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BPAL Madness!

SmellsPrettyGood2Me

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Everything posted by SmellsPrettyGood2Me

  1. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Dahlia

    Unequivocally delicious. The orchid is subdued by an addictive sweetness that you can practically taste. Amber and vanilla are so harmonious in this blend that you can't tell where one ends and the other begins. This smells incredible in the bottle and even better on skin!! Perfectly balanced with moderate projection and great longevity.
  2. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Lorrainna

    This was an atypical buy for me as I rarely grab a floral! But the label art here was just too beautiful and I had to give it a try. In the bottle, the magnolia and lilac are fighting each other for dominance, with a wet greenness backing them up. On skin, the transformation is remarkable; I can literally smell the flowers being diffused on black satin with a hint of lace. Wearing this I am a young widow walking down a street in St Augustine, FL, mourning the husband who, before he drowned crossing the ocean, used to bring me perfume from Europe as a token of his affection. Incredibly well crafted.
  3. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Kit Sahari

    In the bottle, the cinnamon and clove make themselves known (as they do) but without knocking you over. I get a decent whiff of furry musk and a hint of tonka. On skin, the same notes dominate, but about 30 minutes in the musk melts into the vetiver, starting to get a lot more feral while the sandy desert note also emerges. Everything has the undertone of being sunbaked, and I'm reminded of those big bison-like pack animals in Stargate that were always romping around. My skin chemistry does not do this blend justice as it insists on amping the cinnamon and clove, but fortunately I like these notes so it is still very wearable. Worth noting too that I did not experience any skin sensitivity wearing this, which was nice! Definitely a contender for a backup bottle.
  4. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Nouria

    In the bottle, all leather all of the time, with an undertone of ancient tomes and the barest hint of vanilla. Wet on skin I immediately get a sense of honeyed, melted beeswax and a bit of resin. This lightens up as it dries down into something very cologne-like, but still leaning much more leather than vanilla. No discernible nutmeg to this old nose. I imagine this being the signature scent of an Oxford professor, one that permeates his office with a comforting warmth even when he is not sitting in his high backed velvet chair. Exceptionally cozy and evocative of exactly what the official description states. I have to think this must be a new Galen favorite as the beeswax here is just perfect. My only very minor complaint is that it fades with a rapidity that is uncharacteristic of many BPAL scents, after about 5 hours. Absolutely gorgeous, and I expect it will only get better as it ages. Deeply impressed with the Skull Maskerade collection as a whole and Nouria does not disappoint.
  5. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Cat Seen From Behind

    I got a very strong alcohol, commercially perfume-y waft from this fresh out of the bottle. The patchouli is definitely "green", wet. Absolutely morphs on the skin into something much softer and sweeter. This is one of the few scents that I have come across that really needs a good rest before it can be completely enjoyed.
  6. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Aglaea

    Another non-fruity person here who also unexpectedly loves this. Super delicate and only a little bit sweet. As others said, it does not last very long and the sillage is also quite low. A young person getting into perfume would find this very appealing; I like it as a summer sleep scent.
  7. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Lizardfolk Park Ranger

    Very prominent eucalyptus/menthol top note! Pine needles and mosses are right behind it, and if I squish my nose up hard I can just barely detect the blackcurrant bud. Evocative of a hike in the PNW on a rainy fall day. Strongly masculine and still going strong 6 hours later.
  8. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Zephyr

    Quite neroli forward on initial application; not my favorite note, but it settles down a bit. Small hints of the lemon and bergamot help keep the florals from becoming too humid and swampy. I'm struggling to decide which is the right season in which to wear it! It may be too cloying for the heat of summer, despite giving the sense of warm weather blooms. I like it for the days where I need something inoffensive and sweet to put on before I run out of the door, knowing that by the time I get there the neroli will have sorted itself out.
  9. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Troll

    Wet: too much basil and eau de rotting wildlife carcasses. On skin: Oh, hey, some pine to go with the smell of decaying forest fauna and funga! Almost anxiety inducing in it's pungency. On drydown: Something more floral emerges. The musk remains present and foreboding. I find myself wondering if this is what a woods dwelling, revenge oriented former mathematician would smell like as he plotted his dastardly deeds against society.
  10. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Deep in Earth

    This is an incredibly photorealistic, rose forward scent that evokes a morning walk in a foggy New England cemetery. I can smell both the humid earth and lichen covered headstones in the background. Makes me think of Mount Auburn Cemetery near Harvard in late spring.
  11. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Smokestack

    Where everyone else is getting industrial ash, I'm getting a smokey, leathery men's cologne from the late 70's. Your grandpa wore this to the VFW with his plaid polyester pants every Tuesday and Thursday when he went to go meet up with the guys from his old army unit. I love it.
  12. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Alice's Evidence

    Very plummy, not too spicy. But, unfortunately, both me and the Mr experienced skin irritation when we tried this. Lovely for a scent locket in the cooler months but no longer welcome directly on our skin.
  13. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Black Rose, Nutmeg, and Smoked Amber

    Ever stick a jar of spices a bit too close to your nose and breathe in a bit too deeply? That pungent smack is what happens when this is first applied to my skin, which loves to amp any ground spices to high heaven. After 15 minutes, the rose appears. I get a whiff of smoke, but very little amber. It smells like the potpourri my mom kept in the bathroom in the early 90's, and I kind of love it. Definitely more suited to cooler weather and snuggly days.
  14. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    You May House Their Bodies But Not Their Souls

    This is reminiscent of Feed Me and Fill Me With Pleasure with the addition of some lightly powdery musk. Overall a very "wearable" patchouli that won't assault your senses but still packs a bit of a punch.
  15. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Feed Me and Fill Me With Pleasure

    Absolute perfection. Smells like your favorite hippie aunt who gave up her groupie days to teach English literature at the local community college. This is a perfectly blended quadrangle of notes, where there is no fighting...only harmony. I desperately hope this returns.
  16. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Witches' Currant Cake

    Much more berry crumble than cake on me, which I surprisingly like despite not being a fruity gourmand fan, generally. This is dessert at the Vermont diner near to where your grandparents once lived. Agree with other reviewers that this fades fast, and it was largely gone within 3 hours.
  17. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    A Twilight Where Virtues are Vice

    Incredibly photorealistic honeysuckle takes front and center both wet and in the initial application. The jasmine is creamy and non-indolic. On my skin, the opium smoke never appears. This would be a highly wearable floral in any weather, but particularly in summer.
  18. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Songs of Autumn IV

    This would be exceptionally lovely if not for the apricot rind, which dragged the entire blend into smelling more like a post Thanksgiving compost pile. I pawed through a few of my single note bottles to see if there was anything I could add to rescue it and gave up. Note to self: stop thinking apricot will work out for you!!
  19. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Cameo Chaperone

    Smells like Easter! A row of potted tulips and delicate orchids sitting in a row at your local florist, waiting to be lovingly carried home. This is one of the most grassy BPAL's I have tried to date, and I like it for those cloudy days at the end of winter when all you want is to be able to throw the windows open and smell the sun warming some flowers. Surprisingly still going strong 4 hours after application.
  20. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Carved Wooden Cultist Lair

    Wet, I get the bright cologne-y vibes that others have described. Definitely a "clean" smell with a moderate-to-strong sillage once applied. No wood or incense until about 45 minutes in. This is a day-to-night scent that would not offend your co-workers or your dinner date.
  21. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Chibi Skull With Last Will and Testament

    The red patchouli here came out to play, hard, for the first hour after application. It was so potent that I was almost uncomfortable enough to wash it off. Luckily I got distracted for a bit, and the cream and vanilla finally came out to play about 2 hours in. Mallow flower almost always goes a bit woody on me but I am enjoying that more after drydown as well.
  22. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Pallid Bat

    Lovely warm tea with a hint of lemon!
  23. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Wrath

    Cinnamon red hots in the imp and on my skin. Would wear to a gothic carnival audition.
  24. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Brimstone

    Intolerable to my nose in the imp, but opens up considerably on skin. Evokes the experience of rubbing Tiger Balm on aching muscles in front of a smoking campfire after a long hike in a coniferous forest.
  25. SmellsPrettyGood2Me

    Paramatman

    The most wearable nag champa scent in my collection! Not too overpowering, somehow both magically blends together in equal scent note parts and allows me to detect each individual one instead. Absolutely perfect for an evening summer wedding where you want something romantic but unobtrusive.
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