Drae

Hi, I'm DISO of a scent that smells like Pacifica's Tibetan Mountain Temple scent - notes given on frangrantica are: patchouli, orange, vetiver, ginger, violet and incense. All these notes are common in a lot of BPAL blends and but I haven't been able to find one that has most or all of them. I think the patchouli, orange (or maybe even orange blossom or neroli), ginger and incense are what I'm after the most. The scent is very warm and spicy, slightly woody and sweetened by the orange. Any comparable GC or Past/Present LE's come to mind?

Mariposita confirms that BPAL's honey note does not play nice on me *sigh* I was hoping for a creamy strawberry and lavender dominant scent, but all I get is a sweet, plasticky honey mess. Shame

How interesting. In the imp, MIPCL was straight up that familiar BPAL buttery pumpkin note and mango. 10 minutes later, it is a pleasant Allspice single note (maybe a little of that coconut sugar as well). No pumpkin, no mango, no chai, no milk. I am not a foody fan, and am thankful I don't actually smell drinkable

Hmm, not sure what to think of this one. I can get a faint whiff of woods, but for the most part this is slightly medicinal, and unfortunately band-aidish on my skin. There is a very soapy period 5-10 minutes after application, but it burns off. I would say this is a unisex, borderline masculine scent. Interesting, but not for me.

After first applying Ghost House, my initial reaction was to scrub it off. Very green, very sharp, with no fruit or redeeming notes. After 10 minutes of settling in, the raspberry came into play and mellowed out the sharpness. I'm impressed that the fruit elements play nicely and don't go into 'Yankee Candle' territory like most of BPAL's berry notes do, and this is a very intriguing and skillfully blended scent, I don't know how often I'd reach for it.

Decant of October 2011 This smells exactly how I expected it to smell, which I think is a rarity in the land of BPAL. It is that recognizable dry leaves scent that I have found in most fall/leaf scented items (B&BW candles, other perfumes, etc), as well as the sap. A true-to-life, unisex scent, very evocative of a walk through the park amongst fallen leaves October is a very mood-specific scent for me and not an every day wear, and the throw is decent, so while I quite like it I'm not sure I need more than my decant

Frimp! In the imp: First sniff: Wow! Very strong, I smell the lilies instantly, along with an astringent cologne smell, and something almost along the lines of scotch tape. I physically threw my head back as the scent sort of smacked me in the face. I also got a passing whiff of lotus (which is for me) but this is very masculine and not all that pleasant so far Second sniff (in the imp): It's funny how quickly your olfactory senses get used to a scent. This was not at all as scary upon second sniffing. On skin: Dried flowers and leaves, and wood. This is a pretty straightforward scent. My skin likes to turn most things to sugar, so this being a non-sweet scent is mellowing out quite nicely Drying: Straight up powdery white floral, with a hint of saltiness to keep it unisex. A touch soapy. That hint of lotus is back, just a drop of it (I can sniff it out like a hound) and I'm starting to get a bit of a headache. 15 mins later: This is super pretty, and has changed into a completely different scent than what it was in the imp. The astringency, the woods, the scotch tape are all gone. I smell clean skin after a hot shower with a lovely soap. Another review mentioned tuberose, and I am starting to pick it up too, how lovely! What a super-morphing power ranger of a scent, I'm liking it more and more as time goes on. It's funny how this goes from a downright gross scent wet in the imp, to a lovely pleasant floral. It also had a sex change from quite masculine to soft and feminine, at least on my skin. Ulalume reminds me of one of my old non-BPAL loves, Ralph Lauren Blue, and I will definitely keep it around for when I'm in the mood for an aquatic-yet-powdery floral. BOTTLE PURCHASE

I have no recs, but I love David's Tea! I think I had a tea-epiphany when I first tried Forever Nuts, I did not know apple nut pie could be turned into a tea so accurately There are a few of their teas I'd love to have as perfumes Thanks for reminding me to head over to their store to sniff their fall collection teas, it's about an hour drive way on the other side of the city, but totally worth it

In the decant: A soft, floral vanilla Wet on skin: pretty much the same as in the decant. This is a breezy, light-hearted scent, sun-warmed and creamy without having any cream or milk notes (which hate my skin). I am not really getting any type of ginger. Pleasant, but a little too simple, I would have liked this to be a little more tropical floral, which sounds like what Opuhi was when fresh. Opuhi sticks close to my skin, with almost no throw. I don't dislike it but I can't say it does too much for me.

Strictly by notes on paper, Misk U is pretty much a death blend of creamy, boozy, foody, sticky coffee horror, but since it seems to be so popular, I got curious and requested an imp swap. Sometimes we just need actual confirmation of our suspicions. In the imp: while not as LOUD, there's that scary sweet boozy note that made me run away from Grog, mixed with an extra sweet Starbucks caramel macchiato, Oh dear... Wet on (shea butter moisturized) skin: BOOZE AND SUGAR. It's quite loud after all, at least while wet. Drydown: The scent softens up quite a bit, and the booziness has evaporated, and the coffee takes a quiet back seat to the sugar and cream. Absolutely no books or oak have shown up. Dry (about 20 minutes post-application): goes a little Glade plug-in on me, just a sweet, brown-colored muddled mess, I'm fairly certain it's the irish cream, or even just the cream note that does this. I don't even smell the coffee much anymore, just boring, slightly plastic creamy sweetness. Cloying sweetness, one-dimensional, and just not fitting to my scent personality at all: Drae, this is why you can't do Gourmands

Unlike Vanilla323, I am so glad that Alice isn't dark or foody at all Alice is everything I hoped for in a light, creamy floral. When I first dab her on, she is all freshly cut carnations with a rose or two thrown in for good measure, which I adore On the drydown, the scent sweetens up, goes slightly spicy and the rose kicks in. After about 45 mins all the florals are gone, and I'm reminded a bit of Dana O'Shee (which was a sugary plasticy mess for me), probably because of the milk note, which is what I'm guessing likes to turn to play-doh on my skin. Luckily, that phase is short lived, but unfortunately so is the scent overall. 1 hour post-application and Alice sinks into my skin and disappears, leaving behind the faintest hint of non-descript sweetness. I definitely prefer Alice in the initial wet and dry-down stages, and If I could figure out a way to make that last longer on my skin, I could see myself ordering a 5ml in the near future.

Actually, I might have spoken too soon. I tried Uruk again another day, and didn't get LL at all. It must have just been my chemistry, or maybe I unknowingly put Uruk where I had put lotion or a different BPAL scent earlier, to give me that impression. How strange!

I would love to find a BPAL equivalent to Ralph Lauren Blue for Women, It is the loveliest shower-fresh aquatic scent ever I think the key notes are the white flowers (especially LOTV), the rose de Mai, sandalwood, musk and oakmoss. I was surprised to learn it has lotus, as I usually have an unpleasant reaction to smelling lotus, but I adore this scent. Any suggestions?

A city of mystery, wonder and majesty, said to have been built by order of Gilgamesh. Thick bitter almond and heady night-blooming jasmine with saffron, cinnamon leaf, red patchouli, river lilies, bergamot, fig leaf and the sacred incense of Inanna. In the imp: Very straightforward - Sweet cinnamon. Wet on skin: Now it's gone TURBO sweet (I don't think I've smelled anything sweeter, holy cow!) and very much like almond extract. The jasmine and cinnamon combination is a really interesting mix. Drydown: I am getting some very serious "where do I know this smell from?!" thoughts, and realize Uruk smells VERY much like Lolita Lempicka, a pre-BPAL favourite perfume of mine, despite not having the signature anise/licorice note. 30 minutes later: The almond extract goes quieter as it muddles with the spices and florals. The incense offers just the right level of soft smokiness, and the red patchouli grounds the more robust notes with earthiness. Beautiful! Verdict: Uruk is quickly becoming one of my top favourite BPAL scents. It's spicy and creamy, but the florals add an intriguing and unexpected layer, and all the notes work together so beautifully. BOTTLE, NAO!

I realize this thread is years old, but I just tested Uruk, and after the drydown I went crazy with *HUFF* 'What does this remind me of?!' *HUFF* and it hit me - Lolita Lempicka! It's not as licorice-y, and it doesn't share ANY of the same notes, but to my nose it is almost an exact match, amazing!

in the imp: Mmmm, Juicy juicy peaches! This is seriously the juiciest BPAL scent I've smelled to date Fresh On skin: I want to lick my arm! Unfortunately, the sugary sweetness of the peach wine, blood orange and tuberose is amping, and it's going into Candyland territory for me. Drydown: Violet and tuberose are trying to fight through the bold fruity notes, and the boozy 'wine' is becoming more apparent, but for the most part this is purely peach sugar. I'm a bit sad that I'm not getting any of the carnation either. Verdict: I love stone fruit scents, but too much of anything is a bad thing. I was hoping all the floral notes would temper the sweetness in this one and give some much-needed depth and sophistication, but I just feel like a giant Fuzzy Peach candy. I also tried layering this over Pontia (lavender and bergamot) and it is much more grown-up and what I was looking for

In the imp: A very quiet, non-descript floral scent Fresh on skin: The amber and jasmine start to rev up. Dry down: Not much morph, but it is going slightly powdery. While it is pleasant enough, this is falling into 'floral old lady perfume' category for me, and slightly boring.

In the imp: A fresh green floral, slightly salty (perhaps the wisteria?) Fresh on skin: It stays the same, maybe going a bit more herbal Drydown: Ahh, soap jasmine comes out. I don't actually dislike when scents go slightly soapy on me, unless the soapy note dominates the others, which makes it very bland. There is something very comforting about it, like stepping out of a warm bath full of expensive french soap, and just a hint of sweetness.

La Vague is all candied jasmine petals and stone fruits. Peach-flavoured Nerds candy, to be precise Sniffing it wet on my skin, I don't detect any creaminess, as it remains very light and crystalline. The jasmine and peach play off each other very nicely. The throw is pretty substantial, as I got a "WHOA what's that fruity smell?" from someone across the room after I put it on. As it dries down, the florals fade a little (and I think I finally detect some creaminess?) and the peach remains the sparkling note. La Vague falls into the juvenile candy-scent for me, but I'll keep my imp for a nostalgic pick-me-up

In the decant: A pleasant, balanced fruity floral. Nothing is really jumping out at me. On the skin: Pretty much the same. I wish I were more familiar with each floral note to give a more apt description. I know some florals can be quite heady and thick, but this is a very delicate combination. Conclusion: A very nice Springtime scent, straightforward with absolutely no weird morphing going on. However, it's not really evoking anything for me, and it's a bit boring.

In the decant: A very intriguing, slightly spicy floral. If it were a colour, it would be pale blue. It's quite dry smelling, and oddly very sexy. Wet on skin: The dry saltiness of the lilac hits my nose first. I can only handle lilac if it's paired with something sweet, and it's working very nicely here with the sweeter notes. Also, I'm getting a very distinctive sunscreen lotion smell, which I ADORE! Honey and pear are also suspicious notes for me as far as amping or going plastic, but neither are too loud or artificial so far. Drydown: Things are sweetening up and the lilac is fading fast, but I am still getting sunscreen, and oddly some cocoa butter. Conclusion: A very odd and unexpected scent this turned out to be, given the notes. I'll definitely be pulling this out in the dead of winter when I get nostalgic for lazy beachy summer days.

In the decant: The sour-sweet lychee note is instantly recognizable. Wet on skin: On my skin, the lychee still dominates the scent, and sharpens up the roundness of mango. There is a slight soapy-citrusy effervescence which I'm guessing would be the champagne. It's not something I'm really keen of, but it's not entirely unpleasant either. Drydown: The soapy-freshness is starting to take over the fruits, and it's kind of morphing into a very odd sort of scent. Conclusion: This is the first BPAL scent I've sniffed with such straightforward notes, and I found it to be very realistic. Unfortunately, I'd rather drink it as a delicious cocktail than smell it on my wrist.

In the decant: Fruity, red, ripe and juicy. It reminds me of the over-saturated flavour of when you first start chewing a big wad of red Bubblicious gum. Freshly applied to skin: The mango takes center stage. I'm not well-versed enough on musk to tell if it has any presence here, but right now this is all full-on fruity mango. Conclusion: I was hoping for a musk and fig-dominant scent with this one, but it's just too overwhelmingly sweet to wear as a perfume. I would probably quite enjoy it as a mood-brightening room spray or diffuser scent.

The East is such a pleasant, innocent candy-like floral. All the notes work in perfect harmony, as not one overpowers the rest. The florals and herbs keep the fruity notes from going too sweet and "young" . This scent is very evocative of Springtime.

Thanks for all the suggestions thus far, I have a lot of testing to do! Exotic Bazaar sounds like something I need in my life!