joyfulgirl

another vote for rogue. it's my go-to unisex scent, and my ex loves it so much he has his own bottle. maybe leather phoenix as well - IF you can find the leather-y version: matcha tea, wild frankincense, champaca, petitgrain, star anise, aged oudh, rose taifi, narcissus, Himalayan cedar, 11-year aged patchouli, and black leather accord. it's got some notes that sound floral, but in execution the versions i have smelled are very complex, sophisticated and decidedly unisex, leaning masculine, i'd say.

a sudden invitation (from last year's lupers) is light and spring-y on me - that said, i usually wear heavy, dark, musky or foody scents. the mint keeps things nice and light...however, it also has fantastic staying power - i can still smell it in my hair from yesterday.

i totally agree with you. the lab was willing to refund my bottles of hesiod's (i tearfully had to accept that they didn't have any more laying around) - but that doesn't change the swap scenario, especially if someone swaps or sells something to you without realizing the extent of the variation. it's a pretty serious risk - and i'm NOT a gambler...so i'm not sure where this leaves me for future purchases.

that's kind of where i'm at. after i was heartbroken by the bottles of hesiod's phoenix (which smelled nothing like my decants), i went online and found a bunch of scents with the same notes from different companies and bought a whole bunch of different things - i even purchased small sizes of single notes from some places that do that so i can fiddle around myself with blending. i love BPAL and the forums and i hate to even LOOK anywhere else, but i so badly want just 5 freaking ml of something that smells like that decant. for what it's worth, i found a very similar scent and am very happy with it. i'm just bummed that it's not bpal.

holy moly, has anyone tested a new (like recieved within the last week) bottle of hesiods phoenix?? I had a decant that I was obsessed with...it was perfect. so I ordered 3 bottles, which arrived on Friday. I let them rest a day then opened one up - I was heartbroken. instead of the sexy warm sweetness I got from my decant, the bottles (all three) smelled like sour chemicals and alcohol. it's not even recognizable as the same scent to me. I am so sad...I've had batch variations before but nothing to this degree. it doesn't even smell like a bpal - it smells *bad* - like spoiled. this was supposed to be my new HG. eta: i decanted one of the bottles into vials to do some further investigation - the oil is the same color as what's in my decant, but the oil from the bottles is cloudy and full of a really fine sediment. and when i smell them side-by-side, it's like they're not even remotely related. it's almost like one of the components in the bottles went totally bad. ugh.

wow, i'm reviewing this because i finally got my bottles. i initially had a decant from FragranceLush and i BLAZED through it - it was so amazing and gorgeous and perfect for everyday but still sexy...all the notes played together perfectly and it lasted forever. i figured it was my new HG scent. so i ordered three bottles and let them rest overnight. none of them smell anything like the description or the decant that i have. they smell like alcohol and chemicals. i put some on thinking that maybe it would blossom on my skin...no. nothing. just powder and chemicals. i'm so sad. smelling the bottles next to the decant - they smell NOTHING alike. i'll give them a week to calm down from their traveling and see if they open up at all...maybe open one up to let it "age" a bit (i've had ok luck doing that with snake oil and cleric). but overall, i am pretty shocked - i've never smelled batch variation to this degree. eta: i decanted one of my bottles into vials and compared them side-by-side with my original decant. the oil from the bottles is a similar color, but clouded and heavy with sediment. i did another skin test and the chemical powder smell persists. i am absolutely heartbroken. testing the bottle oil and decant oil side-by-side on my skin is just depressing. what happened to that beautiful scent from my decant that everyone is talking about above?

thieves rosin and vial of holy water from the RPG line could be fun too! and maybe mage and good/evil from the RPG line too?

i love this! it took me a minute to put my finger on it, but to me it smells like green tree viper minus the snake oil! nice cool, creamy mint! i may end up with a bottle.

iirc, the green is the original and the darker one is res.

like poenari, this is breaking my heart. it smells like super-sharp, super-masculine patchouli (i am usually a patchouli LOVER but this smells like hippies and BO to me) and LEMON. not sugary lemon, just straight citrusy lemon juice. of note: it is shark week for me, so i will try this again early next week and see what happens. i am HOPING my nose chemistry is just a little off due to hormones.

yep, the soldier was on my list to recommend as well! http://www.bpal.org/topic/71142-the-soldier/ it is soooo goood.

the frankincense is very strong in this, and i agree with all the other reviews that this is not a foody vanilla in the least. very earthy, woody, resinous vanilla. when i first tested it last night it was super sharp on me and i thought i didn't like it, but something this morning caused me to pull out my imp and try again, and i'm glad i did. it's absolutely lovely on me...after about 15 minutes the sharpness dries out and it's a spicy, sophisticated, close-to-the-skin scent. the frankincense smells similar (to my nose) to the one in cleric, which is one of my favorites and absolutely lovely. this scent is totally appropriate for work or any other setting where you don't want to be over the top sexy but you still want to smell gorgeous. as i mentioned, it does stay close to the skin, so i've put some in my hair and the back of my wrists so i can sniff it at will. i really do like this a bunch, i'll be buying several bottles.

burning book single note (to me) is some of this scent - but that one may be hard to track down. witch dance, from last years halloweenies, may be right up your alley: you could layer that with something earthy, maybe one of the recent patchouli single notes, to get what you're looking for. you're really asking at a perfect time...the 2013 weenies should hit any day now, and there are generally some scents in the weenies (that sounds dirty?) with bonfire/wood smoke notes. and they are lovely!

hey peeps! i'm leaving for burning man tomorrow (if you don't know what burning man is, see here). i put dreads in my hair for this event (see my avatar...this year they're white though!) and i generally dress like a crazy person all week - hippie, steampunk, thrift shop chic...in a good, fun kinda way. so i've got my attire handled. but..what BPAL to wear? last year i wore Eat Me almost exclusively, so i'm honestly a little burnt out on it. i don't know why i wore it so much, i was able to bring almost my whole box of oils (i drove) but this year i'm flying, so i'm limiting myself to 4 bottles. here's what i have: a sudden invitation ambergris black lace boomslang burning book cleric coiled serpent death adder humpback whale dolly kei east african black patchouli eat me elf green tree viper leather phoenix luna negra mme moriarty masabakes mb: closet mourning lace nocnitsa the other hot chocolate pteropus leucopterus raven moon snake oil snow glass apples snow glass apples v4 snowglobe TKO velvet i think my top 4 candidates for now are snake oil, TKO, elf and dolly kei right now. they kind of cover the whole spectrum of what i *might* want to wear out there, but i'm also debating whether i want to bring something foody like mb: closet, eat me, other hot chocolate, etc. what if i crave something darker, like raven moon? or sexy and sophisticated, like black lace?? any suggestions?? also: anyone else going to burning man? i'll be at 3:15 and H if anyone wants to stop by!

back from the desert! i brought snake oil, TKO, elf and east african black patchouli. i wore elf the first few days, then snake oil, then EABP, then snake oil again the last few days. i didn't touch the TKO, but i wasn't sad i brought it. it was an interesting year. it was my first and only sober year out of the four times i've been, so that was...different. it was fun though. i went out and explored the deep playa more than i ever had in the past, so that was great. anyway, thanks to everyone for the recommendations and well-wishes!

xanon, luna negra was my holy grail for a long time...i wore it exclusively at a regional burn a few years ago. you're right...it's absolutely luscious and plays in well to the "tribal" vibe of burn events...i totally agree! and jasmin, YES...raven moon is uhhhh-mazing! i usually wear it in the winter cause it's dark and heavy and fall-feeling to me...but BM is kind of an in-between for summer to fall, so i could see it working! man...now i'm wondering if i should bring 5 or 6 bottles instead. i decided last night to check my bag...so it's all fair game now! especially since i have backups of LN and RM, i would definitely feel comfortable packing some partials of those. cause really, it's all about self-expression...i wouldn't limit myself to 4 outfits, so why limit myself to 4 scents?? buxomm!!! witchy witch...love you, chicky! hope you're having a fab summer!

nope, bringing bottles. last year i brought most of my collection and it weathered the experience fine - i kept everything in a box in my shade structure, which was warm but not *hot* during the day. yeah, that was my thinking about TKO as well. i love it for falling asleep at home, and even though i'll be out in the suburbs of the city, a little assistance surely won't *hurt*! i'm thinking you're right about the patchouli...i love it so much. maybe one of my (several) bottles of black patchouli SN. so that would bump either elf or dolly kei out of my bag. probably dolly kei, since it's heavier and sweeter...elf is nice and light and i can see wanting to wear that for sure. HMMMM, decisions, decisions. when did you last go? i discovered it in 2003 and wanted to go for 7 years before i finally made it in 2010. this will be my 4th year - i'm ready to get back!

to me, this is a dead-ringer for the chocolate in velvet, minus the sandalwood and myrrh. this is just a super-smooth, super creamy, sweet, rich chocolate. i'm not wearing it much in august, but i definitely anticipate that once cooler weather rolls around, i'll be reaching for this seriously comforting chocolate scent on a regular basis. super glad i snagged a bottle!

i agree with fuhrankie on humpback whale and a sudden invitation. both are lovely and warmed by various things (ambergris in HW and sandalwood in ASI). i would also recommend green tree viper. it's a snake-oil-y mint, which is absolutely delicious. as far as pure mint scents, i can't speak to any of the lick it scents from experience, but i know they're wildly popular...you might give one a shot!

absolutely amazing! generally speaking, my boyfriend is "tolerant" of my BPAL addiction. he thinks it's a little weird but he's generally happy to let me do my thing and stays out of my way. then i used TKO massage oil on him. the dude cannot stop raving about how amazing it is. i am not a professional masseuse or anything like it, but i gave him a good shoulder and back rub with it - i was pleasantly surprised by how well it spreads out and is absorbed, but still gives plenty of glide...all without leaving a big greasy mess. boyfriend kept mumbling about how good it smelled, right up until he started snoring. he asked me to leave it at his house, supposedly so i can use it again, but i have a sneaking suspicion he's using it on himself. we have a winner.

gah, i had such high hopes for this one! in the bottle it's all herbs and resin. not getting any snake oil. on my skin, it becomes bubble gum. like almost single-note bubble gum. boo. off to swaps, i suppose. sadness.

not sure how i haven't reviewed this one. cleric is in my top 10. it's the very first bpal i ever tried and it's still on my list of most-beloved. and what's more: it's just gotten better with age. in my bottle from 2011 (aged almost 2 years), it's a dark, sweet swirl of incense, rose and woods. i never got overly floral notes from this, which is one reason i always loved it. once it hits my skin, it opens up and the rose amber and frankincense really take center stage. the myrrh is there, but it's not super powdery (i've noticed that the powdery tendency has declined as it's aged). except for the rose (which i love in this blend), the floral notes really don't come forward at all...they're just kind of a nice, fresh, slightly sweet backdrop. as for the rose, it's not the fresh, dewy rose that kind of drives me nuts (although that is very pretty, it's not for me). this is almost a rosewood-y type rose. it's lovely and it feels somehow antiqued and aged even in a brand new bottle. this is one of my go-to scents when i want to feel confident, focused and present. it's got good staying power on me (especially in my hair) and will last a whole day without reapplication - though that doesn't stop me from keeping a little rollerball of it in my desk. it's gorgeous without being super sexy, so it's a great blend for work. anyway, i'll quit gushing now, but i'll say this: even if you're not a huge rose fan, give this one a try. if you love incense, give this one a try. if you love sweet woods, give this one a try. basically, just try it!

unfortunately, i had a really great excuse to try this out today. i got a nice little headcold just in time for warm summer weather. i'd had this sitting in my imps box for a while and had sniffed it, but who needs a menthol blend when they're not sick? anyway, i can DEFINITELY smell this through all my congestion. it's a bright, sharp, menthol scent that pierces through all the *stuff* in my nose and head and makes my brain feel awake and alert. i'd been sniffing it out of the imp, but i decided to put a little bit under my nose. that burned my skin, as expected, but i decided it was worth it. it's definitely helping with my alertness level, which is appreciated as i'm stuck at work. i definitely FEEL like i can breathe easier, but i don't know how much of that is just the cooling sensation of the menthol. either way, i'm appreciative. i agree with spiralmissy that there is a sweet edge to this that is completely absent in vick's and that whole category of medicine. it makes the whole experience much more tolerable. also: i'm wearing velvet today as my "normal" scent, and i have to say, the menthol sets it off quite nicely. i'm surprisingly impressed by the combination.

this may be a TMI thing, but a lot of women have noted that they are particularly sensitive either around their period or while ovulating. if you are in or near either one of those cycles, that may be messing with your nose. also, spiralmissy is correct. if you really can't stand ANY of the scents you got, you should be able to easily swap or sell them on the forums here. i've got my fingers crossed for you! edited to add: i LOVE the smell of plum, but in large quantities it gives me a horrible migraine-y headache, complete with nausea. i can wear it, but only in tiny, tiny amounts. it could absolutely be that there is a note in common with all those scents that's causing a reaction for you. almost all of the blends you mentioned have vanilla and/or musk in them...so...hmmm!!! maybe vanillas and musks are a problem for you!

dayum. so i was kind of iffy on this. i LOVE patchouli and i LOVE leather and i'm pretty good with almond. i'm 50/50 on oaks though and bourbon vanilla has a bad tendency to go plastic on me. but someone at C2E2 MnS had a bottle of this that i got to sniff. and people. it was so delicious. i got online right then and there and ordered a bottle on my iphone. yeah. so, let's see. in the bottle: LEATHER. ALMOND. like zeb said: MARZIPAN COVERED LEATHER WHIP SMACKING YOU IN THE FACE!! ZOMG! what the hell have i gotten myself into? wet on my skin: wow, lots of leather. pretty much all soft, brown leather. this, to me, is very similar to the leather in Rogue. which is a Good Thing. drying down: the leather now has a delicious, dirty undercurrent of really amazing, really black patchouli. VERY BLACK. like the patchouli in #ows. Banshee Beat, it ain't, but there is a hint of sweetness there (which i'm attributing to the vanilla and almond) that calls BB to mind. but that is really the only role of the vanilla and almond here, at least on my skin. i can't pick out either one as an individual note...just a slight sweet edge to an otherwise very dark patchouli. i don't get any oak at all, which is a-ok with me. the leather also appears to have the incredible throw and staying power of Rogue (which I can smell for 3 days after wearing it). again: a Good Thing in my book. an interesting thing: for the first hour i was wearing this, it smelled very different on different parts of my body. on my palms, fingertips and the inside of my wrists, i got leather. on the outside of my wrists and back of my hand, i got almost all patchouli. in my hair, i got a slightly sweet mixture of the two. bottom line: this is delicious. it's like #ows, Banshee Beat and Rogue had a hot, kinky threesome and produced this delicious little love child. the patchouli is absolutely gorgeous, the leather is soft and comforting and the other notes round everything out very nicely. another amazingly beautiful blend...i'm so glad i got a bottle and anticipate more in my future.