smallvoice

I wish I could remember who sent included this as a frimp in a recent swap, because Katharina is so very wonderful.

 

I had my doubts, I must admit. In the imp it smells sharp, and almost candy-ish. I was apprehensive about it being like Grand Guignol, which also has apricot in it. I applied it, and wasn't too impressed. Then I sniffed at my hand again, and... woah. I love this.

 

It allowed me to identify white musk as a note that I adore, as well, which was exciting.

 

I can't stop sniffing myself when I'm wearing this. The awesome thing? It lasts forever! I can't express how delightful this is. It's light and fruity and just... perfect. It knocked Whitechapel out of my number one favourite slot.

 

If you're considering trying this; do! It is gorgeous. It's also convinced me that I need to try many more Illyria scents.

Tested thanks to the general catalog swap quikslvr arranged!

 

From start to finish, this is Irish Spring soap on me. Once it begins to fade down some, it's nicer than the IN YOUR FACE BIOTCH! of the soapiness, but this one is being happily scrubbed off as soon as I submit this. Even the white musk didn't even this out on me.

Deep mahogany and rich, velvety woods lacquered with sweet, black-red cherries and currant.

 

Tested thanks to the GC swap quikslvr arranged! (Retested thanks to a frimp of this in a recent swap!)

 

Imp: Very cherry and a little chocolatey. That's a good start. On: Bright, sugary cherry cordials! Or so my notes say, anyhow. It's listed as a must have scent, but that is not so this time around. I don't know if this is due to my hormones or what, but when I tried it today, it turned to ash. Well, not quite ash. It's the same sawdusty scent I always get from sandalwood. There was a faint breath of cherry, but it was overpoweringly musty. I'm glad I have an imp of this to play around with a little bit.

I bought this so I could anoint a professor's monkey god shrine with it... uh, and it's not as wierd as it sounds. But I still haven't done it. This scent sort of got lost in the shuffle of madness that was my life for most of Spring.

 

Something about it is reminding me a little bit of Shub, without the sweetness. I only did a little patch test, because musks react badly on my skin, sometimes, but this is very woodsy and well behaved. There's also a hint of spice, which I love. I think I may need to get bold and wear it out, though I may wait for late fall. It's that kind of scent. I don't get civet, so it must be behaving as well. I like this one, but I don't love it. I will be keeping it for the name, the novelty, and the shrine.

Tested thanks to the GC swap quikslvr arranged!

 

My notes on this are limited, so I really need to find another imp to test it more completely, but here's my take on what I remember and what the notes in it are. Here's the thing: Sandalwood and carnation shouldn't work on me. Morocco is gorgeous straight on, but then it goes powdery- I attribute that to the sandalwood. I love the spiciness of this one, and wish it would last longer.

 

I'm definitely going to need an imp of this.

Tested thanks to the GC swap quikslvr arranged!

 

O was on my original wish list of scents when I first discovered BPAL. It was worth the wait. From bottle to skin, this is absolute sex in liquid form. It is musky and sweet and has a hint of innocence defiled... or maybe it's just my view of the scent. It is also very potent on my skin. My skin amps everything good about O, and it's almost overwhelming. I'm with the rave reviewers on this one. It did not disappoint on me. I'm on the lookout for another imp before I decide to buy a bottle.

Tested thanks to the GC swap quikslvr arranged!

 

Wicked does not strike me as particularly wicked in the imp, per se. It doesn't change my mind once it's on my skin, either. This has a gorgeous rose in it, and even though it's a little too floral for my taste, I'm really glad I was able to test it. I'm wondering if I'm not keen on myrrh- I'll have to watch for that note. I don't seem to be allergic to anything, it's just too floral for me. Really well blended, though.

Tested thanks to the GC swap quikslvr arranged!

 

I can smell the honey and spices in the imp. On my skin, the honey is well-behaved and lovely. The clove is hanging out, too, and it's this pretty, sweet scent. I'm not smelling any fig, and that's sad. I was hoping for a stronger fig. Then, out tromps the patchouli, and it hates my skin. Everything goes horribly wrong and it never mellows out, it's just awful and bitter and unpleasant. Woah. My skin amped the hell out of that patchouli, and in an oh-so-wrong way. Sad!

Tested thanks to the GC swap quikslvr arranged!

 

In the imp, Khephra was a soft, soothing floral. Immediately upon boarding my skin, it turned really sour. Eventually it mellows into a woodsy scent that just isn't doing anything for me at all. The sour undertone is there and... yeah, I don't know. It just isn't working for me. I wish I knew the notes in this. It's very evocative, and I can see it being extremely lovely on the right person.

Tested thanks to the GC swap quikslvr arranged!

 

In the imp, Coyote is masculine, green and fresh. On my skin, it's suddenly really floral. Uh, what? Where's all this coming from? There's a hint of spice and it's verging on masculine, but the intensity of the floral just sort of chokes everything else out. Is there rose in this? I think I'm allergic to one of the flowers, and rose is the most likely suspect. Oddly enough, I think I need a retest on this one. I'll be on the lookout for an imp.

Tested thanks to the GC swap quikslvr arranged!

 

In the imp, this is woods and... more woods. No sweetness. On my skin it becomes a fresh pine scent that I associate with men's fragrances, rather than cleaning solution. It's got a really rich wood note behind the freshness of the pine needles that's just gorgeous. It is decidedly masculine on me. It's more complex than it sounds from this description, but I don't know how else to describe it. It has a sort of energizing effect on me- really nice and fresh. The drydown is a dull, musty scent that most woods tend to take on after a while on my skin. Then it just sort of turns powdery and fades away. Not my cup of tea. I wish I'd gotten some of the sweetness.

Tested thanks to the GC swap quikslvr arranged!

 

This reads as a very warm scent to my nose. I love the warmth. It's pretty without being floral, and I'm loving the opium. The musk isn't overbearing or causing any allergy issues, and it's just a lovely blend overall. I need to try this again- I'll be on the lookout for an imp.

Tested thanks to the GC swap quikslvr arranged!

 

In the imp Danse Macabre has this rush of a sinus clearing woodsy scent. It's not minty in the least. Huh. On my skin it's more of the same, and it's all sort of generic. Something in it is giving me a slight headache. It's pretty, but not for me.

Tested thanks to the GC swap quikslvr arranged!

 

In the imp, Villain is soapy and fresh. On my skin... uh, so... it's distinctly a bathroom cleaner. As it has a chance to drydown, the florals sort of detangle themselves and smooth out, but it's still really complex and has this almost metallic note to it. It's a lot softer than I would've expected, and I really like it. Is there lemon in this? I'm getting some citrus. This is really pretty!

 

EDIT: 1/26/08: Dunno if my nose has changed or my chemistry, but it doesn't smell like this to me anymore. Let's do a new review!

 

It's got lilac, lime and a fougure(sp?) in it, all of which are elements of my beloved Whitechapel, but this is not Whitechapel 2.0- they're in the same family, appropriately enough. I seem to be allergic to BPAL's lavender note in most scents, but this one doesn't bother me. It really is smooth, and I can kind of see where I got the metallic note from, but it's not in any way distinctly metallic. I love citrus, especially when it's not sharp, and this is all win. It smells, to me, like what my ideal villian would wear. By ideal, I mean my favourite to read about/watch in movies. The most chilling of all- sociopaths. There is something sexy about someone who knows how to manipulate all situations and will go to any lengths to get what he/she wants. Sexy in a scary, please-don't-ever-come-near-me-again sort of way, but still sexy. Does that make any sense? It doesn't smell raunchy or rough, like the villian archtype. It is subtle and intoxicating and deceptive.

O is very, very sexy. You should definitely try it. You also might want to try Delphi. The honey was fairly prominent on me, though it might not be exactly what you're looking for. Hetairae is the only other honey scent I can think of that I've tried, but it has patchouli in it.

I found Dublin to be really clean and fresh. Numb (a limited edition) is violet-y fresh, if you like that. It didn't work out for me. If you're interested in minty and Envy sounds too sharp, I'd suggest trying your luck with Hamadryad (some people get mint; some get cinnamon... ) and a fresh imp of Shattered (mint and grapefruit! It's really pretty.) I'd also add Katharina- fresh and fruity. If you're interested in tea scents, I'd suggest Dorian, Alice, White Rabbit and Embalming Fluid. I can't get by without recommending Alice, lately. Heh. The rose is just SO pretty and light. (I am not into florals, generally speaking.) Hungry Ghost Moon is a limited edition and it is very light and lovely, to my nose.

I know a lot of people like to layer scents, if they find the right notes seperately. But I do think you'll love Snake Oil.

I'm a bit surprised that no-one has yet suggested Whitechapel for lilac.

 

 

The only reason I didn't suggest it is that I always think of it as being very light, but it does tend to last and last. So, yes! If you have any inclination at all towards Whitechapel, please do try it. Much love for that one.

When I first found BPAL and was going through the mass of scents to see what I wanted on my wishlist, I found the description for Shattered, and was so very sad when I discovered that it was discontinued. All the notes sounded so gorgeous and the premise of the scent itself... pretty much stunning.

 

By the time the grapefruit scents were re-released, I was eager to try Shattered still, but I'd found so many others that kept popping up, demanding to be sniffed. I was recently, twice in rapid succession, frimp'ed Shattered, to my great joy!

 

Here's the breakdown: I love this scent. It is everything I hoped it would be, and more. The mint is lovely and chilling- definitely the dominant note for me- the aquatics are very... um, like crystal clear water (I found Sea of Glass to be really floral, so this was a relief- this is the aquatic scent I was hoping for with Sea of Glass), and everything else comes together beautifully. I love that the champagne note is so true- it's not boozy at all.

 

This was not the case with the first imp of Shattered. There was something sort of... sour, maybe? I'm wondering if it's an old one, rather than a recent one. I further think that mint may not age as well as some ingredients do, which makes me want to give Envy another try.

 

So, yeah. Much love for Shattered! When I do get around to getting a bottle (which may not be until next Spring, at this rate!) I'll have to be sure and use it up. I don't think that'll be a problem!

Hee. I love how everyone talks about the "bubble-gum problem" with lotus, like it's a horrible curse (Which I'm sure it is, for some people). That is part of why I seek lotus blends out, to be honest. I was thrilled when I heard this one might have that sweetness. The rose otto and pine worried me, but I really wanted to try this one. I was lucky enough to land a bottle in a swap- and boy was I lucky! The label is so, so pretty. Bright and happy and perfect for the scent that emerges, somehow.

I don't smell bubble-gum/sweet lotus; not even in the bottle. I can smell the pine right away, but the notes in this just... wow. They meld together to form this Axis of Awesomeness- the pine adds depth and spice to the brilliant golden scent the rest of the notes form. Seriously, I know I'm not usually really good at reviews, and this one is sub-par, but I really can't even explain how lovely this smells. I am SO grateful to have this blend. It is soothing and uplifting.

Words cannot express how much I love this scent. It is spicy and almost resinous; full of deep cocoa and and earthy fig (I'm assuming). It warms beautifully on my skin, and I'm not getting a lemon drop scent at all. I'm also not getting any Gingerbread Poppet vibes, which is a Very Good Thing. There's something really primal about this scent. It's gorgeous, and it mellows out to a lovely skin scent. Much love!

Dragon's Eye is a fantastic lilac blend, and the Dragon's Blood adds a lot of depth, so it's yummy. If you're keen on dragon's blood, I would also suggest Dragon's Milk.

 

Eos smelled of lilacs to me, though they're not listed in the notes. It's this delicate floral that tended to last forever on me.

 

I'll second both Snake Oil and, of course, Dorian. I'll toss in Alice, just because I love it so much. It might not be strong enough, though.

 

If you're into sweet, the Red Queen smells just like cherry cordials.

 

If I'm remembering it right, I think Cairo had a sort of resinous/honey scent that I really liked. Resins tend to be pretty smell-able.

 

For a girly candyish scent, I must, must, MUST recommend Jailbait. Jailbait was my first love, and it smells exactly like bubble gum in the imp/bottle. It makes me happier just to sniff it some days.

 

Try everything! BPAL is surprising.

In addition, I'd suggest Scherezade, Hell's Belle, Malediction, Silk Road, Hamadryad, The Crossroads and maybe the Lampades (which I've never tried).

Anu suggestions for something that smells like snake oil - the patchuli? Im going for something exotic and spicy smelling, with some vanilla..but noooo patchuli.

TIA

 

Scherezade, perhaps? I seem to recall that it was similar to Snake Oil. O is a lovely, soft vanilla- fairly sweet, though. Maybe Dragon's Milk layered with Scherezade would be a good alternative? I'm not sure! Just thought I'd chime in.

Eos was a very sweet floral on me. I found the florals in Sea of Glass to be nearly suffocating. Huh. I tend to shy away from florals, so I don't have many suggestions that don't involve another major component. I'd strongly recommend Eos and Moon Rose.