joopjoop

Now, as all of you will have had reason aplenty to discover for yourselves, there are new gods growing in America, clinging to growing knots of belief: gods of credit card and freeway, of Internet and telephone, of radio and hospital and television, gods of plastic and of beeper and of neon. Proud gods, fat and foolish creatures, puffed up with their own newness and importance. Scorched wires, silicone, tar, chlorine, wax, rubber, and exhaust. Well, this is.... something. The good news is that it smells exactly like its description, but that's the bad news too. In short, It is a melange of industrial and off-gassing smells that is oddly pleasant one minute and utterly awful the next. I find it strangely compelling, but there is something in here - I think it is the silicone but really it could be anything - that is giving me a headache - and the man and child both physically recoiled when they sniffed my arm. So for now a scrubber, but I feel compelled to hold on to the decant - I want to see what a little aging does. And besides, there is something very honest about this scent. These are the deep gods of capitalism and industrialization - the drivers of the economy - the powerful but unattractive forces that we try to gloss over with shiny glass and carefully manicured landscaping. The truth about our New American Gods isn't always pretty, and it is worth being reminded of that fact every now and then.

Hi there! I used to be somewhat active on the forums, but when a close family member passed away I just ... stopped posting - although I continued wearing (and loving) BPAL (although a bit more sporadically). There is no real direct connection between these things, just couldn't focus - grief is funny that way sometimes. In any case, I decided to make a BIG order in honor of Lupers and got a few other nice things as well in the same order. I've wanted to try/buy Antonio for a long time. Although both white musk and fig can be tricky on my skin, all the other notes are favorites of mine and I am a particular fan of vetiver and coconut pairings in scents. Added to that verbena and other lemony scents don't scare me, quite the opposite actually, and my main complaint is that they don't usually last very long on my skin. I probably should've let this rest longer, but Antonio smelled so good in the bottle - verbena, lavender, coconut - all there - that he was the first one I tested from my order! This is a very verbena-forward scent, but honestly, I'm not mad about it. Verbena and lovely fuzzy coconut are the strongest notes while wet, but on dry-down the verbena steps just a back a bit and the other notes emerge more. As I'd hoped, the coconut and vetiver are lovely together and the lavender provides a nice dimension as well. I think with some rest and aging this will develop more depth and complexity and may end up being something pretty special, but I'm enjoying it just fine fresh from the lab in the meantime!

Hi there! I used to be somewhat active on the forums, but when a close family member passed away I just ... stopped posting - although I continued wearing (and loving) BPAL (although a bit more sporadically). There is no real direct connection between these things, just couldn't focus - grief is funny that way sometimes. In any case, I decided to make a BIG order in honor of Lupers and got a few other nice things as well in the same order. This was a blind bottle and the one I was most excited about! I love LOVE mango scents and the description of 'goldfish orange overripe mangos' sounded perfect! 'The Things We Do Make Echoes' does not disappoint. It is a big joyful blast of mango that dries down into a lovely mixed fruit scent (but still mango-predominant) with some depth underneath. My bottle is brand new (I did manage to wait 48 hours before slathering some on though, lol) and I hope with time I'll be able to distinguish some of the non-fruit notes a little more clearly - particularly the anise (a note I also love).

I love everything about this perfume, which isn't surprising since I love all the notes here except for myrrh ( although I am learning to love it in certain blends). I'm a huge copal fan and a huge marigold fan as well. The soil is very understated here. Just beautiful And I can't really put it any better than annamathematics - "a fancy department store perfume for the occult scholar" is spot on!

An unexpected new favorite. I'm not a big incense person, but copal has changed that! This smells clean and somehow high-minded - an incense for offerings that helps you raise your eyes to the heavens. I'm on a no-buy at the moment, but will probably upgrade to a bottle eventually.

I blind bottled this as a last minute Yule purchase last year and was somewhat disappointed when it arrived. The first few times I tried it, it was just... not much. Very faint, sort of herbal, meh. I put it in my aging drawer (more out of laziness than any real hope) and forgot about it. Dug it out a few days ago and I am happy to report that it has become seriously awesome. Fresh, herbal, bracing but the musk keeps it 'perfumey' (in a good way) if that makes sense. It has an invigorating, unisex GREEN tone to it that is very TCB (that's Taking Care of Business for the non-Elvis fans out there). Keep in mind that I'm a citrus/mint/herbal girl through and through - 51, Angeronalia, Shoggoth are the kinds of 'everyday' scents I regularly reach for, and Anesthesia is a bedtime staple - so if those sorts of minty/citrus scents hit the spot for you then Odic Force will most likely be to your liking as wall. And you are all going to think I'm crazy for saying so, but this reminds me of a much lighter, more mellow, Oblivion. It has that metholated and 'green musk' quality to it - I can't explain it but I stand by it! This one is going in my daytime rotation. It's a great 'get-up-and-go' scent for a Monday morning and I can't really see anyone being bothered or offended by the scent so it will make a good office companion.

Sometimes things are coveted and beloved for good reason. Ava is indeed all that and more - tuberose, almond flower (almond is present, but nothing like the foodie almond extract that I get in a lot of BPAL scents), and a touch of mandarin over a translucent, dreamy, dry vanilla musk. I am not a huge vanilla fan and can only take it in small doses in select non-foodie blends, but it is the star - and it is perfect - here. Gorgeous. I'm a believer. If you are tempted - get it! (but maybe wait until I can order a back-up bottle 'k?)

I have sooo many things I could review - should review - Lupers up the wazoo, heck even some Yules I never got around to sharing my impressions about! But I put this hair gloss on after a shower tonight and wondered, not for the first time, why don't I wear this every-damn-day?!!? I can only conclude that it is because smelling so freaking incredible is too much awesome for me (let alone the rest of the world!) to handle on a regular basis (yes, yes, the real reason is that I'm a fickle toddler with wild fragrance mood swings and a compulsion to try new scents). Anyway,it smells great. The vanilla in this one is sooo nice - and I say this as a person who dislikes 90% of BPAL vanillas. And the coconut and tiare? To die for.

This was one of two blind bottles for me, as I love every note, but I really didn't know what to expect. I know that skin chemistry varies greatly, but on me this is a fairly linear orange blossom and honey scent. I can smell the tea, sandalwood and (especially) the apple in the background, but they all play supporting roles. Fortunately I love the combination of orange blossom and honey and this smells both really sexy and fresh/fuzzy (from the honey) to my nose. Quite spring-like as others have mentioned - but far from innocent. I enjoy it very much and I'm glad I got a bottle. Contemplating a backup.

For me, this is the perfect rose incense scent. Rose and frank are the main notes playing off one another, but it is the sweet funk of the sweet oud that gives it a richness and depth, and the herbal quality of the chamomile that keeps it from getting too heady and overwhelming. All together this is just a beautiful blend. Very sophisticated, very posh. I think in another thread I said that is smelled like the 'good incense' that my Indian friends burned at Diwali. I stand by that! Bottle worthy for sure.

First of all, how awesome is "The Dead Hour of the Night" as a name for a scent? I know BPAL has a lot of cool and crazy names, but "The Dead Hour of the Night" is just plain badass. I want to tell people what I am wearing. Ahem. So I'm already predisposed to like this, and I am really hoping the moonflower shines through in this blend. So in the decant and wet it is all pine pine piney pine pine on me. And to be honest it is overpowering - I can't smell anything else. As it dries down the pine calms down a little bit and I can smell the moonflower, and if I really look for it, the opium. The pine is still dominant note, however, and while it is a much nicer pine now - and with the other notes it is a little misty even - I'm not sure how I feel about that. Much later, when this is fully dry, the pine and the moonflower are in harmony and this emerges as a really beautiful haunting scent. I can just smell the opium at this point, if I concentrate - but it is barely a trace. It does smell like a moonlit night. Very true to its name. Romantic - this would fit in with the Crimson Peak line well - it is pine and moonflower, instead of lavender and moonflower like Lullaby. I really love where this ends up, but I'm not sure if I am willing to go through the intense pine phase at the start. Hmm, decisions.

Envy is lovely but a bit frustrating. I would describe it as having a melancholy quality - pure and cold - very evocative of a statue come to life! It has that beautiful white sandalwood that the lab does so well, and that dreamy, slightly salty quality that ambergris brings to the table. After about an hour, however, something a bit dusty and a little bitter emerges and I am not crazy about this stage. Later it settles down and smooths out, and eventually becomes a primarily sandalwood scent. All in all, a wonderful interpretation of the inspiration, but I have so many perfumes at this point that I don't think I will be bringing more Envy into my life.

Dionysia is primarily a fruit scent on me - pom and plum with a hint of raspberry - with some nice earthy grounding elements. After about an hour, more of the 'earthy' notes, particularly the mahogany and the patchouli start to peak out a bit more. It didn't make much of an impression on me the first time I tested it, but now I really enjoy it - it is a very pleasant red-purple fruit scent and a lot more unobtrusive than many of my favorites in that category. Unfortunately, it is a bit too unobtrusive! Very low throw and fades a bit quickly - I'm thinking I can survive without a bottle. Still I am putting the decant in my work-scent rotation - for when I want something fruity but not too assertive.

The first time I tried this, I wasn't impressed. Everything seemed both a bit jarring and a bit faint - hard to get a handle on all around. Tried it again after it had a chance to settle and age just a bit and I like it much better now. This is very much an absinthe scent at its core, but there is something about it - it must be the opium smoke and the touch of burnt sugar - that tip it over into slightly debauched and maybe even a bit sinister. The whole thing suggests late nights, a little too much forced laughter and mad frivolity - a suggestion of trying to drink and flirt late into the early hours in order desperately stave off the unforgiving glare of the morning sun. The florals add to that impression as well - beautiful, but languidly draped over of a core of darkness. It smells nothing at all like it, but it reminds me of Anathema - all corrupted pleasures and decadent excess. The longer I wear it, the more I like it. Do I need a bottle? I'm not sure. I just broke down and put a bottle of Anathema in my last order and I think that might scratch the same itch. Honestly I don't have a lot of opportunities to smell like a party girl from the belle époque so I'm not sure I can justify a full bottle of this fallen angel of the night as well. But I am tempted....

I got an ounce of this and it is really nice - great for pairing with other plum and red-fruit scents. Mostly plums and sugar, with just a touch of vanilla.

This is gorgeous and may be my favorite BPAL rose ever (although the competition is stiff!). It is definitely herbal, particularly to start, with the marigolds, mums and a background of dried crunchy leaves providing a strong counterpoint to the wild roses. I like it just fine that way (because herbal rose is my jam), but just wait - and then - OH YEAH! Soon it dries down to gloriousness: gobs and gobs of gorgeous roses paired with beautiful smooth vanilla, and with just a slight herbal edge to it that keeps it from going too sweet. And it lasts and lasts! I wore to a party the other night, got several compliments, and generally felt like a queen. I ordered a bottle immediately. And if the bottle smells anywhere near as good as the imp, I'll be ordering a couple of backups as well before the Weenies come down.

This is really fun - jubilant is a good word for it! Starts off with a strong blast of lime - and as zankoku zen says, this lime is ready to party! Then it develops into a nicely blended lime and absinthe for a few hours and ends up as a soft close-to-the-skin absinthe. My only complaint is that it doesn't last very long on me and is a bit faint - very little throw. I will use my decant, but as I have several other absinthe/anise blends I wear regularly (and a bottle of SN Sri Lankan Lime, come to think of it), I don't feel like it is quite amazing enough to justify a bottle.

Frimpity Frimp! My skin is where fig goes to lie down and die a sad slow death, so I do not have a lot of hope for this one. Wet: hmm, this is nice - wood, fig, and the slightly musty sweetness of palm sugar. I like this. And the fig is nice. It smells like fig, rather than the flat sadness that is usually fig on me. Feeling good about this! Much later: fades to a light wood and palm sugar scent. Sweet and a little earthy. The joopman cooks a lot with palm sugar and it is a very comforting and nostalgic scent for me. Verdict: Not really digging it enough for a bottle, but so glad I got to try this one!.

This was a frimp. Leather is not my friend usually, but the other notes sound good. Let's try. In the imp: Leather. Nasty chemically smelling leather. Specifically Beth's black leather note, which does not work on me at all. Add to that a blast of vetiver - together they are so strong they almost smell like cured meat. Ugh. On wet: The same. Horrible. Fortunately the vetiver fades back so it is just leather leather leather. Dry down: more leather - so much leather. The leather gets softer and nicer but that's about it. I get none of the other notes. Much much later: in the throw, a pleasant unidentifiable floral mixed with a much softer leather. Nice. Up close, still more leather than anything else. I guess I amp leather? Not for me. Too bad. Sounds dashing and romantic. But on my skin it smells like a Wilson's Leather sales rack.

I really love Hilma and I am surprised she isn't more popular. Honeysuckle and little rose to start, and the jasmine is in the background. The rose comes forward a little bit and then surprisingly, wonderfully, the other notes come out - the cedar, the sweet clove, the black tea - all clearly present! - and the nectarine is there too, adding a hint of sweet fruitiness. Once dry, this is gorgeous. Honeysuckle & rose, tea and nectarine, with a cedar base and hints of sweet, almost syrupy, clove. Super well-blended. Definitely, unabashedly old-fashioned but I love that about it - it is a big part of the appeal for me, in fact. I feel like this is something my grandmother would have worn in the 1950s and since my grandmother had great style, that's a ringing endorsement. To me Hilma and Lily from Pretty Deadly are in the same 'family' in terms of the construction of the scent. They don't really smell alike at all, except for perhaps the cedar in both of them is similar, but they are florals that are complemented beautifully by wood and other more earthy notes.

Ah this is nice. Very ozoney and mysterious to start. Dries down to a very clean, yet somewhat provocative scent. The wormwood definitely reads as anise to my nose. Which is good because I love anise. Similar in tone and feel to Mary Shelly, but this one has a little more strength and staying power on me. This one is going on the bottle list.

Do you want your house to smell like happiness and fun? Of course you do. Gertrude Dix is here to make your dreams come true. This was a blind purchase and a big risk for me, but I love love love vanilla orchid, I am very fond of magnolia and I love champagne but it doesn't work on my skin. But here? It is perfection. Mostly orchid and lovely bubbly happy champagne with a hint of magnolia in the background. Spray it on your pillows for New Orleans dreams.

I love red musk and red musk loves me, so I had high hopes for the Countess and she does not disappoint. I was worried that this would smell too foody, but not at all - it is perfumey but in the best way - aromatic and complex and appealing. A strong blast of amaretto at first and I'm loving it. But if it is not your thing, don't worry, it burns off fairly quickly leaving just a hint of sweetness in the background. The red musk is there, a little sharpness from the ginger but the *OMG wow* factor is definitely the chocolate plum musk. What is is this crazy sorcery? Smooth and beautifully blended but distinctively musky and chocolatey and, best of all, gloriously plummy. A+++

This smells like really nice Christmas punch to me. It smells really good - good enough to drink! But I don't want to smell like punch! I was hoping for something a little different - bright fruit over a core of darkness. No luck. Oh well. I'm saving the decant for the oil diffuser.

Patchouli and sandalwood. And this is definitely a red sandalwood. Dry and a little spicy. Smells brave, self assured and a little bit reckless. It's almost aspirational. I want to BE the person who wears this scent (so Anne Bonny, apparently). I like it very much, but not sure how often I would reach for it.