VetchVesper

Delicate, clean, a wee bit green, and oddly synthetic: not in a cheap, dime-store way, but in a -- these smell like computer generated flowers -- way. I feel like Mother, from Umbrella Academy would smell like this: feminine, floral, and not quite real. More android than ghost to me, but still quite interesting. My vote is %100 for Oblivion in #tournamentofunderdogs, but it would still be a shame to lose this one.

Very appletastic, though the dark green bitterness of the "hemlock" note comes through, making this a little more sophisticated than your typical "country apple." The bitterness fades in the drydown, and the opium lends a husky depth to the apple. Apple is not something I really go gaga over, but this is an interesting, upscale version of the note. Give it a try if apples are your jam...er...sauce.

Sybaris is intriguing. My initial reaction to the fragrance is - "That's weird," but then I find myself drawn back for second, third, and fourth whiffs, as my brain seeks to make sense of the odd mélange. Vanilla, violet, and clove are all present and accounted for, all balanced, and blend to create something truly unique. Sybaris is almost buttery, yet the incense and coppery tang of clove keep it from being gourmand, and the violet on display adds another layer of intrigue. I've never smelled violet quite. like. this. Overall, there is something decadent and exotic about the blend, though I don't find it sexy. More... esoteric and rich. This smells like the perfume of a wealthy and notorious maven, a decadent influencer, or perhaps a renowned psychic. My one knock against it, is my skin drinks it up, though it still last several hours on me, and I'm still considering a bottle. If you enjoy clove or violet, you owe it to yourself to sample this little oddity. #tournamentofunderdogs

No 93 Engine was one of my first BPAL loves and one of my first bottle buys. It's an unusual fragrance and is hard to categorize. I was not familiar with many of its listed notes at the time I first procured my frimp, but was instantly allured. There is a dark, metallic tang in the scent's opening that is reminiscent of something industrial. It's easy to imagine a drop or two of gear lubricant within this distillation, though I hypothesize this effect has to do with the acrid bite of sage. I also get a distinct impression of sassafras (though it isn't a listed note) that isn't confectionary, but spiced, woody, and dark, like the home hooch brews one might expect to find fermenting in a hillbilly's cellar. Sometimes I catch whiffs of bitter vetiver, and sometimes the blend seems sweet and vanillic (from the benzoin). I never get anything lemony or lemon "balmish". Nor do I get a distinct impression of incense, though several of the listed notes are found in incense. Rather, they produce a grounding warmth and weight to the whole. I am usually ambivalent towards beeswax, but here it's used to lovely effect, adding a soft sweetness and glow that tie the brasher notes together. No 93 Engine is both elegant and avant-garde, delightfully unisex, and still one of my top BPAL favorites. #tournamentofunderdogs

Pretty, tart strawberry! If Rope Pulley was two foody for you, this might be more your speed. It reminds me of strawberry slushies at Sonic, where there's a bit of syrupy sweetness, but there's also the real strawberries at the bottom, ripe and squished. This also smells very refreshing and is very nice for warm weather. I wouldn't call this spicy, but the ti leaf does add something astringent and faintly woody to the background. It makes this a little more grown up that strait up strawberry slush. An herbal, strawberry tea is also a pretty good comparison.

Roses and lilacs over a warm, dark base of amber, sandalwood and rosewood. This reminds me a bit of Ouija, but is heavier on the floral. This seems like a winter floral to me. Check it out if you enjoy lilac.

Moscow is a sumptuous, velvety rose on me. The musk is deep and slightly animaliic, conjuring up images of tzarinas bedecked in opulent furs. I catch hints of jasmine and lily of the valley in the sillage, but this stays predominantly a winter rose blend on me. If you are a fan of Peacock Queen, Elizabeth of Bohemia, or Black Rose, then you'll want to check this out. It's in that wheelhouse but still manages to be different. ETA: Random perfume nerdery. Recently discovered there was a famous Russian perfume known as "Red Moscow" that shares similar notes with this lovely offering. Now I'm curious if the is BPAL's nod to the classic perfume.

I get sort of a salty, sweaty jasmine over creamy, vanilla sweetness. On me, the rose is a background note, though it peeks out a little more in dry down. Poinsettia Gown succeeds in smelling vintage, like a classic perfume with a twist. The amber comes out as musky on me, not like perfume note musk, but like body musk. It's interesting that people are describing it as clean. To my nose, it smells rather dirty. It's taken a while to review this one b/c I wasn't sure how I felt about it when I first got it. I wanted to see how it aged and if it grew on me. I think, for me, Poinsettia Gown's a pass, but I can see why jasmine lovers would really like this. P.S. I get the references to La Prostitution et la Folie Dominent le Monde. I liked that one more though. I'm actually getting tinges of the Sea Foams Milk as well. So like - a cross between the two with a dash of rose, served in a vintage perfume bottle. 🤷‍♀️

A silvery musk. I think there's probably some citrus in here, maybe bergamot but the overall vibe is the fresh musk. Both Clinique's Happy and Arden's Sunflowers came to mind. Pleasant, but not me. ETA. Yes! Neroli! Someone mentioned it up thread, and I think that's what my nose is latching onto as "citrus."

Thank you to the lovely forumite who frimped me this. Dead leaves can be a tricky note on me. I really like it here. It's prominent, but the other notes give it a warmth that tempers what can sometimes come off as cologney or high pitched. I don't smell nutmeg, but I do smell a golden brown sweetness from the opium and smoke from the tar. Everything blends seamlessly to create something that smells like a spicey, high end perfume. I'm surprise by how lux this smells and how much Iove it. I'll have to keep my eye out for a bottle.

Definitely boozy. A bit like a sweeter Dwarven Ale, and a bit more buttery. I get a good whiff of maple and a tiny touch of cinnamon, along with a hearty beer note. The pumpkin is more present on me at the beginning, but get's overtaken by the maple by the end. This was a frimp from a generous forumite, and I'm delighted to have tried it. I think, overall, it's a bit too foody for me, but if you want a gourmand that aptly captures a rich, dark brew, this is a good one. Perfect for Oktoberfest!

Very, very rosey at first. Syrupy, heady, and perfumey. I think the ylang ylang has a lot do with this. I don't get a white floral vibe from this. Just super heady floral. The geranium note becomes obvious in the dry down, and the fragrance is starting to remind me a little of Deep in Earth, albeit without the earth note and with the florals amped way up. Over all, this is too much for me, though the florals smell very authentic.

Creamy jasmine over a bed of aquatic moss. There's a hint of salt at first; the benzoin adds a touch of darkness, and the musk lingers with the jasmine and moss in the dry down. The orris makes this a touch powdery. This actually reminds me a bit of Crossroads, without the dirt note. Pleasant enough I shall keep my decant. The Carnival Diabolique aquatics are a lot more wearable for me that most other aquatics.

Very pretty! Fresh, bright, fruity floral that is well balanced between the orchid, poppy, and apple. It smells like apple blossom to me. As One Girl dries down, it darkens and the wisteria and incense come out. I'm iffy on wisteria, but here it's nice. It's avoiding soapy or screechy territory. The incense is a bit smoky and adds a lot of depth to the background. Really pretty. I want to see how long it wears, but this might go on my big bottle wishlist. If you are a fan of orchid, definitely check this one out. Apple blossom and wisteria lovers might also appreciate this one, as well as those who like fruity incense. If your main interest is the apple, you might be disappointed.

So I have two different imps of this puppy, and they smell different. One of them is a ghostly floral that is quite beautiful, and lies somewhere between the sweetness of lily and the dustiness of violet. I'm guessing there is a touch of orris in here. There's a misty (but not aquatic) musk in the background, light and dry, but not as high pitched as white musk (reminds me aof China Rain) and there's a tiny, barely-noticeable tinge of something dark and bitter. I guess it's the wood from the honey myrtle. This is a running-across-the-lawn-of-a-Gothic-manor-at-midnight-in-your-Victorian-nightgown sort of feel. I'm down for it, and this is bottle worthy. The other vial smells sharp, green, and yeah -- citrus. The same manor, but the maiden is long gone. Very weird; the difference is quite pronounced. The myrtle note is more prominent (actually, where I first noticed the note) and the florals are all wallflowers until the dry-down, where they shyly peek out. The final stage of this one is very similar to the final stage of the other -- mostly misty, dry musk. This version isn't nearly as nice. I'm not sure whether the formula changed, or there are batch variations, or The Phantom Wooer just doesn't age well, but the folks describing citrus greens and bitter -- you are not crazy -- and you might want to test a different imp if you get the chance.

This reminds me of Snow White as well. Sweet, minty, ozoney snow and sugary almond at first. Then the almond becomes more floral and less candy. A very nice creaminess emerges. Chilly and refreshing almond milk and mint. I'm actually enjoying this in the summer months.

A refreshing, chilly snow note is the most prominent on me. It's more ozoney than minty. I also get a citrus tone from the hinoki cypress. Perhaps the ti is adding to that. The evergreen gives depth over all, and gives what would be something bright, chilly, and light some depth. The cherry blossom emerges on me in the dry down, but I detect no ylang ylang and wouldn't have pegged this as a floral. The chilliness of this one would actually be quite lovely in the summer.

I don't really get ozone from this, at least not in the sense of a misty aquatic that I associate with bpal's typical ozone note. Rather, this smells like a very light, ghostly musk. I smell faint tinges of vanilla and ambergris, I think, with the faintest hints of a citrus cologne. This smells like the ghost of Hellfire to me. It's so faint, I almost wonder if my nose isn't registering everything. After about 15 mins, it warms on my skin and becomes more herbal. It's still very much a skin scent though. Masculine, leaning towards gender neutral. ETA - I'm surprised by all the prior reviews mentioning soapiness. I get no soap, though it is a "clean" skin smell. Usually, my chemistry finds any mist, ozone or aquatic notes and amps them to soapy high heaven. There must be something different in here from the usual aquatic. My bottle is also from 2017 and has aged 2.5 years. Maybe that makes a difference?

This smells old and decadent to me, like the aged perfume of some grand dame of the silver screen, or the foyer of the House of Usher, complete with moldering woodwork and grandiose floral arrangements. This is at once opulent and a little bit rotten. The lush florals, mostly lily and narcissus, blend seamlessly with the murky, resinous opium, creating something rich and heavy, but not loud. If this scent was a color, it would be antique gold. Lily lovers should check this out, as should opium lovers.

Sort of a sweet, vaguely cologney, fuzzy musk. It makes me think of soft, grey cloth. It's a lot milder than I was expecting. I reeeally have to sniff before I get anything like fennel, but yeah - sort of a toasted anise smell lurking deep down. Overall, this stays a cozy, unisex musk blend on me, with a faint hint of cool cologne. I'd put it in a category with Night Bridge, Auriga (Yule), Cafe Au Lait & a Wool Blanket. The "love child"of Robotic Scarab and Coyote comes to mind. (I'd kinda want to see that baby!) Not my wheelhouse, and doesn't really stand out to me, but it is pleasant. Probably would be a nice, unobtrusive skin scent for a guy.

Dark incense, and something that I can detect in the background that's driving me nuts. Perhaps a touch of champaca?? Something that smells floral but I can't quite place. Something... forgotten??! Hmm... I really like this and will probably be investing in a big bottle once I'm through with my decant. This has an ecclesiastical vibe, but some of the churchy ones end up smelling dusty/fusty to me. This is really good. If you like incense blends or want a room spray that mimics burning the stuff, check this one out. P.S. Ok. Wildly speculating here -- massoia bark?

Very red, spicy wine, like something you'd drink warmed at Christmas. This one's got legs. I&JFP reminds me of Unicorn Hunt and Centzon Totochtin. (Perhaps Jacquel occasionally rabbit-sits for his Aztec buddy?) It mellows after a bit, becoming more complex and less reminiscent of holidays. I don't get salt, lichen or camphor, nor any beeswax. I have no idea what henna smells like. I do think I detect myrrh as a rich, sweet backdrop, but most of what I smell besides the wine and cassia is an unidentifiable melange. It really is a beautiful wine scent. I would love this wafting through the air and an elegant dinner party.

This smells lush, exotic, and very floral. I keep thinking of a sumptuous, Chinese floral arrangement with all sorts of colorful blossoms, backdropped by Asian opulence. I can pick out the sweet pea, as well as the plum blossom which hints at fruit but never goes fruity. I'm also beginning to suspect I very much like vanilla orchid, though I'm not great at picking it out yet. A beautiful offering to those who like expensive smelling florals.

Fantastic. I almost skipped this one because my relationship with cedar can be iffy, but I'm so happy I didn't. My first impression was very much of a spice scent, not craft store or holiday, but a rich, warm mélange that you'd find in an old, wooden spice cabinet. It was very nice, but I'm not much of a spice girl, and so I was a bit disappointed. But THEN -- This becomes a glorious, dry cigar tobacco. My father used to smoke pipes and cigars. This is the closest fragrance I've ever come across that accurately captures those dry, flaky leaves, rolled up, and stored lovingly in their pristine cedar boxes. Not only is it a wonderfully nostalgic scent for me, it's just a hands down, wonderful scent in general. Elegant and masculine. Every Victorian gentlemen's parlor or study should smell like this. 5 Stars.

In the air, the florals are pronounced, though they are subdued and shadowy in nature. I detect a good balance of lilac and violet, not so much from the lily of the valley. On fabrics, my experience reverses. I get more oakmoss and dark wood supported by a faint tinge of floral. My scent impression is of a dark paneled room, bedecked in heavy, rich fabrics, more stately than opulent. If you've ever seen the original "The Haunting" from 1963, that house might smell like this. Lucille's Room works well for the elegant anti-heroine that inspired it.