VetchVesper

Sir William Schwenck Gilbert A swank affair: moss and dead leaves – amber-gilded, wrapped in balsam and cracked leather – crowned with mums, with a shard of gleaming, bone-white orris root. Alas, The Ghosts' High Noon is a bit of a disappointment for me. I was wanting amber, balsam, and leather, but this is predominately a "dead leaves" scent in the bottle and on me. It reminds me a lot of last years "Dead Leaves, Black Pepper, and Sandalwood." Perhaps my nose is getting a similar dryness from the orris as it does from sandalwood? It gets a creaminess to it as it dries down, but it's still very much dead leaves, and dead leaves just aren't my jive. That said, it smelled really nice when I tested on my husband, and if dead leaves work well on you, this might be really nice. My chemistry just isn't bringing out much complexity. To the swaps page!

Very nice. I get a soft, supple leather blending with a light, dry pipe tobacco. There's a slight tang of copal in the background, but I don't really get any vanilla. The fragrance is subtle on me and hugs the skin like kid leather. It has a similar feel to me as Perversion, though it actually smells pretty different.

This starts with lots of cinnamon on me, but it's the smoothest, most mellow cinnamon of BPAL's I've encountered. It doesn't turn to red hots on me, which is kind of unusual. Instead it calms down and blends with what smells like Indian sandalwood. It's very dry, smooth, and ever so faintly sweet. For an all spice scent, I prefer this one greatly over Plunder. Wish it had stuck around.

Thank you Joyleaf, for including a frimp of this hard to find goody. I'm getting lots of Australian sandalwood from this, the same as the SN that recently came out. I'm also getting lot's of frankincense, the kind that goes baby powder on me. Evil baby powder. Perhaps appropriate in a sick and twisted way? I dunno. Not for me, but probably would be a win for Australian sandalwood lovers.

This is my first BP nail polish. I'm usually a $2 bottle girl, as I use my hands so much even good nail polish is doomed within a few days. I've been wanting to see if this stuff is worth the extra money, and a purple nail polish with orange glitter seemed right up my alley. This reads to me as black though. Technically, it's purple, but it's so dark it looks black. There's a subtle flare of orange glitter in the light. I barely notice the lighter, purple glitter. I'm a little disappointed on the color. The polish performance is pretty good though. Good glitter spread. Dries quickly. Seems to be holding up well. I wouldn't mind picking up a few more of their colors.

Hmmm... In the bottle this is an interesting blend of lavender and foodie warmth. I can faintly detect powdery, sweet violet in the background. When I put this on - Have I mentioned I amp the heck out of cinnamon? If it's in a blend, my skin will find it. O_O Look! There it is, lavender and cinnamon duking it out. I'm also getting a weird, artificial smell that I've noticed in other baked goods/foodie blends that smell great in the bottle but don't work for me. Finally, this settles down to a creamy vanilla pumpkin that reminds me a whole lot of The Witches. It's not bad, but I already have an imp of The Witches I rarely use. To the swapmobile! This, at least on me, is much more foodie pumpkin than herbal/floral with a dash of pumpkin, like I was hoping for. But if you missed the Witches, you might try this out. Also reminds me a bit of Cockaigne.

This fragrance is so odd. That's kind of why I got it. It just sounded really different, and it is. When I first sprayed it, while in my bathroom, I got a smell that reminded me of the numbing agent in sore throat sprays. I guess that was the eucalyptus, b/it didn't really read that way to me. It just smelled medicinal. Then I got weird medicinal blueberry followed, I think, by musk and oud. Then it became a whispy sort of chemical, yet pleasant smell in which I don't really get any particular notes. Honestly, it doesn't smell like a perfume to me, more like the way cool air would smell in a place. When I walked back into the bathroom later, I did get a vague blueberry impression, but I don't smell any on me. I'm not sure how I feel about this one yet. It's definately interesting and evocative. I'll have to wear it some to see if it grows on me. I would say though, that if you are wanting a strong, juicy smelling blueberry, this might disappoint. ETA - The feel of this scent reminds me a little of The First Time I Saw a Ghost.

Kumiho is white tea and ginger. It's bright, clean, and a bit sharp. Lady of Shallot is watery white florals and ginger. They're both GC. If you are willing to try to find discontinued LE's, you might look through the old Atomic Luau Lounge series. I bet there are some ginger scents in there that might also have citrus.

I love black licorice and have been wanting to get to know teak a little better, so this was a must buy. First impressions, this is my beloved licorice backed with the spicy warmth of teakwood. It's the same licorice in Kabuki, but without the candy sweetness from the cherry. It's beautiful, balanced, and unisex. Dry down - Something about this smells really... familiar. For a long time I couldn't figure out what it was reminding me of, because there just aren't that many licorice scents, but then I realized, it's a dead ringer for Satan Starting From the Touch of Ithuriel's Spear on me. I have no idea why since they don't share any of the same notes, but SSFTIS is one of my favorites, so hey, I'm not complaining. I love this and am very happy with my bottle.

Gambols of Ghosts really does give me a candle light vibe. There's a sort of coolness to the scent at first with the barest hint of warmth that seems very appropriate to the luminous specters seen in the painting. There's a bit of powdery, green/floral sweetness while this is wet that must be the violet, but I wouldn't recognize it if it wasn't listed. Then this becomes mostly beeswax, which always smells vanillic to me, with some amber in the background adding a hint of spicy depth. I could also swear I smell some myrrh in here - something a touch dark and sweet at the edges. This is nice, but it is a bit baby powderish in dry down. I have a sneaky suspicion though this might get a little richer/darker with age, so I'm gonna hang on to my bottle. A light, powdery amber and beeswax scent with hint of darkness and a nice, subtle silage.

This is all thick, foodie chocolate-hazel nut in the bottle and wet, then pine begins to make an appearance. Now it's taking over. Lumberjacks are eating my Nutella! At this stage, it's just to weird and discordant for me. Luckily, it smooths out after about 10 mins and becomes a warm, nutty skin scent. There are the faintest hints of cocao and pine in the background to add complexity. I don't love it, but I like it enough to keep my bottle and it's different from anything else I have.

Yay! I'm so happy it worked for you! I love Caterpillar. It's one of my fave GC's. It's very incensey/floral on me though and Guerlain sounds like it might be citrusy/sweet. If that is so, then you might try Lolita or Phantasm for something lighter/brighter or Namaste for something with more weight. Eternal was also very lemony/ white floral on me, though it doesn't list anything lemony in the notes, and the heliotrope gave it a sweet, powdery finish.

So, I did a decant circle for Neverwhere, and this was my surprise favorite. I have often said I like my smells dirty, and here's further evidence! This smells like all kinds of dirt, but in the best way possible! At first, I get a green, squish-between-your toes sort of mud, then it goes to a warm, spicy earth scent, and finally dries down to a creamy, soft, dusty dirt, like something Pigpen would wear on a hot date. The patchouli is prominent. The lemon verbena doesn't show up on me, which is a surprise since usually I amp it. The fig lends a touch of sweetness. The sandalwood is probably what I'm registering as creamy dust, and I do get leather, BUT the notes really are part of the whole in this one. I wouldn't wear this often, but I would wear it, and for all you dirt and/or earthy patchouli lovers out there, I'd highly recommend you give this a try. It deserves more love.

Hmmmm... I will have to read the reviews. Thank you for pointing it out.

LOADS of lavender in the bottle, but on my skin, the peppermint emerges and the two blend in a lovely way. I'm not really getting any bergamot that I can tell, and I have no idea what mandrake smells like, but I like what I AM smelling. This is very head clearing to me. I probably won't use it as a perfume, but as aromatherapy to help me sleep, calm me, or help me focus, I think this will be lovely. I very much fancy the idea of mixing this with coconut oil for a massage too. P.S. Wanted to add that I really liked the color of this oil. It has a faint green tinge to it, very subtle and easily unnoticed. Seems appropriate.

In the bottle, I get a sweet, boozy leather scent that is very nice. There's a bit of a cologne feel and a tad bit of nutty warmth. Perhaps the massoia bark? This leans masculine to my nose, but I think could easily be worn by a woman. On my skin I still get leather and the sweet cologne feel, but I also get some funkiness creeping in. I think I'm going to blame the wool as I'm not familiar with that note and don't really have issue with anything else listed. It smells kind of... swampy... So I smell kind of like a sexy swashbuckler with nice leather boots covered in muck after he's run around in the sewers, which I guess is pretty darn fitting! An interesting scent, but doesn't shine with my chemistry.

Hello. I was frimped an imp of Szepasszony by a lovely forumite and am finding I really like. It's also really different from anything else I've smelled, though I usually avoid things described as "aquatic." Freshwater aquatic seems to work on me sometimes though and thats what I get from this, along with lavender and some sugary, fresh floral. Anyone have some suggestions?

I was a bit cautious of the lemon balm in this one, and I'm not really familiar with mugwort, but I am a cancer, and all the other notes listed are lovely on me. This primarily ends up being a cool, creamy violet on my skin, but it's end is very different from it's beginning. In the bottle I get lots of nice jasmine and bracing mint. I'm not sure what is giving that impression, I guess the mugwort, but I get loads of strong peppermintiness when I inhaled deeply. When I put it on, the violet quickly peeks out and the minty impression fades after a bit. There is a soapy phase, but it only lasts a few minutes. I never get anything lemony, which for me is a plus. I think the cucumber adds a bit of creaminess and the sandalwood just grounds things a bit. I don't register it as an obvious note. I read that mugwort can be used for lucid dreaming and astral travel. I might have to try this as a sleep blend. It does have a nice calming sort of vibe. I think it will also be lovely in the spring. ETA: This does make a nice sleep blend for me and lasts through the entire night and through the morning on me. Also, hours after wearing it, I get a murky, herbal green quality that must be the mugwort resurfacing. I like it though, very different from other things I've smelled. This blend makes me think of a dark, still green pond with lilies and algea and water weeds everywhere.

This is a very pleasant, cool cologne on me. It doesn't smell like heavy darkness to me so much as like the time just before dawn, when there is a clean chill in the air. I definitely get some mint in this, but it's tempered by something resinous. Do I detect the tang of copal? I think this would be very nice on a man, b/there is a sweetness to it that would also work well for a woman. Also, fun fact, the oil is two tone, a turquoise green floats above a dark brown. It's pretty nifty looking, and I actually put mine in a glass bottle so I could see it. You might want to roll it well before use though.

I tried all the Unicorn part 1 line and found Of the Unicorn and Orpheus Charming animals to be masculine. Mythological Scene, St. Claire, and a King Persued by a Unicorn were more neutral IMO and it would probably depend more on your chemistry. I actually tend to like wearing scents that lean towards masculine.

Hmmm... I was trying to think of something GC w/amber and woodiness and my brain's kinda coming up blank. You might try Lion though. It's almost pure amber on my skin. Might not have the complexity you're looking for, but at least you would know if that's what you like so much in Autumnalis. Sorry I can't be of more help. :/ Oh, and Rumpelstiltskin is another nice spice scent that has no cinnamon. It has a smoky smell from the vetiver though and might be a bit masculine for some.

This has a cool, powdery sharpness at first that IS evocative of porcelain. On my skin it smells like a refined men’s cologne. Mostly, I get black musk. It’s powdery and dry and a bit old fashioned, but I think it’s kinda sexy, like a distinguished gentleman in a nice suit. I can just make out the geranium adding a little interest in the background. This is too masculine for me to wear, b/ would be a good bet for a man who likes classic colognes. P.S. Actually, the longer this is on, the more and more I like it. It' still smells like men's cologne to me, but it might be good enough I just don't care. This one's getting worn.

Hunter smells beautiful in the bottle. Unfortunately, my skin really amps up the clove and drowns out everything except for the leather, which DOES smell like soft hide. It’s not as sharp and masculine as the leather in Iago, but it still has a rough quality to it. I like it, and mixed with the clove, it has a brassy sort of feel. I think it’s feminine, but in a strong way. Very fitting of the character. I just wish I got more of the amber and sage. I think this has the potential to be fantastic on the right chemistry. Alas, it’s not mine.

Woooooo. You joined the forum at the right time! Check out all the new dead leaves scents for Halloween. There will be lots of decant circles up for them, so you can sample the limited edition fall scents. GC scents you might try... Hmm... I don't know how close they would be to Autumnalis, but Plunder is all spice, not really foodie. It does have cinnamon, but it's got so much else going on, it might still work. Al Shairan is another spicey fall scent. I recieved a frimp recently and was surprised how much I liked it. It's not sweet, juicy, fruity peach, more dried and descicated. Lastly, Gauko makes me think of fall and dried leaves. Hope that helps, and welcome to BPAL!

The honey in this, I'm pretty sure, is the same as the one found in The Cat, Dawn Maiden, and Crib Girls. It doesn't work well with my chemistry and goes a bit baby powder. That said, this isn't bad on me. It's pleasant and calming, probably due to the chamomile and the honey adds a pleasant, if powdery, sweetness. It's sort of a wistful skin scent. I was worried about the nicotania being a tobacco note, b/I don't get anything like that from this. Pleasant, calming, unique, but not really ringing my bells.