spookyumbrella

The glory of Venus as the apex of luxury and sensuality: velvet red rose petal attar, sweet red oudh, Mysore sandalwood, red benzoin, elemi, silken musk, and jasmine sambac. For me this was all jasmine and Ivory soap. I didn't get any of the notes listed but jasmine. If you like jasmine or Ivory, you'll love this.

Like breathing in the air of a florist's fridge - cold, cold flowers. Very refreshing and pretty. It's not groundbreaking, but not everything has to be. Rose, lilac and wisteria are equally represented here. Overall, its classic, beautiful and fresh.

Fresh golden delicious apples combined with a bit of woodiness from the birch and a soft wash of apple blossom. This one smells extremely realistic! Doesnt seem to have the longest life, though.

Rich purple grapes, incense smoke and a bit of woodiness. I didn't get any rose or lily, but that's okay. I love this as is!

Very well blended, that's for sure. I'm having a hard time picking notes out, aside from honey. It's sweet, but not sugary, and lightly herbal. It shares that "herbal honey" vibe with Anubis, but this is more feminine.

The ginger in this isn't candied at all, it's hot and spicy, and it is front and center in this blend. It's darkened a bit by a faint patchouli, and gently sweetened by orange blossom, but for the first 20 minutes or so, the ginger reigns supreme. After a while, the ginger calms down, and the other notes get their time to shine, but not without losing that gingery bite. It sweetens up considerably during the wear, and I smell vanilla even though it isn't listed. The end result is like a less sweet, more biting Snake Oil. So if you like Snake Oil, you'll likely enjoy Vixen as well, as it's definitely related. 8/10 - Snake Oil with fangs

I don't pick up on any orange, this is all eucalyptus and pine. It's very simple, bracing and clean - it'll definitely clear your sinuses! It smells like a muscle rub to be honest. If you're looking for medicinal and clean (bordering on sterile), Jabberwocky is for you. 4/10 - dares to be different

When first applied, this is a patchouli bomb. Give it a little time, and the patch (which is a rich, smooth one) calms down, and the spicy carnation and sweet orange blossom have a chance to add their voices to the chorus. Patchouli is still the star of this show, make no mistake, but it works with the florals to make a beautiful harmony. I have no idea what ambergris smells like, so sadly I can't speak to that one. Masquerade is warm, rich and projects like crazy. Save this one for the colder months. 7/10 - a lovely option for late fall or winter

I love heliotrope, and it isn't a note that gets used often, so I was looking forward to this one. Sadly, I don't get any heliotrope, but there is a ton of sweet pea and lily, backed by a bite of juicy pear, all grounded by white musk. It's an innocent, beginner-friendly fruity floral, and I can't imagine it offending anyone. 6/10 - one of the more "normal" BPAL offerings

That rose must be really subtle, because I don't smell it anywhere! Same goes for the myrrh, actually. In my experience, BPAL jasmine likes to choke out other notes, and that's definitely the case here. It's a strong, soapy jasmine, so if you like clean florals, Wicked is an excellent choice for you. It also lasts for ages. 5/10 - in your face soapy floral

I always struggle reviewing more masculine-leaning scents, as they aren't my cup of tea, but this is, to me, a masculine version of Scherezade. It's ambery and musky like Scherezade, but the spices are replaced with rosewood, making this a much drier, woodier experience. After a while, the wood dials back and the amber comes forward, but this scent stays decidedly "male" during the whole wear. If you want a drier, more stiff counterpoint to the languidness and luxury of Scherezade, this is a good pick. 5/10 - if Scherezade is too feminine for your tastes, here's an option for you

This is much fresher than the notes would lead you to believe. It doesn't read very musky to me at all, though it must be there, because this definitely has a "clean skin" sort of vibe to it. The warm, clean skin mixed with the softness of carnation and watery sweetness of plum gives me the mental image of someone just coming out of the bath, warm and moist and fragrant from the bath oils they used. It's a clean scent that doesn't smell like detergent or soap. It doesn't project much, but for this sort of scent, I feel like that's appropriate. 8/10 - a different approach to clean

A touch of amber? I don't think so. To me, this is pretty amber-heavy, giving it a sweetness (without a touch of foodiness) that compliments the rose. The name suits it - this isn't a pretty pink rose, or a voluptuous red rose, and certainly not a dainty white rose. It is a full-bodied, rich black rose. Overall, Black Rose is a warm, enveloping lush rose coated in amber. 10/10 - gothy, decadent delight!

I have no clue what's in here, so we'll just have to trust my nose. I definitely get sandalwood, and a bit of vanilla accompanied by some floral that I can't identify - sorry! This one is quite faint, and doesn't have much throw, but it's nice enough. It claims to be a meditation blend, so maybe it's true potential lies there. 4/10 - a light little mystery.

I hate leather more than anything, so I was really dreading trying this one. I'm happy to report that the leather must be faint, because I can't smell it at all! What I get is deep, dark rum and, funnily enough, brown sugar. This one ended up being quite foody and sweet, and a very pleasant surprise! 8/10 - sweet and rich.

I can sense the jasmine and lemongrass, backed by sandalwood. The lemon makes it kind of fresh, but the jasmine kept taking over more and more as the wear went on. I'm beginning to think that BPAL's jasmine is just like that, though. As the name would suggest, it is quite relaxing - I can see this making a nice room scent. 5/10 - A nice, peaceful floral.

A lot of people on the BPAL forum say this smells dead-on like a Catholic church, but I wouldn't know so I can't attest to that. I don't know what resins make up this scent, but the overall impression is one of slightly powdery wood. That's really all I get out of it. It's not bad at all, just super straightforward and simple. 5/10 - warm, woody and likable.

The patchouli in this is very smooth - not gritty or funky at all. It has a slight earthiness, but doesn't smell like full-on dirt like patch does sometimes. The nag champa isn't dusty or stuffy, either. Both notes are at their best in Urd, and they combine beautifully with the muscadine grapes. The grapes are rich and tart, not candy like at all. I know that cereus is a cactus, but I have no idea what it smells like, so I can't speak on that one. 10/10 - lush, rich and uniquely fruity.

I didn't get any roses from this, which is weird because there's supposed to be five of them! Instead, I got a lot of jasmine, backed by tonka and a depth that I'm thinking might come from the mahogany. That "drop of coffee bean" is only there while this oil is wet, sadly. I would have liked this more had it stayed, as jasmine and coffee is not a combo I've ever seen before, and they complimented each other nicely. After the coffee burns off, we're left with a nice, warm jasmine blend that's sweet without being foodie. 6/10 - unique with out being too "experimental"

This rose is, in my opinion, perfect. It's simple, not too sweet, and has just a touch of sappy greenness. It has a slight "coolness" to it as well that I'm having a hard time putting into words. It's like this rose has just been pulled from the florist's fridge, and there's a slight chilliness clinging to the petals. On me, The Rose didn't morph much if at all during the wear. 10/10 - any rose lover needs to try it.

This one was a disappointment. All I get is sour cassia (which smells kind of like cinnamon for the uninitiated). Perhaps the sourness comes from the lemon peel, but I can't be sure. I can't pick out anything aside from unpleasantly sour cassia. I tried this twice and got the same result both times.

A sweet, pleasant floral - tuberose and jasmine, mostly. For the most part it stays the same during its wear, but it does get a bit powdery at the end. I'd call this a springtime floral, as its not as heady as the notes would suggest. 5/10 - a perfectly serviceable floral. Not exciting, but not everything has to be.

The spices and musk in this are blended beautifully. So blended together in fact, that I can't really pick out any notes - it's just a big ol' blob of sensual, spicy goodness. It also lasts a long, long time. It's sweet, but not enough to make it a gourmand - it definitely belongs to the musk and spice families, so if you want sweetness without the sugar, this is the one for you. 10/10 - Scherezade can tell me her tale anytime

This is so fresh and green - one of the freshest smelling oils I've ever smelled! It starts out with a strong lavender - it isn't sweet or medicinal, it's a good, balanced lavender. There's an eye opening mint here (peppermint, maybe?) and a breath of lime. All of this is backed by crushed green herbs, like you just rubbed the leaves between your fingers. The only downside? It doesn't last all that long. 7/10 - a short but amazing ride

Fancy with prophetic glance Sees the teeming months advance; The field, the forest, green and gay; The dappled slope, the tedded hay; Sees the reddening orchard blow, The Harvest wave, the vintage flow. Wheat stalks, hay absolute, and clove. Clovey...something. I dont know what wheat or hay smell like but I do know clove. Sweetens a tiny bit a few minutes after wearing. I cant explain it very well, but it's easy to wear and soft. A clean...earthiness I suppose.