Luthien

AEris- Here are the ones I have: Bastet (Initially smelled good, but turned a bit too sweet for my tastes. This is probably one of the ones I might consider trying again. It was a little too, honey/golden for my tastes, maybe too foody?) Morocco ( Red musk seemed to overwhelm here... but, this really just smelled hugely floral, but not in a way I enjoy. The red musk and carnation seemed to be wrestling for dominance) Dorian ( I actually like Dorian, but it is not very me. I like smelling it, but I don't want to smell like it, if that makes sense. Again, it is too sweet, but I LOVE the fougere and musk in this...very sexy!) Snake Oil (Smelled really yucky on me. Sickly, almost... and a bit like cheap/stale incense. It is not something I can readily describe, but it also smelled like cough syrup over patchouli, not really letting up. I got very little, if any, vanilla from this) Le Lethe (This would have been good, but the tobacco was too strong for my tastes. My Mom smelled it and noted it smelled like someone spilled a bottle of rum on me, hah. It made me nauseous after a while) Lyonesse (Weird... smelled exactly like dryer sheets on me initially, but after a while settled into faint vanilla-y, ambergris that was lovely) The Rose (My favorite, a true, fresh rose that stayed lovely on me) Obatala (Quite pleasant, a little sharp and/or powdery/milk-y that gives me pause... perhaps this will age well and that slight disturbance will subside and become more rounded?) Xiuhtecuhtli (The copal was quite dominant, I got very little orange that is so present in the imp. It was too bitter for most of the time, but after sleeping in it over night, upon waking it was quite pleasant, but very faint) Dee (for someone else so I didn't try it) Anne Bonny (Loved the resinous depth here... initially it actually smelled light and fresh on me, I didn't get much patchouli, but it was mostly sandalwood (love) and then a lovely veil of frackincense. Sadly, a pine-y note came out in this that overwhelmed and killed it for me) The Antikythera Mechanism ( ditto, for someone else... smelled terrible on me though!!) My frimps were: Vice (didn't like it, smelled like chocolate covered cherries mostly, too foody) R'lyeh (didn't try it yet) The Scales of Deprivation (ditto) Opium Poppy (ditto) flyby- Most suspicions exactly!! I really the problem with some of these is the vanilla other herbal-y, patchouli notes. The way you describe your experience with Snake Oil is exactly how I would say it smelled on me! And I agree, Obatala is not foody smelling, which is why I think it works. London- thank you SO much for the recommendations! I adore Rose, it is my favorite floral note. Numanoid- No!!! I did not just have a baby, and hope I'm not pregnant... those these sensitivities give me pause!! Hahaha... But, I will keep that in mind in the future. Musk Witch- I know what you mean by feeling "gluck", but it somehow smells nice at the same time... very perplexing! Xanon- I wouldn't quite say I'm "afraid" of being out of my comfort zone, but I'm not even sure where to start! I am very opened minded about trying new scents, but I need at at least a note or two I can be assured might work. Well, I suppose I will need to plunge head long into completely uncharted territory with some to see if I find something unexpected! To everyone else: Thank you SO much for all of your thoughtful replies. I feel a bit better that I didn't waste my money, but I'd like to see it as an initial investment that will allow me to at least get some swapping going... This is overwhelming, but I feel hopeful that since all of y'all have found your loves, I might too!

joyfulgirl- Not TMI, actually, quite interesting! I think you might be right about that. I will be ovulating in the coming week, and now that I think about it it seems around that time all smells go "straight up my nose" so to speak... and I am suspecting vanilla and musk, now. ReallyZeb- I think I dab a little too much on myself... at first I felt like I couldn't smell the oil, but someone told me they could smell it on me when I walked in the room. I was standing several feet away as well, which is odd! I wonder why I can't smell it at the same level that those around me do. skyshark- Some I loved before branching out to BPAL were: My first love in perfume was Issey Miyake's L'eau D'Issey with notes of... Lotus, Freesia, Cyclamen, Rose Water, Fresh Peonies, Carnation, White Lilies, Precious Woods, Osmanthus, Tuberose, Amberseed, Musk. I think Issey is usually called an aquatic, though it is described as a "pure floral with musky and woody tones" That sounds a bit generic, but it is a special scent. It is very light, clear and fresh, with a depth to it... Kind of like the green/musk kind of depth in Dorian. Light, but complex, begging one to come closer. For a time I also loved 24 Faubourg by Hermes... Bergamot, Orange, Peach, Hyacinth, Tiare Flower, Orange Flower, Jasmine, Orris, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Amber, and Vanilla This is definitely the most perfume-y of the lot, sometimes it is too much for me... but, what I like about it is the subtely smoky, deep and resinous dry drown...it is kind of high-pitched, but deep at the same time. Stella... Rose, Peony Flower, Mandarin, Rose Absolute, Amber. (Very amber-y and deep) Versace Bright Crystal... Iced Accord, Yuzu, Pomegranate, Peony, Magnolia, Lotus Flower, Acajou, Vegetal Amber, Musk. That on is another very light kind of icy or watery fragrance like Issey, but with a "light" depth as I mentioned before. Chloe Love... Orange Blossom, Pink Pepper, Iris, Lilac, Hyacinth, Wisteria Blossom, Powdery Musks, Talc, Rice Powder. Another "sheer" floral with a hidden depth. Lasty, Hermes, Un Jardin En Mediterranee... Mandarin Orange, Bergamot, Lemon, Fig woods and Leaves, Orange Blossom, White Oleander, Cedar, Cypress, Juniper and Musk. This is also another green/cool aquatic with something interesting/unusual beneath the surface and can be defined as unisex by some. Oh, there is also a shampoo/conditioner I had that was Vanilla and Rice Milk that smelled divine. I would LOVE to find scents with rice milk in it. Thinking about it now, I definitely prefer scents that have an ice-y or watery feel to them. Scents that are sheer initially, but have a hint of something more animalistic and deep underneath it all. I think of it kind of like an afterthought when you've smelled the main notes in the perfume, lingering in the background, but persistent. I like the idea of Dorian, structurally, I just wish it were a lot less sweet/a bit deeper.

I'm quite confused. I was so excited to receive my first order (two imp packs) of BPAL scents. I had 12 scents I bought and received 4 frimps as well. I included in my first order what I could surmise were some of the most popular scents, like Morocco, Dorian, Lyonesse, Snake Oil... and they among the others did not work on me at all. All seemed to have some funky note in it that just did not smell good on me, and it was not at all what I imagined my first experience with BPAL to be like. I was expected to be transported by scent (which I love), but have now been wondering there is something wrong with my skin/nose? I am so bummed! I have never experienced this with regular perfumes before. (I have also never used perfume oils before) Not only do I feel like I lost a bit of money there, I feel frustrated that not even one worked out, and on top of that some even made me quite sick feeling/nauseous (Snake Oil in particular). The only scent that really did not do this to me, and I enjoyed very much, is The Rose, which is essentially a single note. I love it. I also had Obatala, and I found that to be mostly tolerable and mild. I didn't put much on, though... so, I'm not entirely sure about it. I also purchased (on a whim because I adore all things autumnal) Samhain 2008 on Ebay and initially I really like it, after a few hours it also became unbearable to my nose, and I couldn't tolerate it anymore. Actually, I'm wearing it right now and my stomach has been upset for a few hours. I'm wondering, perhaps, if it is the foody/sweet notes or something that are making me feel sick? It seems like most of the scents I picked had a vanilla or food-y note somewhere. Perusing some reviews, it seems fairly common for people to say that certain scents, or just specific notes, make you feel nauseous or just bother you/ are too cloying. How common is that? Are there some people out there who have a lot of difficulty finding something that smells good to them? It seems there is a stark polarity in reception with many oils. Some people report their favorite oils being even more than perfume, their experiences are so evocative... while others can say about the same thing that it is vile to them. I'm just wondering what to do, because at this point I feel like I just flushed almost 70 bucks down the toilet!!

This is a review for Samhain 2008 (aged over 4 years now). I managed to score a bottle of this un-sniffed because I am obsessed with the feel autumn and Halloween. I am a newbie to BPAL, and this is my first, true love from all of the imps/scents I have tried so far (about 16 or 17 now) This scent does a lot of morphing on me... In the imp: I'm mostly getting a fir/ dry damp leaves smell with a hint of patchouli underneath, intriguing! Wet: The fir smell only lingers for little, but it immediately starts morphing into something a bit sweeter, kind of reminds me of mulled wine a bit, but more earthy while the most yummy patchouli I have ever smelled. It even smells a bit fresh, too... Like walking in an autumnal forest after a rain... Drying down (maybe 20- 30 minutes in): Spicy apple pie! Drying down further (45-hour and beyond): Stays warm and toasty, mellowing a little... the apple pie has disappeared leaving behind a drier, but still sweet scent of dry leaves and autumnal spices warmed by the hearth I am in love... I know this would be SO much more amazing in autumn itself, but I can't wait to wear it til then! I suspect I will wear it a lot all year long... UPDATE: after a few more hours this scent REALLY made me nauseous. I am afraid I will have to give it away... Back to the drawing board...

Sigh... I tried a fresh imp of this ... and it just does NOT work on my skin. I am disappointed. I was expecting to feel induced into a seductive rampage... instead I smell a base of something patchouli-ish with sickly sweet, powdery almost musty overtones. I cannot detect any vanilla, and in the imp/wet I do get the cough syrupy thing other people are getting. I think I am going to forget about my imp in a dark corner for a good year or so and see what happens............... (cannot understand how this is the top seller......is everyone using Aged Snake Oil or what?!)

I bought this for my Mom, and she LOVES it! It is a very unique and beautiful scent on her. On her, it is warm, a teeny bit salty with a beautiful vanilla/amber/sandalwood. On me is smells like dryer sheets!! No!!!!!!!!!! I was actually bummed out for a solid 10 minutes after trying it because it smelled divine on her... I am planning to try it again, and I'm willing it to change its mind! (drat!)