Diogenes

I'm not quite sure where else to put this, but seeing as everyone here is discussing scents appropriate to men and I'm a guy, I thought I'd share my experiences with BPAL scents as a guy with everyone. I'm recently having this MASSIVE confusion because for some weird inexplicable reason I've somehow fallen under the spell of Languor. I know. It's not by any stretch a masculine scent by description, and yes, there have been reviewers saying that it reminds them of old lady perfumes, which isn't wrong because just the other day there was an old lady sat next to me on the Tube and I swear that I smelt a vague hint of what smelt like Languor. It was very confusing. And I'm even more confused now because I hated Languor when I first received it. I loved the description when I first discovered BPAL so I thought I'd order it the first time I ever ordered from BPAL (it was a very exciting moment in my life). For some reason, the initial rush of the scent to me vaguely reminded me of medicine, and it was a touch too acrid for my liking. Instead I started alternating between Tzadikim Nistarim and Yggdrasil, though the former would often get just a touch too sickly for my liking. Eventually I started leaning towards Yggdrasil more because I'm a massive fan of woody scents (though my mum doesn't like them much because apparently they smell like old men to her, lol), but the one scent I really fell in love eventually was Adam, which I ordered the moment it came out. I'd watched the film, fell in love with it, and simply had to have the scent. There's this beautiful woody scent that's elegantly muted with what I can only best describe as the smell of old plastic cassette tapes (it's mentioned in the description, of course). On the skin it develops into this wonderful multi-layered incense-y smell. Puts practically any Tom Ford scent (which I do like, even though I don't personally own any because £££) to shame. It's a pity Adam's out of stock, but I reckon it's perfect especially for men with a slightly Romantic/rock Gothic edge to them (or at least that's how I like to think of myself sometimes) — just like the character. The past week, however, I started reading The Picture of Dorian Gray, and for some absolutely frustrating reason, I started thinking of Languor. I don't know why I made the association (it could be the poppy), but it having been a while since I last tried on the scent (it's been sitting in my drawer for a long time), it was inexplicable why I was thinking of the scent. I decided to try it on again, and I don't know if my body chemistry's changed or if it's a weird psychological effect, but for some bizarre reason I actually liked it. I probably need some help from friends to shake me out of it and remind me that I don't want to smell like an old lady but at the risk of sounding like a sad nutter, there's some weird, possibly evil part of my brain simply going, "NO, IAN, IT'S PERFECT." Does anyone have any advice for dealing with that? Also, has anyone tried Palmyra yet? I really want to get it, but the price (it's great that the proceeds are going to charity though!) is a touch more expensive than the usual scents and I'd like to make sure that it's at least vaguely workable before committing to it.

Ever since I got the scent not long after it came out I have been completely obsessed with it. Perhaps it's the visual associations as well but I bought it primarily to go with my Gothic Lolita / Elegant Gothic Male Aristocrat outfits and I have to say, it's simply perfect for it. 'Adam' is a very woody scent — I can see where the rosin / violin associations come in, considering I used to play the violin and really liked the smell of rosin then too — and, to that extent, can be compared to 'Yggdrasil', which is also a very woody scent. The biggest difference, though, is that the woodiness of 'Adam' is capped off by the hint of plastic that's referred to in the description, and it keeps the scent elegant and dark, rather like the character himself. And that only makes me doubly love the scent: the first time I smelt it I thought, oh, is that it? but the more I used it, the more the beautiful undertones pushed through, and the more I began to appreciate how subtle they'd manage to make the woods. 'Yggdrasil' can on occasion become slightly powdery, and while that isn't a bad thing – it reminds me of some of Tom Ford's scents – you sometimes want something that's just that bit more nuanced in its olfactory composition. And I'd say that 'Adam' really has that subtle complexity that makes it a really, really special and unforgettable scent. In short, it really is a scent that you can't stop thinking about.