the cocoa & wine thing...it's like kali is a reddish brown-maroon color (in my mind) and sword of war is bright orange. go figure...i guess scent is very subjective, huh? -
i like this ok. it was a frimp that i wouldn't have noticed otherwise, and those are always fun to try. it's simple and earthy, and the orris note is my favorite in this. i'm finding out i really like orris. it's got a delicate, elegant quality. the patchouli and myrrh are not glaring, they blend well, but the overall effect is not particularly evocative of anything, for me. as it dries it gets a bit baby oilish...is that the patchouli? i wish i could figure out which note does that on me. anyway, dance of death is ok...but it's not really grabbing me.
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this was an exciting frimp from the lab, and i have been wanting to try dee, as i love the idea of it... it smells really lovely in the imp, but doesn't work too well on my skin. at the start, i smell a decent balance between the leather, incense and rosewood. really nice. the problem is, something - the incense? - gets sweeter and sweeter on me, till it gets kinda out of hand. then it begins to take on the man's cologne thing, and doesn't work so well on my skin. it ends up like a man's cologne-y soap on a roap.
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three witches. well, i do get a lot of the red hots/dentyne thing. i smell a bit of pepper, not so much clove. i wish i could smell more clove. it's definitely a pleasant scent - kind of rough and dry, like a cat's tongue. but i can't help associating it with cinnamon mouthwash, or something like that. not sure when or how i'll use this one, but i'm sure i'll figure out something.
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yes this is like snow bunny, but also different. much stronger and sharper in the bottle - lots of birch and fir trees...colder, icier than snow bunny - a dark, majestic freezing forest at night. where snow bunny has the fun fruit, snow moon has...a creaminess (in the background), a mintiness, maybe? the more it dries down, the more the florals come out, but it takes a while. also, the more i smell it, the more notes i detect, but it takes concentration. to me, it's a really interesting combo of the invigorating evergreen trees, and then the pretty, snowy flowers. i like it a lot. it's rather feminine and elegant.
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i've been wondering for a long time about this one...when i received it today, the first thing i'm struck by is that it's more subtle than i imagined. it's a dark, almost murky. burnt sugar, but not super-strong or sweet. the candied fruit it's supposed to have, i can smell in the bottle ( kind of like prune!), but not as much on my skin. it's smooth like caramel, and reminiscent of toffee or treacle. there's even a touch of a coffee-like aroma. a bit light, as i said, with just a drop of boozy punch...it's subtle, but the scent stays with me pretty well...getting slightly richer, the longer i wear it. it's definitely a burnt, yet creamy, brown sugar sort of smell, with that faint undertone of, well, prune or raisin... i'll be wearing this one a lot.
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it never occurred to me before, but i think Black Opal has a similarity to Shalimar. funny, i always loved shalimar but haven't thought about it in years. and i think black opal has that "thing" that shalimar has...that sultry, musky, slightly metallic, vanilla, creamy mysterious thing. as far as "victorian" reccomendations...there are many. do you mean victorian rose? violet? vanilla? it would depend what you associate with "victorian"...maybe antique lace? for me, libertine and blood pearl smell "victorian" - so does laudanum and absinthe, but the associations are very subjective. oh, also moon rose.
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Lush to BPAL scent comparisons (BNever included too)
AliBabble replied to Vanilla's topic in Recommendations
oh guys, - i love jungle too! it's one of the best smells ever. check it out - i think i found a bpal combo similar to jungle! House of Night - it has the green, grassy, leaf/plant thing mixed with: Manila: banana and tropical stuff. it's not exactly the same...but it's similar, and it's really nice! try it!!!! i'd love to know what you jungle-lovers think. -
i like the simplicity of this one, and its old-fashioned feeling. i get mostly the dry, spicy/sweetness of powdered orris root. it's rather violet-like. (that's where i get the candyish/old fashioned quality..) if coconut is mixed in this, it's mixed so well that i can't really notice it - it becomes one with the orris root. if there is such a thing as "violet musk" (maybe there is? i dunno) - this would be it, to my nose. it feels very pretty - a bit ladylike, but not uptight. seems very wearable, as it's subtle, uplifting and natural-smelling. again, a delicate musky-violet, is how i would describe it.