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Akurarei

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Everything posted by Akurarei

  1. Akurarei

    All Hallows Oud

    (My bottle has some visible separation of ingredients, so I give it a good shake before applying) I *love* this one! It's all dark with resinous tones and some foodiness! It's so well blended that I can't detect individual notes, but it is so nice and has just the right amount of throw. Backup bottle worthy
  2. Akurarei

    Pumpkin Tombstone

    PUMPKIN TOMBSTONE The GC Tombstone is lovely, and I was really hoping this variety would be a perfect Halloween/Fall version of the GC version. It is surprisingly subtle at the outset, and I don't really detect much of the original scent at this stage. I get a blast of something sweet once it dries down somewhat - but I cannot discern what that 'sweet' actually is...maybe the sassafras? After fully dried down and worn for a couple of hours, this perfume oil has practically disappeared. I can still smell it, very, very faintly, but I have to put my nose upon my wrist to smell it at all. Kinda disappointed with this one RN I must say.
  3. Hi BPAListas! Apologies if this topic exists elsewhere, but I couldn't find one - please merge and point me to the proper topic if it already exists I ordered 12 wand caps from the BPAL site, and was wondering what do other BPAListas do with the 'standard' caps afterwards? I'm at a loss - do you clean & store* them? toss them? other? *if clean & store - how do you clean them? Please share your preferred practice with the old 'standard' caps when switching out to wand caps (or reducer caps) Thanks fellow forumites & MODs
  4. Akurarei

    Hunter's Moon 2024

    This is lovely! It is dark and warm, and the vein of pumpkin incense appears and disappears like a shadow. I can't detect any particular note aside from that pumpkin incense, which reminds me ALOT of pumpkin spice TBH. It sits pretty close to the skin, but there are pleasant wafts emerging as I move my arms (I applied a single dot of oil to my wrist and smooched it into the other wrist) Bonus: the label art is freaking adorable!
  5. Akurarei

    Swapping to Wand Caps or Reducer Caps

    @ShadowEtienne, @Fancyfetus, @sudenmorsian, @AbbyNormal, @Jarek - These are all good suggestions! I really like the idea of putting the old standard caps in my closet amongst my clothes in little hanging baggies and the "big ol' jar o' sniffs" might be in my future too! I'll double check my storage boxes, but I don't think they are tall enough to accommodate placing the bottles atop their old caps. More ideas and suggestions welcome
  6. Akurarei

    How do you apply your BPAL oils?

    @lilacea - what kind of vodka do you use? Are you diluting the vodka at all? what kind of spray bottle? Inquiring minds are curious! Thanks in advance!
  7. Akurarei

    Mircalla, Countess Karnstein

    This one just smells like generic drugstore perfume to me...I've never come across the Lab's black velvet note before, so that's probably the culprit for me. So sad too, this one was the bottle I was really excited about this Halloweenies release. ETA: After a few hours, this one blossomed into something soft and dark - still a teeny bit astringent or something, but the 'generic drugstore perfume' factor went almost entirely away. Maybe this one "requires" a decent aging period, time will tell!
  8. Akurarei

    Millarca

    On my skin, Wet: Very similar to Antique Lace in this phase, maybe with a hint of the roses On my skin, Dry: Creamy & soft with a nice overlay of rose Overall: I didn't detect any of the blackcurrants - like many other BPALs, maybe that facet will appear with age
  9. Akurarei

    Peach and Lemon Blossom Atmosphere Spray

    This is beautiful! It's like standing among a very flowered lemon tree orchard, eating the sweetest, juiciest & ripest peach! Very delicate overall, but still quite noticeable in it's sweet fruity fragrance
  10. Akurarei

    The Poinsettia Gown 2023

    This one is very softly delicate from start to finish. It stays close to the skin for me, with gentle caresses of creaminess and barely there florals (I detect mostly rose, but the jasmine peaks through a little bit too)
  11. Akurarei

    Quicken the Soul Through the Blood

    Quicken the Soul Through the Blood In the Bottle: Cocoa, patchouli and a tiny hint of other things, but just barely - the Cocoa & Patchouli are very dominant! On my Skin, Wet: RED PATCHOULI!!! This component is so dominant in this phase, I cannot detect anything else On my Skin, Dry: The red patchouli settles down, and the cocoa (Cacao) comes back to give a nice warmth to the scent. I get vague florals as well, but I am not able to ID them. I can't say that I detect the tea as a note, but it could be what makes this dry scent nice and smooth.
  12. AELOPILE Smoldering coals heat the device from below, and steam hisses through two curved pipes, rotating the shining brass sphere. Glowing amber and citrus, labdanum, verbena, cedar, and oud. First? oh my! In the bottle: Nothing jumps out, though it smells smooth. On my Skin, Wet: A blast of citrus! this is the entire citrus family, not just an orange or lemon. It seems to be mostly lemon and grapefruit to me, but there's also some orange and possibly some lime too - I LOVE the lab's lime note! There are no other notes that I can distinguish in the wet stage, though I can tell that there's more to this than the citrus orchard I'm getting. On my Skin, Dry: Amber appears - warm and inviting amber. this mixes very well with the citrus notes - I had secretly been wanting an amber & citrus blend for a while but figured it might be too weird. I am starting to get the oud, and on me oud has a ever slightly bitter tone to it. This is fine since it remains very subtle. I hope I can smell the cedar eventually, though the amber and citrus are both strong and delicious! Verdict: Delightful! Wonderfully fresh citrus paired beautifully with very smooth clear amber. Thank you BPAL!
  13. Akurarei

    Batty Lace

    LavenderCoffee's review is spot-on for my experience with this scent - like EXACTLY! Very lovely scent overall
  14. Akurarei

    SDPU2

    SDPU2 Fresh on the Skin: I get Lavender and Plum or something similar, like Apricot maybe. Possibly some Peach. It definitely has a floral-fruit thing going on. Dried on the Skin: Lavender incense or Amber's glow. The fruit is mostly gone.
  15. Akurarei

    Bonfire Toffee

    Our spin on a traditional Guy Fawkes Night treat: treacle toffee soaked in rich, dark bourbon. I wasn't sure what 'Treacle' was (or is, honestly). But this scent sounded interesting and different from other Halloweenies. In the Bottle: Dark boozy caramel On my Skin, Wet: A burst of what smells a little bit like burnt coffee with a touch of smoke. Carries some kind of a sweet note with it. On my Skin, Dry: Dark sweet molasses with a faint waft of smoke. It's not listed, but I detect a very small note of chocolate or cocoa. This scent reminds me of a childhood dessert that I can't place. Verdict: It IS different from other Halloweenies in my collection, and I love that it is a sweet but broody perfume. I may buy a backup bottle of this one.
  16. Akurarei

    White Tea and Sage Hair Gloss

    OMG YUM! this smells fantastic! it's got a gorgeous white tea note, that smells so clean & fresh. The sage is subtle & adds to the overall freshness of this scented hair product. My hair is noticeably less frizzy, and generally slightly smoother & easier to manage. My hair is usually pretty shiny on it's own, so judging the shine factor may be apparent with continued use. I don't think I'll have any trouble using this up before it's 6 month "expiration/shelf life" I used about 7-8 spritzes & that covered just about all my hair (5-6 were directly on the hair away from the scalp, 2 were squirted onto my brush for brushing the roots) Great product! Thanks BPAL & BPTP!!
  17. Akurarei

    Snowbound

    ETA - Important: My bottle had the components badly separated, so I gave my bottle a vigorous shake before applying! I get mostly red musk, leather and a tiny bit of coldness/snow....I don't detect much of the roses It is nice and fairly unique, but not one I would find myself reaching for very often.
  18. Akurarei

    Santa Doesn’t Need Your Help

    I LOVE THIS ONE! Like other reviewers have noted - this one is LOTS of the sugar plum! Which, I happen to adore! At this time, I don't detect either the lavender or the marshmallow, but I suspect aging it for at least a month or two will 'resolve' that issue... OTOH, I would be totally OK if it stayed "All Sugar Plums, All the Time"
  19. Akurarei

    Knave of Snowflakes

    Knave of Snowflakes - Yule 2022 "Blackcurrant tarts and chilled rose jam" Review In the Bottle: Snowy! not much else... On my Skin, Wet: A BURST of what initially smells like BPAL's Snow White perfume, some red notes as well On my Skin, Dry: It's still reminding me of BPAL's Snow White - but I can begin to smell some roses and something sweet - like honey, but not honey. Must be the 'Jam' note. This is a beautiful, sophisticated snowy sweet rose. The snow is most prominent, followed by the rose, and just the occasional whiff of the sweet 'jam' note. Very elegant & wearable! 10/10! Excellent job BPAL Goblins! ETA - Also, I adore the artwork for this bottle, it's very "Winter, Old World" with it's very dark, nearly black background and pale parchment colored subject of a maiden in an old, Renaissance - esque neckline and starkly striped tresses.
  20. Akurarei

    Winter Lily and Sugarcane

    WHITE LILY & SUGARCANE - An ETSY Offering, 2019 "Pale, elegant lily blossoms gilded with snow and lightly brushed with sugarcane. " Oh dear, I never realized that I had never reviewed this hair gloss! This Hair gloss is divine! It's a cold, white floral with a very noticeable undercurrent of sweetness. I've used nearly half of my bottle already! I'm not sure if this is actually part of a Yule collection, but it certainly would be at home among the Yule family.
  21. Akurarei

    Victory

    Yep. Fizzy/sour booze on me & not much else.... Will let it age a bit & see if it becomes something nicer on my skin.
  22. Akurarei

    Dead Leaves, Praline, and Sheer Vanilla

    This is just amazingly beautiful! It definitely has "dead leaves", but those are a backdrop to the real beauties of sheer vanilla and pralines I get that lovely warm, caramel-y nutty scent - which is just the *perfect* amount of sweetness The vanilla is definitely 'sheer', as it comes and goes as time progresses The dead leaves are the dry, crispy, aromatic type - not at all like damp & decaying leaves (which would have been disappointing.) Beth & the Labbies do wonderful work, and this one is another fine example of their expertise!
  23. Akurarei

    Blueberry Pumpkin Muffins Hair Gloss

    Muffiny! Pumpkiny! Big oozy lumps of blueberry! I FREAKING LOVE THIS! It's just as advertised, blueberry pumpkin muffins! I get sugary sweet blueberries, just barely spiced pumpkin, and a good douse of bakery muffin smell. definitely back-up worthy, as I see myself wearing this ALOT!
  24. Akurarei

    Peach Brandy Snake Oil

    This is a lovely peachy, syrupy Snake Oil. I don't get much booziness, but that's OK - it's a welcome addition to the Snake Oil family!
  25. Akurarei

    Singularly At Ease

    The officers were satisfied. My manner had convinced them. I was singularly at ease. They sat, and while I answered cheerily, they chatted of familiar things. But, ere long, I felt myself getting pale and wished them gone. My head ached, and I fancied a ringing in my ears: but still they sat and still chatted. Rum cakes and black tea, blueberry scones and biscuits. On my skin, wet: Kinda sour, a little bit boozy On my skin, dry: Boozy fruity muffins After several hours: Sugary fruity muffins with a splash of booziness
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