gentle-twig

I don't think I have enough stand-out favorites for your methodology to work for me, RasAlgethi, but I do try to rate everything I test (and not just BPAL, but mostly BPAL) on a love/like/dislike/hate scale and then have a weird algorithm that is very unscientific to see where things stand and here are my top notes: 1. Tobacco 2. Vetiver 3. Cedar 4. Amber 5. White Musk 6. Orange Blossom 7. Teakwood 8. Black Musk 9. Clove 10. Herbs (unspecified) I feel like the top 4 are solid loves, but the rest are kind of surprising with the exception of clove.

This line just screamed La Ronde du Sabbat to me. It's a sort of dark & dirty take on ecclesiastical incense from the current Pickman Gallery collection: Oman frankincense, black clove, and tobacco tar.

I wouldn't describe it as an incense blend precisely, but the way the clove and frankincense work together in the current Weenie "La Rand Du Sabbat" is just gorgeous and is putting a whole new spin on frankincense for me.

Wet on skin: ALMOND EXTRACT Dry on skin: The almond gives way to the leathers, with perhaps just a bit of toastiness left behind. I can get a little bit of vanilla, as well. The sharp leathers slowly give way to the sweet backdrop of amber, vanilla, and tonka. To be honest the leather stage smelled a little thin and sharp on me, so I am glad it's developing this way, but it's still not as rich as I would like. It's not love, but I think this will improve with age.

In the bottle: Yup, buttery. Wet on skin: Butter, but now creamier and with something almost grassy & crinkly... must be the rice flower. Dry on skin: Ok some honey is finally beginning to emerge and I get the gentlest musk when I'm not sniffing my wrist, although it gets overwhelmed when I get closer. I would say this has a fair amount of throw. As it dries down, the honey and musk come out more and more. Thank goodness! Still, I'm not sure it's worth it to me to wait for the overwhelming buttery opening to pass. Once it dries down it is so reminiscent of a county fair, though, with animalic musk, sweet honey, and the rice flower even giving me a little hay. I don't think I will be ordering a bottle of this, but I look forward to seeing how the imp ages.

In bottle: Very floral. I smell lilac (my favorite floral, so no complaints) and what must be the moonflower. And might I add this stuff is strong! I'm testing several Lilith decants right now and this is the one I can smell most clearly without leaning down to smell my arm Wet on skin: Much earthier than in bottle. I'm still getting the floral elements (and orris root is now present), but now they are grounded by what seems to be the moss and sandalwood. Dry on skin: It's become a really interesting sandalwood blend. Floral, yes, but also earthy and inexplicably vanillic. The leaves are still nowhere to be seen, but I don't really miss them. I have to agree with Aviatrix... this is more ghost than revelry. But it is a beautiful, mournful, ghostly blend. It might be a little too austere and feminine for me to pull off, but it is truly haunting.

This is really fun! In bottle (decant): Hubba Bubba bubblegum Wet on skin: Slightly spicy bubblegum with a hint of fruit and mint or something like it. It even feels menthol cool on my skin. Dry on skin: The strawberry comes to the fore but mostly the same. There is still something slightly spicy here to me? Cinnamon or cassia? Maybe it's just a cognitive trick because I used to chew so much cinnamon gum as a kid. But overall this is a spot on match to the description: strawberry bubblegum with a hint of something cool underneath. I wasn't expecting to like this, but it seemed like such a strange combination that I had to try it. I really enjoy it but I don't think I'll end up wearing this one too often. Still, it has such a great energy that I'll definitely come back to it for festivity on occasion.

2015 Version In bottle: Smoke with the cool note from Yggdrasil (eucalyptus?) Wet on skin: Crisp evergreen notes with smoke. I've seen some speculation that this is the signature smoky opening of BPAL vetiver, but it doesn't quite smell like that to me. More of a classic woodsmoke. Dry on skin: The evergreen notes and smoke are still there, with the smoke gaining speed, but there are also more notes appearing. A new wood (sandalwood? I feel like sandalwood smells wildly different to me in different blends, so I'm not entirely sure) peaks up, lending kind of a sauna vibe to the mix (in a good way, not in a sweaty way). The smoke has a lot of throw and I can smell it clearly without sniffing my arm. I only used one drop, so this is some powerful stuff. Later: A bouquet of smoking woods (mostly evergreen) This is my least favorite of the Weenies I ordered, but it's certainly not bad. I just wish it had a little more depth (a strange thing to say about such a woody blend). That said, I did just take it out of the mailbox so maybe a little aging can help that out.

In bottle: Someone said this reminded them of paint thinner and I have to agree Wet on skin: Cloves and a dark, smoky background. Not campfire smoke, but something more sinister. Dry on skin: A rich clove scent (not husky or dusty) sweetened with frakincense with a barely there dark bitterness in the background. I'm not familiar with tobacco tar, but this must be it. It doesn't smell like anything i know as tobacco. Later: The bitterness gives way to what is indeed a recognizable tobacco note, which merges with the other notes to form something seductive and slightly sweet but so far from foody or cloying It gives me kind of a feminine vibe, which I'm really surprised by, but I think that a man (like me!) could also pull it off. I'm testing this at the same time as Dead Leaves and Tobacco and SN Bonfire and this is definitely the sexiest of the bunch and, I think, my favorite. This scent is intense -- intensely dark and intensely seductive. Certainly a bottle to be reserved for special occasions, but I am so happy to have one. Frankincense can be iffy on me but this blend really makes me a believer. Enemies of clove need beware, I'm afraid, but luckily I adore cloves in all forms. The tobacco is really a supporting player, so if you are a fan of frankincense or clove, I'd take a chance on this incredible blend.

Not lavender, but I always use Lenus Mars as a sleep blend and it opens with a very strong chamomile, although as it dries down the ambergris begins to dominate (no complaints here about that).

How about: The Cat: Sleek, black, dark, and clever: benzoin, honey, cedar, and dark musk. I find it to be light but long lasting, an anamalic and slightly incense-y honey. Benzoin is a note you might like since you like vanilla! Lysander: Lilac musk, tonka, wood violet, and urbane lime rind, with a Venus-kissed tangle of myrtle, blackberry leaf, and benzoin. Lilac and Benzoin are the stand-out notes on me, both of which seem to fit the bill. The lime is present but not overwhelming and dries out quickly. Also, I would suggest tobacco scents in general if you haven't tried many! I find tobacco to be sweet but interesting and usually long-lasting.

This is an almost foody cinnamon blend. Actually, it is foody and I just need to make peace with the fact that there is a foody blend I actually enjoy. At the same time, it's clear that you're not actually smelling cinnamon rolls, just something that suggests them. The cinnamon is the main player but doesn't dominate and the copal and honeysuckle merge to form a sweet, golden, slightly resinous backdrop. The myrrh is nowhere to be found on me, which is a shame, but Chimera doesn't really suffer for it. This doesn't morph at all. I find it layers well with Anne Bonny to bring out the resinous quality of the copal.

This starts off as a very ozonic absinthe. It's very interesting and slightly unpleasant. The laudanum (opium) emerges, bringing the voltage down just a bit. It's becoming a little more my speed as the ozone gives way to the depth of the laudanum. Eventually a resinous backdrop appears, grounding the other notes. There is something strangely appealing about this blend to me.

This opens as a smooooooooooth, creamy, slightly husky (from the clove) musk, but is quickly brightened by what must be the neroli and maybe a bit of a woody bite from the opoponax. This is the only blend I've gotten from the lab with Siberian musk, but I would compare it to brown or maybe red musk. Alas, the black pepper is nowhere to be seen on me! As it mellows, the musk backs into harmony with the opoponax and neroli, creating a warm but slightly bitter bouquet with just a hint of that same mysterious brightness. Pretty gender neutral, not too heavy and not too light. Definitely lighter than I was expecting, given the notes. This is nice, but not exciting enough for a bottle since I already have some similar blends that have a little more edge. However, if you're looking for a dark, slinky musk but are overwhelmed by, say, Satyr, this might be a good option! ETA: After about 4 hours this gets strangely smoky?? I'm not sure why. But afterwards it settles back into a subtle, smooth musk.

Perhaps: Tamora? Amber, heliotrope, golden sandalwood, peach blossom and vanilla bean. or Belle Vinu (currently out of stock)? Red sandalwood, vanilla, rosewood, osmanthus, and white peach

Titania (A nocturnal bounty of fae dew-kissed petals and pale fruits: white grape, white peach, iced pear, musk rose, sweet pea, moonflower and snapdragon) is the closest thing I can think of. I haven't tried either Titania or L'eau Cheap and Chic, though.

The Cat is a gorgeous honey-tinged slightly musky incense. It's the only honey scent from bpal that I have been able to wear. The only thing I can compare it to is O, but it is somehow simultaneously darker and less heavy/soporific than O. ETA: @Fury - this might be a good O alternative! Three of the four notes that seem to respond very differently on different skin (honey, dark musk, and cedar -- benzoin seems to be a safer bet for a lot of people), but on me it is the closest blend to O that I have tried.

I would like to second Sprout's recommendation! Lenus Mars is just great. On me it is a little more animalic than herbal (the musk dominates and then gives way to ambergris), but the chamomile sticks around in a supporting role.

I have fallen in love with several of BPAL's simpler blends. I do have a few more complicated favorites, but I find that trying out blends with 2-3 notes is great for figuring out the personality of each and how that can change in different combinations. Plus there is really just a poetry to the complexity that some of these blends conjure from 2 oils. Some favorites: Sloth - vetiver and myrrh (probably my favorite bpal!) Malediction - vetiver and patchouli (a little abrasive but so interesting in an almost anti-perfume way, even though these notes are both classic perfume staples) The Cat - honey, dark musk, benzoin, and cedar (a little more complicated, but still has the personality of some of the lab's simpler blends for me. each note is clearly discernible and the interplay between them is captivating) Sometimes simple blends can be a little underwhelming for me (as in the case of Anne Bonny), but often they are just magical.

Spooky Action at a Distance is a great "floriental" -- rose tinged resins, with a bit of a dusty vibe. A gorgeous take on "old lady" perfume, to be honest. I'm testing Chimera as I type this. It seems to get a lot of love around here and I can see why. It's about as close to a traditional oriental as I have encountered from BPAL. I honestly don't get a floral note, but many people do get the honeysuckle based on reviews. I get mostly copal warmed by cinnamon with myrrh hanging on in the background and maybe the faintest touch of floral sweetness. A really smooth and spicy, slightly floral oriental.

This one doesn't excite me. It starts out an austere sandalwood and is slowly warmed by the frankincense and patchouli, but these (with the exception of the frankincense for just a moment) never really come into their own. Not by any means unpleasant, but it doesn't seem like a stand-alone scent. I do think it would be good to add a little depth to other oils that could use it, though.

I am not the person to be giving you recommendations based on your favorite/unfavorite notes but I'm testing the Cat right now and it's a pretty interesting animalic honey (+benzoin, which you don't list but seems like it would fit in with your other favorite notes, also cedar) if you ever want to get ~experimental~

Posting in case anyone ever happens to be looking: I tried a sample of Dior Homme Intense today and although the online reviews tend to emphasize the "lipsticky" iris opening, on me this is really an ambrette bomb. It reminds me of the ambrette in the recent Luper Seated Couple Leaning on Hips. This is the only ambrette scent I've tried from the lab, but here are some others that are currently available and might be similar to DHI: Aperotos Eros: benzoin, Indian musk, massoia bark, myrrh, ambrette seed, galbanum, bergamot, and fir. Bilquis: Honey, myrrh, lily of the valley, rose otto, fig leaf, almond, ambrette, red apple, and warm musk. Hal: Saffron-infused bourbon vanilla, blackened honey, Kashmir wood, Atlas cedar, ambrette seed, hay, and Egyptian jasmine absolute.

Opens with florals forward, with rose and champaca being dominant on me. Frankincense peaked its head out and I was expecting it to take over but then it disappeared completely, yielding to the balsam. Something mildly vanillic comes out (?) and then this seems to dry down to a myrrh and juuuuuust detectable florals (still rose, but now hyssop and maybe narcissus are there, as well). At first I thought this was a definite no, but upon my second test I decided it's okay after all. I love myrrh, but whatever kind is used here is not exactly the deep, brooding resin that I'm used to. Still, it is nice, actually beautiful and majestic. I can understand the religious/mystical character of this, but it's less church incense on me and more like a vision of a goddess in a classical epic. Not for me, but it could be for you if you can pull off a very serious/solemn (without being dark), moderately feminine rose/resin blend. ETA: After some brief research, I realized that cananga is another name for ylang-ylang, which, now that I think about it, is definitely what is reining in the myrrh. Also, my fellow enemies of rosewood (palisander) should have nothing to fear from this blend.

I actually haven't tried any in your top 5, but something tells me that Ava probably smells something like the white musk/floral/fruit combination of Katharina, which, like Tamora, contains orange blossom.