BoneBone24

Wet: Crispy-fresh apple amidst an elusive darkness. Drydown: Deliciously spiced apple surrounded by an autumnal ambiance. Not too sweet or fruity, the apple note is just right. There’s a bit of woodsy-outdoorsiness in the air, but no single note stands out, apart from the apple. Dry: Mulled cider and autumn leaves, like the scent of a day trip to an orchard. A perfect scent for the beginning of fall! 7.5 out of 10 bones

Specifically: graphite, pencil shavings, charcoal, chalk, newsprint paper, oil paint, that grease you use on a printmaking press, kneaded erasers, lithograph stones Does anyone know of any BPALs that smell like these things? I'm feeling nostalgic for my years in art school and would love to find a scent that captures those memories!

Wet: A strong blast of buttery pumpkin-spiced butter! Dark and intense. Drydown: Glowing, foodie pumpkin spice. Better now that it’s settled a bit. A soft hint of smoke tempers the butteriness some. It sweetens as it dries. Dry: The pumpkin itself comes forward now, smelling a bit like an earthy cousin of peach. Sweet like honey, but not overly so. A glowing smoke (not a sooty smoke) continues to ground the blend, while gentle spices tease the nose. This is the promise of October. Pumpkin everything is indeed on its way! 7 out of 10 bones

Wet: Dragon’s blood and earthy spice. Drydown: Oh! This is much prettier than I was expecting. I’m getting what smells like a very floral dragon’s blood, but not the sharp genre of florals, thank goodness. Actually, considering the lack of sharpness it might not be DB at all! Perhaps it’s just a similar mix of resins and flowers. It’s gently sweet, but not fruity, more like a sweet spice I think. Rosewood and carnation perhaps? Color-wise, this smells like a pale, faded red with touches of speckled ivory. Dry: Rosewood and carnation, with a puff of incense, a dash of clove or cassia, a touch of some lemony herb, perhaps a drop of honey, and a bouquet of sweet, pale florals (lilac, osmanthus, and tuberose?). At least, that’s what I think I smell. It’s all rather pretty, dagnabit! And I quite like it 8 out of 10 bones

I've finally tried Smokestack and OMGYes! Charcoal and pencil and rubber cement and lithography stones! <3

Creosote, coal, and industrial waste. Wet: Sweet soot. Drydown: Ashy, but not sharp. Deep and dark, but actually kind of light. This is a dusty-dirty metallic that is somehow quite pretty! There’s a spice in there that smells sort of like a dry-spicy cousin of sassafras. Smoky, sooty, and slightly sticky. Dry: Soft, but dark and edgy. I know this won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but to me this is amazing. It’s the scent of art supplies (charcoal, pencils, rubber cement), a printmaking studio, a bonfire pit the morning after, and my mechanic husband, with just a bit of sweet black musk to smooth it all together. YUM. If you like Dwarf or Le Pere Fouettard, check this one out next! 8.5 out of 10 bones

Wet: Fresh, smooth patchouli, soft leather, and wood. Almost clean in its simplicity. Drydown: Darker and grittier on the skin. Damp sandalwood dirtied up by smokey patchouli and a pinch of salt. The frankincense seems to be quietly singing church hymns off to the side, not quite knowing what to do with itself. There is a strange dichotomy between the wicked and the reverent here. Dry: Dry, dirty planks of wood stained by gunpowder and salt, joined by festive frankincense. Smokey, adventurous, sexy, and cleaner than one might expect. 7.5 out of 10 bones

Wet: Bright, creamy, and pale. Drydown: It smells like shampoo! Airy, fresh, clean, and sudsy. Slightly sweet and slightly creamy. Dry: Mostly white musk with tonka and sweet pea folded in. The sage lends a soft and fuzzy feeling without drawing much attention to itself. But, all you really need to know is that it smells like lathered-up shampoo. 7.5 out of 10 bones

Wet: Bright fizzy-fuzzy strawberry. Drydown: It smells like a strawberry starburst! Frothy strawberry with a bit of creaminess and a slight tang. Gently sweet. The scent doesn’t waver and is light, but with a decent throw. Usually berries don't work on my skin, so I am very surprised and happy that this is working so well! Dry: This is very happy, indeed. There’s a fluffy airiness to it that I wasn’t expecting from a fruit-dominant blend. Mostly strawberry, with perhaps a squeeze of orange and a frothy mix of something creamy and airy - tonka, white musk, and/or tuberose? 8.5 out of 10 bones

Sinner is one of my favorite scents ever. (and wow the notes are spot on with the vamp venom you described! bet it smelled incredible.) I never found a bpal quite like it, but I did find that if you layer Snake Oil lightly with Chimera - something magical happens! And they are very much in that same intoxicating scent family. Maybe if you can acquire a few imps to test first? I really don't think you'll be disappointed though! I haven't smelled it myself, but based on your description I'd suggest layering Oya and Vixen. Couldn't hurt

Wet: Rose and cool, minty herbs. Playful and smooth Drydown: A soft, tissue-like floral. Fuzzy, powdery rose with a slightly spicy partner, like carnation or geranium. The mint, or possibly lemon balm, comes and goes. There's a waxiness that I think might be coming from chamomile or hyssop. There might be some sage or rosemary too. Overall it smells fresh, soft, and surprisingly slinky. Dry: Creamier and clearer once dry. More energized. It’s pale, soft, creamy, crisp, and herbal, with a dusting of romantic florals at its core. Youthful, but not foolish. It feels like quiet happiness and open possibilities. Unnamed florals and herbs are usually a risk for me, as several of them turn to soap or sharp powder on my skin. But, luckily, everything behaves in this blend! *happy dance* 7.5 out of 10 bones

Wet: Fresh, minty herbs. Crisp. Drydown: Chilly, green, and oh so clean. The crispness of the mint and freshness of the lavender melt together into a clear and piercing psuedo-single note. Not pale, not bright, not dark or soapy, just purely green. Dry: This truly does slip between the cracks...While you’re not looking it pretty much vanishes. What remains is a close-to-the-skin, barely there herbal musk. Deep and woody, with a slight tingle of mint. Still fresh and clean and herbal, but tempered considerably. 7.5 out of 10 bones

Wet: Dark wood sweetened with a touch of booze. Drydown: The spicy-cool sweetness of bay rum comes out, followed by something more cologne-y. After that, the wood/bark settles in as deep and grounding base note. A hint of leather tempers the sweetness of the bay rum. Manly and complex. Dry: Dusty leather with hints of spice and smoke. It’s dark but not heavy. The bay rum isn’t immediately apparent, but it’s in there bringing a sort of buoyancy to the blend. 7.5 out of 10 bones

Wet: Deep and damp. Earthy and slightly sweet, almost like candied vetiver (if such a thing existed). Drydown: Earthy and soft as heady florals begin to bloom. The jasmine hums through the air first, then the gardenia sneaks in behind it, lending a soapy-clean vibe to the green earthiness. Dry: Walking through a damp, unkempt garden, with rogue gentleman at your side. Heady, earthy, clean, dewy, and ever-so-slightly spiced. 7.5 out of 10 bones

Wet: Wet and mossy. Swampy, but fresh. For a second it reminds me of my aunt's backyard - which has a pool, a creek, blossoming bushes, and bamboo. Drydown: Calming blues and greens. The evergreen note is slightly peppery, but the overall vibe is cool and watery. Heady blossoms (jasmine and lotus?), fresh water, moss, and ivy. I can picture bugs flying through the air. This is both calming and very alive. Dry: It sweetens up and skews a tad floral once dry, but overall it remains reliably woodsy and watery without once turning soapy. Hurrah! 7.5 out of 10 bones

Wet: Smoky myrrh and ylang ylang. Robust. Drydown: Primarily myrrh, with the golden-sour twang of ylang ylang just beneath it. It almost smells a bit soapy. As it dries, the ylang ylang amps to high hell and misbehaves to the point of smelling like soap-covered play-doh. Oi. (Note: The soapy-play-doh-wonkiness does not occur during subsequent wearings. This seems to be a first-time only issue.) Dry: Once dry the ylang ylang starts to behave again, thanks to Patchouli stepping in with a grounding effect. The clove isn’t terribly overt, but its deep warmth is present. But, the myrrh remains the star. As the day wears on, I find that this is a very fickle scent, each sniff yields a slightly different result. In lieu of documenting every single twist and turn, I will simply describe it as a wispy myrrh with multiple personality disorder. 7 out of 10 bones

Wet: Smoky, musky, honeyed, and seductive. Drydown: Honey drizzled over spicy musk and slightly sour myrrh. The ylang ylang comes forward and mixes with the honey, resulting in what smells like a very heady honeysuckle note. Slightly powdery and resinous. The mix of headiness, sort-of-sourness, and resinous qualities remind me a lot of poppy. Dry: Once dry, the musk fades substantially, leaving an oddly sour mix of ylang ylang and myrrh. More and more powdery as it continues to dry. Later in the day the powderiness yields, revealing a smooth and smoky floral musk. 5 out of 10 bones

Wet: Wow! That is some truly green oil! It smells of sweet lime and minty pine. Very ecto-cooler-like! Drydown: Sweet pine kissed with zippy lime. Maybe some honey too? As it dries the lime is replaced by something that smells more like lemon balm. Or perhaps it’s a combination of other notes, I’m not really sure. Definitely citrus and something minty, in any case. Happy, fresh, and green. Dry: Faded a bit. Soft pine, lifted by citrus and clouded by something darker...possibly a wood of some sort (balsam or birch or oud?). Still green, but more mysterious now. 8 out of 10 bones

Wet: Clean, fresh, and deep. There’s a sweet floral component that smells a bit like lilac or honeysuckle. Drydown: Dark, woodsy greenery with a bit of earth and the lingering scent of jasmine. There’s a touch of smokiness and dankness in there too. Every so often I catch a whiff of berry-like sweetness. Dry: Nighttime, outdoors, just after a summer rain. 7.5 out of 10 bones

Wet: Sagey goodness with smoky wood notes. Drydown: Sweet and subtle woods peppered with sage and smoke. A glowing, musky note tempers the blend. It becomes more resinous as it dries. There’s something terribly familiar about it...could this be a Night Hag Visiting the Lapland Witches doppleganger!? *runs off and grabs sniffie*...well, okay, perhaps more of a cousin than a twin. Scales is gentler and not as spicy, but there is a familial resemblance. Dry: Earthy, creamy, dry, herbal, and fuzzy. There’s a controlled animalism to it. It reminds me of several of the characters on Being Human. A wild, dangerous creature of the night, pretending to be - attempting to will himself to be - a polite and domesticated human. For now the monster is at bay, but he will always be right there, just under the skin. 8 out of 10 bones

Wet: Dark and foresty with a drop of sweetness. Drydown: Woodsy-fresh with an undercurrent of tangy-sweet berries (raspberries?). Cool and misty green notes, along the lines of juniper and eucalyptus, over darker woods. If this scent had a color, it would a dark teal. Dry: Deeper and more atmospheric as it dries. A soft smoke has taken the place of the berry note and the overall scent has become fuzzy. Fuzzy sweet woods. 7 out of 10 bones

Wet: Equal parts lavender and jasmine, with just a touch of sweetness from the honeysuckle. Sleepy and purple-hued. Drydown: As it dries the the jasmine takes over and it gradually becomes soapy. Dry: Sleepy soap. 6.5 out of 10 bones

Wet: Smoky myrrh brightened by something of a greener persuasion. Resinous and masculine, but slightly sweet. Drydown: This is a very ominous scent. It’s woodsy, but somehow smells unnatural. The myrrh is prominent, but it seems unstable. Dry: Hmm. So something about this smells sort of evil. It doesn’t smell bad, just kind of unsettling. Which, I suppose, is exactly the point! Final Thoughts: Despite being full of “win” notes, I can’t really describe it as wearable. BUT, if I were playing an evil character or in a particularly dark mood, this is the blend I would reach for. 7 out of 10 bones

Wet: Deliciously spiced. Soft and slightly sweet. Drydown: If root beer came in a powdered form, it would smell something like this. Not as good as this, but similar. Like the astronaut ice cream version of a root beer float, plus some sandalwood incense. It’s very smooth and definitely dry, but sweet and spicy too. There’s a slight creaminess that reminds me of tonka, or possibly benzoin. Dry: Exotic, enticing, and sophisticated. The balance between the resins, the spice, the carnation, and musk is simply perfection. I could wear this anywhere. 8.5 out of 10 bones

Wet: Charred stuff and soot warmed by enticing clove. Drydown: Paler now, more like a spicy cologne. The black musk adds a pleasant glow and a whisper of sweetness. A bit of labdanum smolders in the background. Dry: Why, there’s the copper. For a metallic it’s rather warm and a touch sweet. Whoever said rusty had it right. The clove sings in this blend, supported by a complex mix of smoky elements. Darkly spicy, distinctly sooty, and glowing with the sheen of copper. This is a very literal scent, but it's surprisingly wearable! 8 out of 10 bones